Sorry hippies, but your beloved marijuana plant is being poked, prodded and perverted by evil scientists trying to unlock the mysteries of its benefits beyond "getting" 2001: A Space Odyssey.

In a fascinating article in the usually-boring "Health" section, the Chronicle takes a look at how cannabinoids might be able to treat a variety of diseases and ailments much wider than we'd imagined, including Parkinson's and Lou Gehrig's disease.

The part about the chemical pathways through the human brain and nervous system that seem to be for the explicit purpose of getting baked was of particular interest to the SFist.  Also the part that mentioned...wait, what were we talking about?

SFist Alex, contributing.