The yin and yang of cannabis-induced psychosis: the actions of Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol in rodent models of schizophrenia.

“There is substantial epidemiological evidence showing that cannabis increases the risk of psychosis, whereas other research suggests that schizophrenia patients self-medicate with the substance. These conflicting accounts may at least be partially explained by the two phytocannabinoids cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and their opposing actions on schizophrenia-related symptoms.

…propsychotic actions of THC… antipsychotic actions of CBD.

…animal studies… showing that CBD antagonises the neurobehavioural effects of THC, while others show the opposite, that CBD potentiates the actions of THC.

Various mechanisms are put forth to explain these divergent effects such as CBD antagonism at central CB1 receptors…”

…the present study suggests a beneficial property of a direct cannabinoid receptor agonist… and of CBD…”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22716133

http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/schizophrenia/

A drug discovery case history of ‘delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabidiol’.

“…the Cannabis sativa herb has been known for its therapeutic benefit for centuries… interest in the clinical potential of cannabinoid-based drugs escalated after the discovery of the endocannabinoid system… therapeutic applications of cannabinoids (plant-derived or synthetic)… may constitute a useful addition to the pharmacotherapeutic armamentarium in chronic conditions insufficiently alleviated by existing drugs.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22646020

“The endocannabinoid system and its therapeutic exploitation.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15340387

“Cannabinoid receptors as therapeutic targets.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16402900

“Cannabinoids.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16266285

“Plant, synthetic, and endogenous cannabinoids in medicine.” http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16409166

Cannabidiol-2′,6′-dimethyl ether, a cannabidiol derivative, is a highly potent and selective 15-lipoxygenase inhibitor.

“Cannabidiol (CBD), one of the major components of marijuana, is known to inhibit LOX activity…

15-LOX is suggested to be involved in development of atherosclerosis, and CBDD may be a useful prototype for producing medicines for atherosclerosis.”

http://dmd.aspetjournals.org/content/37/8/1733.long

“15-lipoxygenase inhibitors as anti-atherosclerosis agents.”  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18465533

Chronic cannabidiol treatment improves social and object recognition in double transgenic APPswe/PS1∆E9 mice.

“Patients suffering from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) exhibit a decline in cognitive abilities including an inability to recognise familiar faces…

The non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) exerts neuroprotective, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and promotes neurogenesis. CBD also reverses Aβ-induced spatial memory deficits in rodents.

This is the first study to investigate the effect of chronic CBD treatment on cognition in an AD transgenic mouse model.

Our findings suggest that CBD may have therapeutic potential for specific cognitive impairments associated with AD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24577515

Cannabinoid inhibition of adenylate cyclase: relative activity of constituents and metabolites of marihuana.

“delta 9Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been shown to inhibit the activity of adenylate cyclase in the N18TG2 clone of murine neuroblastoma cells. The concentration of delta 9THC exhibiting half-maximal inhibition was 500 nM. delta 8Tetrahydrocannabinol was less active, and cannabinol was only partially active. Cannabidiol, cannabigerol, cannabichromene, olivetol and compounds having a reduced length of the C3 alkyl side chain were inactive. The metabolites of delta 8THC and delta 9THC hydroxylated at the C11 position were more potent than the parent drugs. However, hydroxylation at the C8 position of the terpenoid ring resulted in loss of activity. Compounds hydroxylated along the C3 alkyl side chain were equally efficacious but less potent than delta 9THC. These findings are compared to the pharmacology of cannabinoids reported for psychological effects in humans and behavioral effects in a variety of animal models.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3601007

Flavonoid glycosides and cannabinoids from the pollen of Cannabis sativa L.

“Chemical investigation of the pollen grain collected from male plants of Cannabis sativa L. resulted in the isolation for the first time of two flavonol glycosides from the methanol extract, and the identification of 16 cannabinoids in the hexane extract. The two glycosides were identified as kaempferol 3-O-sophoroside and quercetin 3-O-sophoroside by spectroscopic methods including high-field two-dimensional NMR experiments. The characterisation of each cannabinoid was performed by GC-FID and GC-MS analyses and by comparison with both available reference cannabinoids and reported data. The identified cannabinoids were delta9-tetrahydrocannabiorcol, cannabidivarin, cannabicitran, delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabicyclol, cannabidiol, cannabichromene, delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, cannabigerol, cannabinol, dihydrocannabinol, cannabielsoin, 6a, 7, 10a-trihydroxytetrahydrocannabinol, 9, 10-epoxycannabitriol, 10-O-ethylcannabitriol, and 7, 8-dehydro-10-O-ethylcannabitriol.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15688956

Cannabinoid actions at TRPV channels: effects on TRPV3 and TRPV4 and their potential relevance to gastrointestinal inflammation.

“Plant cannabinoids, like Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), activate/desensitize thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels of vanilloid type-1 or -2 (TRPV1 or TRPV2). We investigated whether cannabinoids also activate/desensitize two other ‘thermo-TRP’s’, the TRP channels of vanilloid type-3 or -4 (TRPV3 or TRPV4), and if the TRPV-inactive cannabichromene (CBC) modifies the expression of TRPV1-4 channels in the gastrointestinal tract…

CONCLUSIONS:

Cannabinoids can affect both the activity and the expression of TRPV1-4 channels, with various potential therapeutic applications, including in the gastrointestinal tract.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21726418

Non-psychoactive cannabinoids modulate the descending pathway of antinociception in anaesthetized rats through several mechanisms of action.

“Two non-psychoactive cannabinoids, cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabichromene (CBC), are known to modulate in vitro the activity of proteins involved in nociceptive mechanisms, including transient receptor potential (TRP) channels of vanilloid type-1 (TRPV1) and of ankyrin type-1 (TRPA1), the equilibrative nucleoside transporter and proteins facilitating endocannabinoid inactivation. Here we have tested these two cannabinoids on the activity of the descending pathway of antinociception…

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS:

CBD and CBC stimulated descending pathways of antinociception and caused analgesia by interacting with several target proteins involved in nociceptive control.

These compounds might represent useful therapeutic agents with multiple mechanisms of action.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20942863

Potential protective effects of cannabidiol on neuroanatomical alterations in cannabis users and psychosis: a critical review.

“…different cannabis compounds may exert opposite effects on the neuroanatomical changes underlying psychosis. In particular, cannabidiol (CBD) was shown to prevent THC associated hippocampal volume loss… This finding is further supported by several animal experiments supporting neuroprotective properties of CBD mainly via anti-oxidative effects, CB2 receptors or adenosine receptors… mechanisms by which CBD may reduce brain volume loss, including antagonism of THC, interactions with endocannabinoids, and mechanisms that specifically underlie antipsychotic properties of CBD.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22716143

(+)-Cannabidiol analogues which bind cannabinoid receptors but exert peripheral activity only.

“We have tested a series of (+)-cannabidiol derivatives… for central and peripheral (intestinal, antiinflammatory and peripheral pain) effects in mice…

We conclude that centrally inactive (+)-cannabidiol analogues should be further developed as antidiarrheal, antiinflammatory and analgesic drugs for gastrointestinal and other peripheral conditions.”

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15588739