Marijuana, absinthe and the central nervous system

@article{Castillo1975MarijuanaAA,
  title={Marijuana, absinthe and the central nervous system},
  author={Jos{\'e} del Castillo and Marlin Dean Anderson and George M. Rubottom},
  journal={Nature},
  year={1975},
  volume={253},
  pages={365-366}
}
THERE are striking similarities between the psychological actions of the liqueur absinthe1 and the experiences frequently reported by users of marijuana2. We have therefore compared the properties of thujone and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which are believed to be the active principles of Artemisia absinthium and Cannabis sativa, respectively. Both substances are terpenoid, derived from the essential oils absinthol and cannabinol, and are formed by similar biosynthetic mechanisms3,4. 
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Absinthe, epileptic seizures and Valentin Magnan.

  • M. Eadie
  • Medicine
    The journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
  • 2009
An examination of Valentin Magnan's published investigations suggests that his science was very adequate by the standards of his time, and that he had shown that an alcohol-soluble component of wormwood did produce lapses of consciousness, myoclonic jerks and tonic-clonic convulsions in animals.

Alpha-thujone (the active component of absinthe): gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification.

Alpha-thujone in absinthe and herbal medicines is a rapid-acting and readily detoxified modulator of the GABA-gated chloride channel.

Absinthe , epileptic seizures and

Absinthe is an alcoholic liquor containing extracts from the wormwood plant. It was widely consumed in France in the late nineteenth century. Its production was banned in 1915, partly because it was…

Pharmacology and toxicology of absinthe

Absinthe is a flavoured distilled liquor, emerald green in colour, turning to cloudy, opalescent white when mixed with water, which is responsible for the pharmacological and toxicological properties of absinthe.

Modulation of GABAergic synaptic currents and current responses by α-thujone and dihydroumbellulone.

Analysis of current responses to exogenous GABA revealed that 1a reduced their amplitude, affecting their onset, desensitization, and deactivation, suggesting an effect on receptor gating, supporting the effects of 1a on GABAergic inhibition as being due to specific interactions with GABA(A)Rs.

Thujone--cause of absinthism?

Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy

Based on the current available evidence, thujone concentrations of both pre-ban and modern absinthe may not have been able to cause detrimental health effects other than those encountered in common alcoholism.

Thujone Exhibits Low Affinity for Cannabinoid Receptors But Fails to Evoke Cannabimimetic Responses

Cannabinoids and membrane-bound enzymes.

Absinthe: return of the Green Fairy.

This paper reviews some of the historical aspects of absinthe and aims to shed light on the mechanism of action and neurotoxicology of this the Green Fairy.

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