Cannabis synthetic products

The therapeutic uses of marijuana today arc much more circumscribed. For the most part synthetic products (such as dronabinol [trade name Marinol] and nabilonc [Cesamet]) that chemically resemble the cannabinoids have been used in current treatment efforts because they provide the active elements of THC in a more stable manner (see Joy ct al., 1999 Sussman, Stacy, Dent, Simon, Johnson, 1996). Synthetics also can provide better solubility. Unfortunately, a downside to the synthetics is the absence of the rapid effect experienced when marijuana is smoked. When synthetic THC is taken orally, it is broken down prior to entering the bloodstream and absorption thus is delayed. A recent development with promise is a cannabis oral spray (trade name Sativex), which has been approved in Canada for use as a painkiller for sufferers of multiple sclerosis. 

Although THC is relatively easy to synthesize, it seems that it has never been used illegally, or at least there have not been any reports on such use. The reason presumably is that cannabis smokers enjoy the smell of a caimabis joint, rather than the sterile taste of an oily synthetic product. Besides, the effect of smoking appears almost immediately, while orally consumed THC produces its effects after 2 to 3 h. I am also not aware of any illegal use of intravenously administered THC or its derivatives. These compounds are not readily soluble in water solutions, and an IV injection could be dangerous in the hands of an amateur. 

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. 

A second cannabis constituent, cannabidiol (CBD) was also isolated, but its structure was only partially clarified. Synthetic tetrahydro-cannabinols, which showed cannabis-like activity in animal tests, were prepared, but they obviously differed from the active natural product, on the basis of their UV spectrum. 

More than half (57 %) of all seizure cases involved cannabis (herb, resin, oil, plants and seeds). Opiates (opium, morphine, heroin, synthetic opiates and poppy seeds), accounted for 17 per cent, with heroin alone accounting for 14 per cent of the total. This is followed by seizures of the amphetamine-type stimulants (12 %). About half of these seizures (or 5.5 % of the total) is accounted for by methamphetamine, followed by amphetamine (2.5 %) and ecstasy (2%) the rest (2 %) includes Captagon tablets (Near East) and Maxiton Forte (Egypt), ephedrone (methcathinone) and various undefined amphetamines. Coca products account for 9 percent of global seizure cases the bulk of coca related seizure cases concern cocaine (8 % of total). 

There is also the issue of which numerical method should be used for drug comparison investigations. This has been well studied for heroin, but the arena is wide open for analysis and numerical comparison of Cannabis and its products, cocaine, amphetamines, tryptamines and other synthetic or semi-synthetic drugs. How these methods should be reported has still not been fully explored. 

The most comprehensive account of synthetic work in the field is contained in three full papers from Crombie s group. Most of this work has already appeared in note form. The first paper deals with the condensation of citral with phloro-glucinols in general then comes the reaction specifically with olivetol (338). The products from the reaction in pyridine are citrylidenecannabis (340) and cannabichromene (341), which occurs in Cannabis. The latter is further converted either by heating in pyridine, or, better, by u.v. irradiation in acetone, to cannabicyclol (342), whose structure was established, and which had already been shown to be present in Cannabis. If the synthesis is carried out with a... 

As a rule, cannabis-dependent patients prefer the natural product to pure synthetic A -tetrahydrocannabinol. In comparative human studies it was shown, especially for women and older people, that the cannabidiol contained in cannabis calms those states of anxiety, as they are caused by pure THC. 

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