A cannabis plant contains 400 chemical compounds and there are 70-120 chemicals and 21 carbons that have many medicinal properties. The plant is a rich source of compounds that can benefit patients in different ways. A lot of research in cannabis has been studied over the years in animals. This page is for educational purposes only. Please check the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s website on Marijuana as Medicine.
So why do we have the endocannabinoid (ECS) and cannabinoid receptors? They help us forget what we just did a couple of minutes ago so that you can be “here and now” and “focus” on being present. The ECS acts as a messenger, giving your body specific directions on what to do in your brain, spinal cord, cells and in your day to day functions. It also helps us forget pain. So the overall effect of the CB1 receptor activation is the suppression of neurotransmitter release. These cell receptors act as messengers, giving our body signals from various organs in the body. ECS attacks certain enzymes in your body and makes you sick. Cannabis, like CBD, can attack these enzymes and regulate your ECS to help you feel good and create balance in the body known as homeostasis, creating a therapeutic condition for certain symptoms
CBD Cannabidiol: Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is found in the cannabis plant. Over 100 cannabinoids are found in this plant, including hemp and marijuana. However, CBD comes only from hemp, a plant that has been used in many cultures in food, and it does not have psychoactive effects, thus there is no “high”. Research is ongoing on the potential use of topical and oral CBD oil, which does not have THC and therefore no psychoactive effects, making it a potentially safer alternative in this respect.
CBD is not as potent as THC. The CBD to THC ratio has never been studied in humans, only in animals. It seems to relieve anxiety and helps people sleep. But, it cannot do that without having some psychoactivity in the brain. Research has shown that it is not intoxicating but it can be psychoactive and create euphoria in some people depending on how that person’s CB1 receptor is reacting. CBD capsules are considered schedule 1-abusive category by NIDA – the government that rules the Cannabis use. But since medical marijuana products are still not subject to the same federal safety regulations that govern pharmaceuticals, there is no guarantee that CBD oils are accurately labeled or do not contain contaminants; also, with such products, it may not be possible for a patient or their caregivers to accurately control the dosage or even know what dosage is being administered per NIDA. Therefore, the quality depends on how it was planted and developed.
Cancer/HIV patient use: A certain type of THC was approved for nausea and vomiting for chemotherapy patients in 1986 and it is widely used by oncologists for this purpose. THC was also approved for anorexia for HIV patients; however, the data indicates it may not be as helpful. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved THC-based medications, prescribed in pill form for the treatment of nausea in patients undergoing chemotherapy and to stimulate appetite in patients with wasting syndrome due to AIDS. The FDA also approved a CBD-based liquid medication called Epidiolex® for the treatment of two forms of severe childhood epilepsy, Dravet syndrome, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Animal studies showed that THC in animals reduced cancer but it is not approved for human use by the government that controls the cannabis use for medicine-NIDA. The government is still exploring other uses of CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids for medical treatment.
For updates, PLEASE VISIT NIDA
-Source: “Cannabis as medicine” by Dr. Donald Abraham, Oncologist, UCSF (2016)