CANNABIS CAN MAKE YOUR BRAIN EXPLODE.

Byline: By LOUISE HOGAN

CANNABIS causes young people's brain cells to explode, new research has revealed.

The Health Research Board (HRB) said the discovery by scientists at Trinity College Dublin was one of a multitude of breakthroughs in Irish health research this year.

Their study found cannabis appeared to protect mature brain cells while attacking newer brain cells by causing them to self-destruct.

It concluded that this was one of the reasons why cannabis is used to treat diseases such as cancer as it causes the cancer cells to self-destruct.

The research, published in the HRB's The Picture Of Health: A Selection Of Irish Health Research 2005, may also help to explain how the drug could cause brain damage in an unborn foetus and emphasised the need for anti-cannabis campaigns.

Chairman of the HRB Professor Desmond Fitzgerald said: "Better understanding, more effective treatments, preventative approaches and greater efficiency through new technology are all evident in this year's report, but this is just the tip of the iceberg.

"The HRB has invested $40million to support research across the Irish healthcare sector by developing health research infrastructure, supporting young scientists, developing careers and encouraging productive partnerships between health agencies, charities and universities."