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http://substanceabuse.about.com/health/substanceabuse/library/blmari030800.h tm ?iam=dp&terms=THC+346+Tremor Marijuana Chemical Eases MS Symptoms Dateline: 3/8/00 Researchers have found that a THC-like drug reduces tremors and spasticity experienced by people with multiple sclerosis, the Associated Press reported recently. According to British researchers, a compounds that included a chemical equivalent to THC, the main ingredient in marijuana, eased tremors in mice. "This lends credence to the anecdotal reports that some people with MS have said that cannabis can help control these distressing symptoms," said Lorna Layward, one of the study's authors. She heads the research arm of the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The research indicates that marijuana-like compounds stimulate cannabinoid receptors on the surface of nerve cells. The findings could lead to the development of compounds that may treat multiple sclerosis symptoms without the "high" of marijuana. "We've tapped into and exposed this natural system," said David Baker of University College in London, England, who led the study. "And that's why this is important." Additional studies are planned in Britain to test marijuana derivatives on multiple sclerosis patients. The current study was published in the journal Nature.