An organization that favors repeal of U.S. laws prohibiting use of marijuana has published a story questioning whether diet drug Acomplia (rimonabant), which blocks the same CB-1 receptors that are stimulated by cannabis, may turn out to have "disasteous" medical consequences.

The article that appeared on Dec. 14th on the website of NORML, an organization that claims to represent the interests of "the tens of millions of Americans who smoke marijuana responsibly," noted that Acomplia works by blocking the natural binding of cannabinoids to neuronal CB1 receptors, causing users to lose their appetites.

It said that because the endocannabinoid receptor system is believed involved in regulation of a broad range of primary biological functions -- including mood regulation, blood pressure, bone density, reproduction and motor coordination as well as appetite -- some experts worry that long-term use of Acomplia may eventually contribute to a host of significant adverse health effects.

"CB1 receptors commonly play protective roles in minimizing the consequences of free-radical induced, age-related illnesses, ... as well as the aging process itself," University of Colorado at Colorado Springs biology professor Dr. Robert Melamede is reported as saying.

"The long-term use of CB1 antagonist drugs such as Acomplia may turn out to be disastrous [because] they may promote the illnesses that CB1 activity normally protects against," Melamede concludes.

The article also reports that In preclinical trials, newborn mice injected with Rimonabant refuse feeding and often die days after birth. It said mice genetically bred to lack the CB1 receptor also suffer from numerous health defects such as cognitive decline, hypoalgesia, decreased locomotor activity, and increased mortality compared to healthy controls.