MEDICINAL MARIJUANABalbeer Singh

Bio(V)SZABIST, Karachi

Marijuana • Marijuana is a green, brown or gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant.

• All forms of marijuana are mind-altering

• Marijuana’s effects on the user depend on it’s strength or potency, which is related to the amount of THC it contains

Cannabis sativa

History • Marijuana has been used as an agent for achieving euphoria since ancient times

• The first direct reference to a cannabis product as a psychoactive agent dates from 2737 BC

• In 1545 the Spanish brought marijuana to the New World

Early Usage• More than 14 million users,

12+• Some begin use at 10-11

o peak age is 17• “gateway” drug• Risk Factors for heavy use-

o Emotional problems in family, use in family or peers

o Dislike of school- poor performance

o Use rates lower in stable families with supervision, strong aspirations, responsibilities

• distorted perceptions• impaired coordination• difficulty in thinking and

problem solving• problems with learning

and memory• Addictive Potential• Marijuana and Mental

Health

Cannabis joints are potentially the most harmful method of

consumption. Burning temperature can reach up to

700⁰C.

• Effects on the Heart– Marijuana increases heart rate

by 50% shortly after smoking

• Effects on the Lungs– marijuana smoke contains

carcinogens which are irritant to the lungs

Pharmacology

• THC identified in 1964• Smoking:

o 1 cigarette contains 0.5 to 1g of cannabis

o 20% absorbed by lungso Rapid rise in blood

concentration

• Oral consumptiono Prolonged but poor

absorption

• Converted to metaboliteso 11-hydroxy-THCo 11-nor-carboxy-THC

• Accumulates in fat stores o T1/2 = 20-30 hours

• Removal from body: o 1/3 excreted as urineo 2/3 eliminated in feces

Cannabinoid Receptors• Identified CB1 and CB2 genes

o Both G-protein coupled o When active, release of many NTs is

inhibited • CB1 (metabotropic)

o On axon terminalso Inhibits cAMP formation and voltage-

gated Ca2+ channels, activates K+ channels

o In basal ganglia, cerebellum, hippocampus, & cerebral cortex

• CB2

o Only in immune system• THC-antagonist: SR 141617 (rimonabant)

o Potent and selective, orally active

Endocannabinoids

Arachodonic Acid derivatives Rise in intracellular Ca2+ triggers release Highly lipid soluble

o Made and released as needed Activate CB1 receptors

o 2-arachiodonoylglycerol (2-AG)Generated from arachodonic

acido Anandamide

Similar to arachodonic acid Taken up by specific transport proteins Metabolized by FAAH Retrograde messengers in hippocampus

and cerebellumo Increased pyramidal cell firing in

hippocampus

Therapeutic Uses• 1896- 1st found to have therapeutic benefits with

discovery of THC• Synthetic THC (dronabnol)- taken per os for

nausea, vomiting in chemo patients, or appetite stimulant for AIDS patients

• Potential to treat chronic pain and spastic disorders like multiple scelorsis, partial spinal cord injury, glaucoma

• In future, may treat brain damage patients as it seems to have neuroprotective effects in brain injured animals

Medicinal Uses

• Alzheimer's disease• Neuron growth• Lung cancer and chronic

obstructive pulmonary disease

• Breast cancer• HIV/AIDS• Brain cancer

10 Ways Marijuana Can Help Cancer Patients

• Marijuana may be best known for its capability to lessen sickness and regurgitating brought about by chemotherapy. It's effective to the point that a pill manifestation of THC (Marinol) has been sanction by the FDA for treating chemotherapy-affected queasiness and retching since 1985.

1. Nausea and Vomiting

2. Weight Loss

Along with nausea, patients undergoing chemotherapy often find it hard to maintain normal weight. 

• Cancer patients frequently experience the ill effects of inclination issue, for example, gloom. While its a dependable fact that pot makes clients feel great, exploration appears to clarify why.

3. Mood

• An alternate well-known impact of marijuana is pain relief. Keeping in mind its profits appear to compass an extent of ceaseless ache issue, studies demonstrate that cannabis can help diminish pain in cancer as well.

4. Pain

5. Sleep Patients with cancer often suffer from sleep

problems, including difficulty falling asleep and maintaining sleep. On the other hand, sleepiness is one of marijuana’s most commonly reported side effects. 

• Cancer related exhaustion can additionally cause patients to feel lethargic throughout the day. Interestingly, marijuana appears to help patients battle daytime weakness, while in the meantime helping patients get to rest during the evening.

6. Fatigue

Sexual dysfunction is a common, yet lesser known effect of cancer and cancer therapies. While findings are inconsistent, marijuana has a long history of use as an aphrodisiac, dating back at least 3,000 years to ancient India.

7. Sexual Function

While marijuana seems to help by reducing bowel movements in inflammatory bowel disorders, it appears to have an opposite effect in constipation.

8. Constipation

9. Itching

Itching can be a side effect of various cancers as well as various cancer treatments. While the underlying causes of itching in cancer patients vary, marijuana seems to help some patients deal with this irritating symptom.

10. Cancer

• Perhaps the most promising (and controversial) benefit of marijuana in cancer is the treatment of cancer itself.

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