When Spliff Gets in your Eyes.
Giles Tremlett in Madrid. (from The Guardian 7.6.04)
We knew it gave people the munchies and made them giggle. Now researchers claim to have found
a new property in cannabis- it helps them see in the dark.
Scientists made their discovery after becoming intrigued by Moroccan fishermen who not only
failed to lose their sense of direction after smoking generous amounts of local kif ,a mixture of
Cannabis and tobacco ,but seemed to navigate better on dark night.
"They attribute their ability to see to the consumption of kif that they spend entire hours smoking
before getting into their barques" ,one of the research team ,drawn from the US, Spain and Morocco
reported.
Jamaican fishermen have reportedly shown a similar reaction ,suggesting that there may be something
medically useful in cannabis apart from the pain-deadening properties already spotted by
doctors treating cancer patients.
Equipped with a machine for measuring night vision, the researchers headed for the Rif valley,
the centre of Morocco's flourishing cannabis trade. "High grade sifted cannabis was mixed with
Tobacco in a 2:1 ratio and smoked as kif by subjects employing a traditional sebsi pipe, "the team
Write in the latest Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
Three " kif-experienced" Moroccan volunteers were then invited to make "numerous inhalations".
The volunteers demonstrated "Consistent improvements" in tests, leading the researchers to
suggest that further studies should be conducted.
The researchers admit that the results have turned the ancient wisdom of Persian and Arab
scientists, who suggested that cannabis made vision fuzzier ,on its head.
But their results backed up claims by the Observer columnist Sue Arnold ,who suffers from
retinitis pigmentosa and is officially registered blind. She noticed several years ago that
Drawing on strong Jamaican skunk suddenly and temporarily enabled her to see things
Clearly.
But Ms Arnold has since warned of side effects that could impede night-time navigation.
"only trouble was" ,she said, "I couldn't stand up."
Giles Tremlett in Madrid. (from The Guardian 7.6.04)
We knew it gave people the munchies and made them giggle. Now researchers claim to have found
a new property in cannabis- it helps them see in the dark.
Scientists made their discovery after becoming intrigued by Moroccan fishermen who not only
failed to lose their sense of direction after smoking generous amounts of local kif ,a mixture of
Cannabis and tobacco ,but seemed to navigate better on dark night.
"They attribute their ability to see to the consumption of kif that they spend entire hours smoking
before getting into their barques" ,one of the research team ,drawn from the US, Spain and Morocco
reported.
Jamaican fishermen have reportedly shown a similar reaction ,suggesting that there may be something
medically useful in cannabis apart from the pain-deadening properties already spotted by
doctors treating cancer patients.
Equipped with a machine for measuring night vision, the researchers headed for the Rif valley,
the centre of Morocco's flourishing cannabis trade. "High grade sifted cannabis was mixed with
Tobacco in a 2:1 ratio and smoked as kif by subjects employing a traditional sebsi pipe, "the team
Write in the latest Journal of Ethnopharmacology.
Three " kif-experienced" Moroccan volunteers were then invited to make "numerous inhalations".
The volunteers demonstrated "Consistent improvements" in tests, leading the researchers to
suggest that further studies should be conducted.
The researchers admit that the results have turned the ancient wisdom of Persian and Arab
scientists, who suggested that cannabis made vision fuzzier ,on its head.
But their results backed up claims by the Observer columnist Sue Arnold ,who suffers from
retinitis pigmentosa and is officially registered blind. She noticed several years ago that
Drawing on strong Jamaican skunk suddenly and temporarily enabled her to see things
Clearly.
But Ms Arnold has since warned of side effects that could impede night-time navigation.
"only trouble was" ,she said, "I couldn't stand up."
