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Marijuana, absinthe and the central nervous system

Abstract

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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DEL CASTILLO, J., ANDERSON, M. & RUBOTTOM, G. Marijuana, absinthe and the central nervous system. Nature 253, 365–366 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/253365a0

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