morphine-cannabis combo may boost painkilling response 08-13-2008 | NewsPostOnline.Com U.S. researchers have come up with an idea of using the combination of morphine and cannabis so as to better the painkilling responses. Joseph Holtman and Peter Crooks at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in Lexington say that teaming them up could allow doses to become smaller, reducing the possibility of addiction. However, combining the drug had some drawbacks, reports New Scientist. A simple mixture of the drugs produces unpredictable results because the body absorbs them at different rates. To overcome that limitation, the researchers came up an idea of binding the two drugs together using a linking molecule such as an ester. When the body snips this linking group, both drugs are released at the site where they are needed. That should ensure both drugs would be absorbed at the same rate, making it easier to work out doses for patients. ________