Medicinal marijuana and cannabinoid

From Methods in Molecular Medicine Marijuana and Cannabinoid Research Methods and Prr ocols Edited by E.. Onalvl Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ... 

Mechoulam R, Devane WA, Glaser R. Cannabinoid geometry and biological activity. In Nahas GG et al., eds. Marijuana and Medicine. Totowa, NJ Humana Press, 1999 65-90. 

Institute of Medicine, "Chapter 2 Cannabinoids and Animal Physiology." In Marijuana and Medicine—Assessing the Science Base. (1999). National Academy Press Washington D.C. 

Marijuana, or Cannabis sativa, has been valued for its medicinal as well as its psychotropic properties dating back to ancient times. However, reports from as early as the 1960s have indicated that marijuana and select components also could compromise human health, including the ability to resist infections. Included among these components is a class of compounds collectively known as cannabinoids. At least 60 have been identified. These include cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG), and A -tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the major psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that has been implicated as the major immunomodulatory substance. 

Harvey DJ (2001) Absorption, distribution, and biotransformation of the cannabinoids. In N ias GG, Sutin KM, Harvey DJ, AgureU S (eds) Marijuana and medicine. Humana Press, Totowa, pp 91-103... 

In 1999, the Institute of Medicine (lOM) published a review of the available scientific evidence in an effort to assess the potential health benefits of marijuana and its constituent cannabinoids. The review concluded that smoking marijuana is not recommended for any long-term medical use, and a subsequent lOM report declared, marijuana is not a modern medicine. ... 

Marijuana is frequently used to achieve euphoria, relaxation, and sensory changes. There has been increased attention to the medicinal properties of marijuana and its use for a number of disorders. Serious consideration and clinical evaluation of cannabinoid ligands in obesity and substance dependence and traumatic brain injury have reached advanced stages. 

The aim of the analysis of cannabinoids in plants is to discriminate between the phenotypes (drug-type/fiber-type). Quantification of cannabinoids in plant material is needed if it will be used in medicinal appHcations, e.g., in C. sativa extracts. The ratio between A9-THC and CBN can be used for the determination of the age of stored marijuana samples [84]. 

Institute of Medicine (IOM), a branch of the National Academy of Sciences, publishes the report Marijuana Assessing the Science Base, which concluded that cannabinoids showed significant promise as analgesics, appetite stimulants, and anti-emetics, and that further research into producing these medicines was warranted. 

The psychoactive and medicinal chemical compounds found in the resin of the marijuana plant are known as cannabinoids. The cannabis plant contains more than 460 known compounds over 60 of these have a cannabinoid structure. The only cannabinoid that is highly psychoactive and present in large amounts in the resin of the cannabis plant is tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. The other two major cannabinoids are the cannabidiols and the cannabinols. It appears that the cannabis plant first produces the mildly active cannabidiols, which are converted to the more psychoactive THCs and then broken down to relatively inactive... 

The long history of marijuana use both as a recreational drug and as an herbal medicine for centuries has been reviewed (3). Cannabis sativa contains more than 450 substances and only a few of the main active cannabinoids have been evaluated. Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug. In 2001, 83 million Americans and 37% of those aged 12 and older had tried marijuana (4). 

The active moieties of marijuana have been studied for medicinal purposes in a variety of models. Some canabinoids have displayed effects on neuronal transmission and alterations of calcium homeostasis. Other cannabinoids have been shown to stimulate cell death (apoptosis), which may help explain observed antitumor effects in some animal models. 

The appetite-stimulating effects of marijuana have been known for centuries and constitute one of the established medicinal uses of cannabis preparations. Today THC (dronabinol/Marinol) is clinically used for the treatment of cachexia-anorexia in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and palliative care patients. There have also been very promising advances in the development of a cannabinoid receptor antagonist (SR141716A, now named Rimonabant or Acomplia) for the treatment of obesity. 

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