“Cannabis (Cannabis sativa, or hemp) and its constituents-in particular the cannabinoids-have been the focus of extensive chemical and biological research for almost half a century since the discovery of the chemical structure of its major active constituent, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). The plant’s behavioral and psychotropic effects are attributed to its content of this class of compounds, the cannabinoids, primarily Δ9-THC, which is produced mainly in the leaves and flower buds of the plant. Besides Δ9-THC, there are also non-psychoactive cannabinoids with several medicinal functions, such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabichromene (CBC), and (CBG), along with other non-cannabinoid constituents belonging to diverse classes of natural products. Today, more than 560 constituents have been identified in cannabis. The recent discoveries of the medicinal properties of cannabis and the cannabinoids in addition to their potential applications in the treatment of a number of serious illnesses, such as glaucoma, depression, neuralgia, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s, and alleviation of symptoms of HIV/AIDS and cancer, have given momentum to the quest for further understanding the chemistry, biology, and medicinal properties of this plant. This contribution presents an overview of the botany, cultivation aspects, and the phytochemistry of cannabis and its chemical constituents. Particular emphasis is placed on the newly-identified/isolated compounds. In addition, techniques for isolation of cannabis constituents and analytical methods used for qualitative and quantitative analysis of cannabis and its products are also reviewed.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28120229]]>
“This study assessed whether oral administration of delta-9-tetrahydrocannbinol (THC) effectively suppressed cannabis withdrawal in an outpatient environment. The primary aims were to establish the pharmacological specificity of the withdrawal syndrome and to obtain information relevant to determining the potential use of THC to assist in the treatment of cannabis dependence.
“Deficient bioenergetics and diminished redox conservation have been implicated in the development of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. In this study, the mechanisms underlying the neuroprotective effects of cannabidiol (CBD), a nonpsychotropic compound derived from Cannabis sativa with FDA-approved antiepilepsy properties, were studied in vitro using an oxygen-glucose-deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R) model in a mouse hippocampal neuronal cell line. This study is the first to document the neuroprotective effects of CBD against OGD/R insult, which depend in part on attenuating oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial bioenergetics, and modulating glucose metabolism via the pentose-phosphate pathway, thus preserving both energy and the redox balance.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28110213]]>
“Complex, and sometimes intractable, seizures affect the quality of life and cognitive development of over 90% of individuals with Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome (WHS). Fine resolution genotype-phenotype mapping of the WHS locus recently identified a candidate gene whose probable function has led to insights into a mechanism connecting WHS seizures with those of Dravet syndrome, a distinct condition caused by mutations in SCN1A and SCN1B. In addition to this possible molecular mechanistic connection, these disorders’ seizures share a strikingly similar constellation of features, including clinical presentation, seizure types, early age of onset, EEG pattern, and responses to specific anti-epileptic drugs. Based in part on these similarities, we suggest that a highly successful Phase III clinical trial of a formulation of cannabidiol for Dravet syndrome seizures may be directly translatable into possible benefits for WHS individuals with challenging seizure patterns.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28102593]]>
“Cannabis has been cultivated by man since Neolithic times. It was used, among others for fiber and rope production, recreational purposes and as an excellent therapeutic agent.
The isolation and characterization of the structure of one of the main active ingredients of cannabis – Δ9 – tetrahydrocannabinol as well the discovery of its cannabinoid binding receptors CB1 and CB2, has been a milestone in the study of the possibilities of the uses of Cannabis sativa and related products in modern medicine.
Many scientific studies indicate the potential use of cannabinoids in the fight against cancer.
Experiments carried out on cell lines in vitro and on animal models in vivo have shown that phytocannabinoids, endocannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids and their analogues can lead to inhibition of the growth of many tumor types, exerting cytostatic and cytotoxic neoplastic effect on cells thereby negatively influencing neo-angiogenesis and the ability of cells to metastasize.
The main molecular mechanism leading to inhibition of proliferation of cancer cells by cannabinoids is apoptosis. Studies have shown, however, that the process of apoptosis in cells, treated with recannabinoids, is a consequence of induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress and autophagy. On the other hand, in the cellular context and dosage dependence, cannabinoids may enhance the proliferation of tumor cells by suppressing the immune system or by activating mitogenic factors.
Leading from this there is a an obvious need to further explore cannabinoid associated molecular pathways making it possible to develop safe therapeutic drug agents for patients in the future.”
“The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a recently emerging complex regulator of multiple physiological processes. It comprises several endogenous ligands (e.g. N-arachidonoylethanolamine, a.k.a. anandamide [AEA], 2-arachidonoylglycerol [2-AG], palmitoylethanolamide [PEA], etc.), a number of endocannabinoid (eCB)-responsive receptors (e.g. CB1 and CB2, etc.), as well as enzymes and transporters involved in the synthesis and degradation of the eCBs.
Among many other tissues and organs, various members of the ECS were shown to be expressed in the skin as well. Indeed, AEA, 2-AG, CB1 and CB2 together with the major eCB-metabolizing enzymes (e.g. fatty acid amide hydrolase [FAAH], which cleaves AEA to ethanolamine and pro-inflammatory arachidonic acid) were found in various cutaneous cell types. Importantly, the eCB-tone and cannabinoid signaling in general appear to play a key role in regulating several fundamental aspects of cutaneous homeostasis, including proliferation and differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes, hair growth, sebaceous lipid production, melanogenesis, fibroblast activity, etc.
Moreover, appropriate eCB-signaling through CB1 and CB2 receptors was found to be crucially important in keeping cutaneous inflammatory processes under control.
Collectively, these findings (together with many other recently published data) implied keratinocytes to be “non-classical” immune competent cells, playing a central role in initiation and regulation of cutaneous immune processes, and the “c(ut)annabinoid” system is now proven to be one of their master regulators.
Another recently emerging, fascinating possibility to manage cutaneous inflammation through the cannabinoid signaling is the administration of phytocannabinoids (pCB). Cannabis sativa contains over 100 different pCBs, the vast majority of which have no psychotropic activity, and usually possess a “favorable” side-effect profile, which makes these substances particularly interesting drug candidates in treating several inflammation-accompanied diseases.
With respect to the skin, we have recently shown that one of the best studied pCBs, (−)-cannabidiol (CBD), may have great potential in managing acne, an inflammation-accompanied, extremely prevalent cutaneous disease.
Collectively, in light of the above results, both increase/restoration of the homeostatic cutaneous eCB-tone by FAAH-inhibitors and topical administration of non-psychotropic pCBs hold out the promise to exert remarkable anti-inflammatory actions, making them very exciting drug candidates, deserving full clinical exploration as potent, yet safe novel class of anti-inflammatory agents.”
http://www.ebiomedicine.com/article/S2352-3964(17)30003-8/fulltext]]>“There has been a dramatic surge in the interest of utilizing cannabis for epilepsy treatment in the US. Yet, access to cannabis for research and therapy is mired in conflicting regulatory policies and shifting public opinion. Understanding the current state of affairs in the medical cannabis debate requires an examination of the history of medical cannabis use. From ancient Chinese pharmacopeias to the current Phase III trials of pharmaceutical grade cannabidiol, this review covers the time span of cannabis use for epilepsy therapy so as to better assess the issues surrounding the modern medical opinion of cannabis use. This article is part of a Special Issue titled Cannabinoids and Epilepsy.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28089286 http://www.thctotalhealthcare.com/category/epilepsy-2/]]>
“Cannabidiol (CBD) is a naturally occurring constituent of the marijuana plant. In the past few years, there has been great interest in the therapeutic effects of isolated CBD and it is currently being explored for numerous disease conditions (e.g., pain, epilepsy, cancer, various drug dependencies). However, CBD remains a Schedule I drug on the U.S. Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Despite its status, there are no well-controlled data available regarding its abuse liability.
Overall, CBD did not display any signals of abuse liability at the doses tested and these data may help inform U.S. regulatory decisions regarding CBD schedule on the CSA.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28088032]]>