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Pharmacology of Medical Cannabis

  • Md Ruhul Amin
  • Declan W. AliEmail author
Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology book series (AEMB, volume 1162)

Abstract

The Cannabis plant has been used for many of years as a medicinal agent in the relief of pain and seizures. It contains approximately 540 natural compounds including more than 100 that have been identified as phytocannabinoids due to their shared chemical structure. The predominant psychotropic component is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), while the major non-psychoactive ingredient is cannabidiol (CBD). These compounds have been shown to be partial agonists or antagonists at the prototypical cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. The therapeutic actions of Δ9-THC and CBD include an ability to act as analgesics, anti-emetics, anti-inflammatory agents, anti-seizure compounds and as protective agents in neurodegeneration. However, there is a lack of well-controlled, double blind, randomized clinical trials to provide clarity on the efficacy of either Δ9-THC or CBD as therapeutics. Moreover, the safety concerns regarding the unwanted side effects of Δ9-THC as a psychoactive agent preclude its widespread use in the clinic. The legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes and for recreational use in some regions will allow for much needed research on the pharmacokinetics and pharmocology of medical cannabis. This brief review focuses on the use of cannabis as a medicinal agent in the treatment of pain, epilepsy and neurodegenerative diseases. Despite the paucity of information, attention is paid to the mechanisms by which medical cannabis may act to relieve pain and seizures.

Keywords

Cannabinoids CBD THC Medicinal 

Abbreviations

Δ9-THC

tetrahydrocannabinol

2-AG

2-arachiodonoylglycerol

AEA

anandamide

AD

Alzheimer’s disease

cAMP

cyclic adenosine monophosphate

CB1

cannabinoid receptor 1

CB2

cannabinoid receptor 2

CB3

cannabinoid receptor 3

CBD

cannabidiol

CBN

cannabinol

CNS

central nervous system

CHO

Chinese hamster ovary

DRG

dorsal root ganglion

EAE

experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

GABA

gamma-aminobutyric acid, or γ-aminobutyric acid

GPCR55

G protein-coupled receptor 55

IP3

Inositol trisphosphate

KA

kainic acid

LPI

L-α-lysophosphatidylinositol

MS

multiple sclerosis

SCBs

synthetic cannabinoids

TRPA1

transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily A, member 1

TRPV1

transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 1

TRPV2

transient receptor potential cation channel, subfamily V, member 2

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Notes

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Discovery Grant to DWA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonCanada
  2. 2.Department of Physiology, The Neuroscience and Mental Health InstituteUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonCanada
  3. 3.The Neuroscience and Mental Health InstituteUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonCanada

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