Cannabis Cannabinoids

THC-Delta 9-tetrahydro-cannabinol (cannabis) Cannabinoid receptor Relaxation, euphoria, and enhancement of senses, increase in appetite, sense of time... 

Park, B., ]. M. McPartland, and M. Glass. Cannabis, cannabinoids and reproduction. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2004 70(2) 189-197. 

Canelos Indians of South America-sSo caniroja Jatropha grossidentata)— o cannabidiol Cannabis cannabinoids Cannabis terpenoids)-384-g cannablnol Cannabis psychotropes)-385 carbolines-168,171 2,176,194-5,204-6,210-... 

Cannabinoid receptor Cannabis sativa Canna indica Canned foods... 

Cannabinoids were used in medicine in the form of their crude extracts many centuries ago. Lately the use of cannabis for so-called recreational purposes has become a national vice of substantial proportions. Several attempts have been made to focus the potentially useful pharmacological properties of marijuana into drug molecules with no abuse potential. 

Group of compounds which naturally occur in the hemp plant, Cannabis saiiva. Most of them are unsoluble in water. The most abundant cannabinoids are A9--tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), its precursor cannabidiol and cannabinol, which is formed spontaneously from THC. Cannabinoids exert their effects through G-protein coupled cannabinoid receptors (CBi/CB2). 

Dronabinol (tetrahydrocannabinol), the active principle from cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids, nabilone and levonantradol are effective in treating nausea and vomiting in cancer chemotherapy. The mode of action is unclear but appears to involve cannabinoid CBi receptors. Cannabinoids have been shown to reduce acetylcholine release in the cortex and hippocampus, and have been suggested to inhibit medullary activity by a cortical action. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis and release of endorphins may also be involved in the antiemetic effect. A review of trials of dronabinol, nabilone or levonantradol concluded that while the cannabinoids were superior to placebo or dopamine receptor antagonists in controlling emesis... 

Based on the role of endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors in several pathological conditions, the pharmacological manipulation of their levels or action is being developed as a therapeutic strategy. Enhancement of endocannabinoid signalling when this plays uniquely a protective role can be effected in a safer way using (i) cannabis extracts in which the presence of non-psychotropic cannabinoids with therapeutic activity per... 

THC is the most abundant and most active cannabinoid found in the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. It constitutes I... 

Research on CBl knockout mice demonstrated the pivotal role of CBl receptors in cannabis dependence knockout mice have been shown not to self-administer cannabinoids (Ledent et al. 1999) and also to fail to exhibit symptoms ofSRl417l6A-precipitated withdrawal (Ledent et al. 1999 Lichtman et al. 2001). Although the research summarized earlier is consistent in reporting the occurrence of a variety of withdrawal symptoms following cessation of exposure to cannabinoids (which were injected), precipitated withdrawal in mice following chronic exposure to marijuana smoke was more recently reported (Lichtman and Martin 2002). 

Mechoulam R The pharmacohistory of cannabis sativa, in Cannabinoids as Therapeutic Agents. Edited by Mechoulam R. Boca Raton, EL, CRC Press, 1986,... 

Parker LA, Gillies T THC-induced place and taste aversions in Lewis and Sprague-Dawley rats. Behav Neurosci 109 71-78, 1995 Pope HG, Yurgelun-Todd D The residual cognitive effects of heavy marijuana use in college students. JAMA 275 521-327, 1996 Robson P Therapeutic aspects of cannabis and cannabinoids. BrJ Psychiatry 178 107-115, 2001... 

Teesson M, Lynskey M, Manor B, et al The psychometric properties of BSM-IV cannabis use disorders. Brug Alcohol Bepend 68 235—262, 2002 Tsou K, Patrick SL, Walker JM. Physical withdrawal in rats tolerant to delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol precipitated by a cannabinoid receptor antagonist. Eur J Pharmacol 280 R13-R15, 1995... 

The last enzymatic step of the cannabinoid pathway is the production of THCA (3.5), CBDA (3.4) or CBGA (3.6). The compounds are produced by three different enzymes. The first enzyme produces the major psychoactive compound of cannabis, THCA [21,38] the second and third are responsible for the production of CBDA [39] and CBGA [40], respectively. All of these enzymes belong to the enzyme group oxidoreductases [38-41], which means that they are able to use an electron donor for the transfer of an electron to an acceptor. From these enzymes only the THCA and the CBDA synthase gene sequence have been elucidated. Their product also represents the highest constituent in most C. sativa strains. 

In times of less accessibility of water, the plants seem to increase the cannabinoid content. It is suggested that the plant will cover itself with the oily cannabinoids to prevent water evaporation. For instance Sharma (1975) found increased glandular trichome densities in the leaves of Cannabis grown under dry circumstances [55]. 

After identification of A9-THC as the major active compound in Cannabis and its structural elucidation by Mechoulam and Gaoni in 1964 [66], a lot of work was invested in chemical synthesis of this substance. Analogous to the biosynthesis of cannabinoids, the central step in most of the A9-THC syntheses routes is the reaction of a terpene with a resorcin derivate (e.g., olivetol). Many different compounds were employed as terpenoid compounds, for example citral [67], verbenol [68], or chrysanthenol [69]. The employment of optically pure precursors is inevitable to get the desired (-)-trans-A9-THC. 

Pate DW (2004) In Grotenhermen F (ed) Cannabis un Cannabinoide. Hans Huber, Bern, p 33... 

Before the discovery of specific cannabinoid receptors, the term cannabinoid was used to describe the biologically active constituents of the Cannabis sativa plant, including A -THC (67), cannabidiol (68) and their analogues and derivatives, many of which have characteristic pharmacological effects. 

A -THC, the main psychoactive component of cannabis, is a moderately potent partial agonist of the CBi and CB2 receptors, while cannabidiol has little affinity for either receptor (Table 6.7). The term classical cannabinoids is used to describe cannabinoid receptor modulators structurally related to (67), which have a tricyclic dibenzopyran core. While several other structural types of cannabinoid receptor modulators have been discovered in recent years, the classical cannabinoids are still by far the most extensively studied group in terms of SAR and pharmacology. 

Other therapeutic uses of cannabinoid agonists have been reported. The potential of cannabinoids as a treatment for asthma is supported experimentally. A CBi agonist, (i )-methanandamide (21), inhibited nerve growth factor (NGF)-induced airway hyperresponsiveness in vivo [251]. The antipruritic effect of cannabinoids has been reported, the action being mediated by both CBi and CB2 pathways [252]. Treatment with cannabis extract improved urinary tract symptoms of multiple sclerosis patients significantly in an open-label pilot study [253]. 

Classical cannabinoids (CCs) are tricyclic terpenoid derivatives bearing a benzopyran moiety. This class includes the natural product (-)-delta-nine-tetrahydrocannabinol (Fig. 8, 1) and the other pharmacologically active constituents of the plant Cannabis sativa. 

Inhalation (IH) The administration of volatile gases and vapours, followed by drug absorption in the lungs or nasal mucosa. Examples include general anaesthetics like nitrous oxide, nicotine from the tar droplets in tobacco smoke, cannabinoids from cannabis leaf smoke and various opiates from burning opium resin. 

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