Cannabis pharmacology

Hollister LE (1986). Health aspects of cannabis. Pharmacology Review, 38, 1-20. 

Adams IB and Martin BR. Cannabis Pharmacology and toxicology in animals and humans. Addiction 1996 91 1585-1614. 

Cannabinoids are able to cause different effects at the level of various systems and/or organs the most important effects occur on the central nervous system and on the cardiovascular system. In fact, they are able to affect mood, memory, motor coordination and cognition, and they increase heart rate and variate the systemic arterial pressure. Furthermore, it is well known the capability of cannabinoids to reduce intraocular pressure and to affect the respiratory and endocrine systems (L. E. Hollister, Health Aspects of Cannabis, Pharmacological Reviews, 38,1-20,1986). More recently, it was found that they suppress the cellular and humoral immune response and have antiinflammatory properties (A. W. Wirth et al.. Antiinflammatory Properties of Cannabichromene, Life Science, 26,1991-1995,1980). 

Mason AP, McBay AJ (1985) Cannabis pharmacology and interpretation of effects. J Forensic Sci 30 615-631... 

Mason, AP. andA.J. MacBayi985. Cannabis Pharmacology and interpretation ofeff-ects JottrnalcfIbrensicScience yA3) 6l )—6 i. 

Hollister, L.E. (1986) Health aspects of cannabis Pharmacological Reviews 38(1) 1-20. 

The interest in Mechoulam s study extended very rapidly from the field of Cannabis pharmacology to that of arachidonic acid biochemistry. In fact, it had not escaped the attention of many readers of the Science report that the chemical structure of the endogenous cannabinoid isolated by the Jerusalem s group—called anandamide after ananda, the Sanskrit word for bliss —was that of a unique arachidonic acid derivative, N-arachidonoylethanol-amine. This structure, depicted in Figure 6.1, clearly showed that anandamide was not produced through any of the then known metabolic transformations of free arachidonate. 

Pharmacological Profiles of Anxiolytics and Sedative—Hypnotics. Historically, chemotherapy of anxiety and sleep disorders rehed on a wide variety of natural products such as opiates, alcohol, cannabis, and kawa pyrones. Use of various bromides and chloral derivatives ia these medical iadications enjoyed considerable popularity early ia the twentieth century. Upon the discovery of barbiturates, numerous synthetic compounds rapidly became available for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. As of this writing barbiturates are ia use primarily as iajectable general anesthetics (qv) and as antiepileptics. These agents have been largely replaced as treatment for anxiety and sleep disorders. 

Authors are designed row sensitive and selective test-systems for analysis of heavy metals, active chlorine, phenols, nitrates, nitrites, phosphate etc. for analysis of objects of an environment and for control of ions Ee contents in the technological solutions of KH PO, as well as for testing some of pharmacological psychotropic daigs alkaloids (including opiates), cannabis as well as pharmaceutical preparations of phenothiazines, barbiturates and 1,4-benzodiazepines series too. 

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. 

Nabitan (39) is a cannabis-inspired analgesic whose nitrogen atom was introduced in order to improve water solubility and perhaps to affect the pharmacological profile as well. The phenolic hydroxyl of benzopyran synthon is esterified with 4-(l-piperidino)butyric acid under the influence of dicyclohexyl carbodi mi de. In addition to being hypotensive and... 

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... 

In summary, research on the use of antidepressants to treat cannabis dependence, particularly among individuals with comorbid major depressive disorder, although limited, offers a promising avenue for the development of pharmacological aids to assist in the treatment of cannabis withdrawal. There are clear parallels between this literature and the existing research on the use of antidepressants in the treatment of alcohol dependence comorbid with major depressive disorder (see Chapter 1, Medications to Treat Co-occurring Psychiatric Symptoms or Disorders in Alcoholic Patients). 

There are pharmacological, social and legal issues to consider in this context of drug dependence and, of course, drug users and abusers vary enormously. A chronic alcoholic is very different from a weekend user of cannabis and any consideration of the topic has to consider legal and social issues as well as pharmacological effects of the drugs. 

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. 

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. 

Pertwee RG (1997b). Cannabis and cannabinoids Pharmacology and rationale for clinical use. 

Hirst RA, Lambert DG and Notcutt WG (1998). Pharmacology and potential therapeutic uses of cannabis. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 81, 77-84. 

Kumar RN, Chambers WA and Pertwee RG (2001). Pharmacological actions and therapeutic uses of cannabis and cannabinoids. Anaesthesia, 56, 1059-1068. 

Pertwee RG (1998). Advances in cannabinoid receptor pharmacology. In D Brown (ed.), Cannabis (pp. 125-174). Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam. 

The pleasure derived from using tobacco is linked to the stimulation of dopamine-dependent neurotransmitter pathways in the brain, particularly in the meso-limbic system. The precise nature of this link remains controversial, but many of the neurophysiological processes underlying nicotine addiction are common to other addictive drugs with diverse pharmacological actions such as opiates, cannabis, alcohol and cocaine. 

Some precipitants of HPPD are cannabis use, anxiety, fatigue, and sudden movement into a dark environment. This may be a normal function of memory that becomes exaggerated due to the intense nature of the hallucinogenic experience. Alternately, it may also be a direct pharmacological effect. 

Lastly, on December 1,2003, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) published an official notice seeking grant applications focusing on the identification, evaluation and development of safe and effective pharmacological treatments for cannabis-related disorders (CRDs). A section of this notice, titled Targeting Children, explained ... 

Anandamide inhibited the specific binding of [ H]-HU-243 to synaptosomal membranes in a manner typical of competitive ligands, with an inhibition constant (K ) of 39.0 + 5.0 nM. In this system, the of tsP-THC, a psychoactive compound of cannabis, was 46.0 + 3-0 nM. These were exciting results — the psychoactive compound from a higher plant and a chemically completely different compound in the brain were found to bind to the same brain receptor at about the same level of activity. Soon after the identification of anandamide, this compound was tested for its pharmacological activity. Anandamide administered i.p. in mice, caused... 

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