'Cannabis' could help smokers quit

Smokers trying to quit could do so in the future with the help of cannabis-based medicines, a university has said.

Scientists at the University of Nottingham are also looking to see whether such medicines could be used to treat obesity, diabetes and depression.

The research has focused on cannabis-like compounds which naturally exist within the human body called endocannabinoids. Scientists believe they could have a crucial link to addictive behaviour.

Dr Steve Alexander, associate professor at the university's School of Biomedical Sciences, said: "In terms of getting better medicines the endocannabinoid system has a lot to offer.

"The range of cannabis-related medicines is currently limited, but by increasing our knowledge in this area we can increase our stock."

Professor David Kendall, a cellular pharmacologist at the university, said: "The brain is full of cannabinoid receptors.

"And so, not surprisingly with diseases like depression and anxiety, there's a great deal of interest in exploiting these receptors and in doing so, developing anti-depressant compounds.

"We know that the endocannabinoid system is intimately involved in reward pathways and drug-seeking behaviour.

"So this tends to indicate that if the link involving endocannabinoids and the reward pathway, using inhibitors, can be interrupted, it could turn down the drive to seek addictive agents like nicotine."

Cannabinoids have also been shown to bring down blood pressure and it is hoped that related compounds can be used in patients with conditions like hypertension.

The Press Association