Endocannabinoids

Clearly, UC Irving is acting as a front for "drug dealing."

The discovery may lead to a new class of painkillers with fewer side effects than existing pain medications, report researchers at the University of California, Irvine (UCI). Their study appears in the June 23 issue of Nature.


"This study shows for the first time that natural marijuana-like chemicals in the brain have a link to pain suppression," researcher Daniele Piomelli, a professor of pharmacology and director of the Center for Drug Discovery at the UCI School of Medicine, said in a prepared statement.

A new class, eh? Hmmm. I thought it's already available, to be taken orally by smoking or mixed in a tasty baked good. And has been used with great effectiveness by thousands suffering from pain and preferring to not slur their speech or sleep all day. But that's just me.