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Other Phytocannabinoids

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Cannabinoids and Pain

Abstract

Cannabis refers to a genus of flowering plants and includes three major species Cannabis sativa, Cannabis indica, and Cannabis ruderalis. Phytocannabinoids (plant-based cannabinoids) include cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC). Endocannabinoids are endogenous chemicals which act on the cannabinoid receptors (CBR). Synthetic medications such as nabilone, dronabinol, and rimonabant are also commercially available.

The phytocannabinoids are chemicals extracted from the cannabis plant either interacting directly with cannabinoid receptors or sharing chemical similarity with endocannabinoids or both. While Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are the most studied phytocannabinoids, other phytocannabinoids that require special mention include cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabinol (CBN), and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV). These minor cannabinoids have demonstrated anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antidepressant properties apart from showing promise in pain relief and muscle relaxation. Evidence of anticancer and cytotoxic properties on human epithelioid carcinoma and breast cancer in basic research models highlights the need for further research in this arena, to validate their use.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, Centre for Cannabinoid Therapeutics, University Health, Network, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Hance Clarke

  2. Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management, Toronto General Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Priodarshi Roychoudhury

  3. Western Reserve Hospital, Center For Pain Medicine, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA

    Samer N. Narouze

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  1. Hance Clarke
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  2. Priodarshi Roychoudhury
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  3. Samer N. Narouze
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Correspondence to Samer N. Narouze .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Western Reserve Hospital, Center For Pain Medicine, Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA

    Samer N. Narouze

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Clarke, H., Roychoudhury, P., Narouze, S.N. (2021). Other Phytocannabinoids. In: Narouze, S.N. (eds) Cannabinoids and Pain. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69186-8_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69186-8_12

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