CANNABIS

CANNABIS
• ABBREVIATED TERM FOR THE
HEMP PLANT CANNABIS SATIVA

• NATIVE TO CENTRAL ASIA; SPREAD

WORLDWIDE

• DIOECIOUS PLANT
CANNABIS SATIVA
 HISTORY
• REFERENCE TO USE OF HEMP
PLANT IN CHINA IN 5000 B.C.

• USED TO MAKE CLOTH, ROPE

• 2700 B.C. : LISTED IN

PHARMACOEPIA OF SHEN NUNG
 HISTORY
• USE AS A PSYCHOACTIVE
SUBSTANCE MAY HAVE COME OF
AGE IN INDIA

• CANNABIS USE WAS CONSIDERED

SACRED. USED FOR MEDITATION
 HISTORY
• 1500’s : CANNABIS INTRODUCED TO
SOUTH AMERICA BY THE
SPANIARDS

• 1600’s : CANNABIS INTRODUCED TO

NORTH AMERICA
 HISTORY
• WIDESPREAD INTRODUCTION WITH
MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS (TEXAS/NEW
ORLEANS) – LATE 1800’S

• 1937 : MARIJUANA TAXACT

• 1957: COMPREHENSIVE NARCOTICS ACT

 HISTORY
• INTRODUCED INTO THE
CARIBBEAN BY EAST INDIAN
IMMIGRANTS

• POPULARISED IN JAMAICA BY THE

RASTAFARIAN MOVEMENT
 PHARMACOLOGY
• HERBAL CANNABIS CONTAINS OVER 400
COMPOUNDS, INCLUDING >60
CANNABINOIDS

• MOST POTENT PSYCHOACTIVE AGENT:

DELTA-9-TETRAHYDOCANNABINOL
(DELTA-9-THC OR THC)

• OTHERS: DELTA-8-THC, CANNABINOL,

CANNABIDIOL
 CANNABINOIDS
• PRESENT IN STALKS, LEAVES, FLOWERS,
SEEDS , RESIN SECRETED BY FEMALE PLANT

• HIGHEST THC CONCENTRATION:

• FLOWERING TOPS OF PLANTS
• RESINOUS EXUDATE FROM LEAVES
(HASHISH)

• HASHISH OIL, A PRODUCT OF EXTRACTION

BY ORGANIC SOLVENTS
 CANNABINOIDS
• PLANT BREEDING TECHNIQUES
HAVE INCREASED POTENCY OF
CANNABIS PRODUCTS
• 1960’S : 10MG OF THC
• 1990’S : 150-300 MG OF THC
 ADMINISTRATION
• SMOKING (JOINTS, PIPE)

• ORAL
• BAKED INTO COOKIES, CAKE
• DRUNK AS AN EXTRACT (TEA)

• INSOLUBLE IN WATER; UNSUITABLE FOR

I.V USE
 PHARMACOLOGY
• ONSET OF ACTION DEPENDS ON
ROUTE OF ADMINISTRATION:
• SMOKING: MINUTES
• ORAL: 0.5-2 HOURS

• BIOAVAILABILITY AFTER ORAL

INGESTION IS LESS, 25-30%
COMPARED WITH SMOKING
 PHARMACOLOGY
• CANNABINOIDS ARE LIPID SOLUBLE
• ACCUMULATE IN FATTY TISSUES

• METABOLISED BY THE LIVER

• MAJOR ACTIVE METABOLITE:
11-HYDROXY-THC

• 25% EXCRETED IN URINE, REST VIA THE

GUT
 PHARMACOLOGY
• TISSUE ELIMINATION HALF-LIFE OF
THC: 7 DAYS

• COMPLETE ELIMINATION OF A
SINGLE DOSE: 30 DAYS

• METABOLITES MAY BE DETECTED

4-6 WEEKS AFTER LAST USE
 PHARMACOLOGY

• ACTS ON CANNABINOID
RECEPTORS IN THE BRAIN

• INCREASES DOPAMINE RELEASE

IN THE MESOLIMBIC PATHWAY
 EFFECTS
• DEPENDENT ON:
• POTENCY
• DOSE
• ROUTE
• SETTING
• USER’S EXPECTATIONS
• USER’S BIOLOGICAL VULNERABILITY
 CANNABIS INTOXICATION
• MOOD CHANGES
• EUPHORIA OR HIGH
• DECREASED ANXIETY,ALERTNESS
• DECREASED TENSION
• DYSPHORIC REACTIONS
• ANXIETY, PANIC ATTACKS,
• PARANOIA
 CANNABIS INTOXICATION
• PERCEPTUAL CHANGES
• HEIGHTENED SENSITIVITY TO
EXTERNAL STIMULI (COLORS,
SOUNDS)
• TIME PERCEPTION IS IMPAIRED
• DEPERSONALIZATION/
DEREALISATION
• HALLUCINATIONS AT HIGH DOSES
 CANNABIS INTOXICATION
• COGNITIVE/MOTOR EFFECTS
• SLOWED REACTION TIME
• MOTOR INCORDINATION
• IMPAIRED CONCENTRATION
• SHORT-TERM MEMORY DEFICITS

• ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS

 CANNABIS INTOXICATION
• PHYSICAL EFFECTS

• CONJUNCTIVAL INJECTION
• DRY MOUTH
• INCREASED APPETITE
• TACHYCARDIA
 CANNABIS WITHDRAWAL
• APPEARS WITHIN 10 HOURS OF
LAST USE, PEAKS WITHIN 48
HOURS

• IRRITABILITY, RESTLESSNESS,
ANXIETY, DYSPHORIA, SWEATING,
DIARRHOEA
MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS
• RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
• SAME CONSTITUENTS AS
CIGARETTES (TAR, CO,
CARCINOGENS)
• USUALLY DEEP INHALATION/ NO
FILTER
• CHRONIC BRONCHITIS /
EMPHYSEMA
MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS
• COGNITIVE: IMPAIRMENT IN
MEMORY, CONCENTRATION
• IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
• ANTIANDROGENIC EFFECT:
REVERSIBLE TESTICULAR
SHRINKING, LOW SPERM COUNT,
LOW TESTERONE LEVELS
• FETAL ABNORMALITIES
 CANNABIS-INDUCED
DISORDERS
• CANNABIS-INTOXICATION
DELIRIUM
• CANNABIS-INDUCED PSYCHOTIC
DISORDER
• CANNABIS-INDUCED ANXIETY
DISORDER
• AMOTIVATIONAL SYNDROME
 THERAPEUTIC USES
• NABILONE – SYNTHETIC THC
ANALOGUE (UK-1983)
• SYNTHETIC THC AVAILABLE BY
PRESCRIPTION IN USA (1985)

• THC HAS ANTIEMETIC, MUSCLE

RELAXANT, ANALGESIC AND
ANXIOLYTIC PROPERTIES
 THERAPEUTIC USES
• NAUSEA/VOMITING DUE TO
CANCER CHEMOTHERAPY
• MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
• GLAUCOMA
• APPETITE STIMULANT (AIDS/
CANCER)
• ?EPILEPSY
• ??ASTHMA
 DECRIMINALISATION
• DUTCH EXPERIENCE

• COST OF LAW ENFORCEMENT/

IMPRISONMENT

• BLACKMARKET EFFECTS
 DECRIMINALISATION

• GATEWAY EFFECT
• MEDICAL EFFECTS
• PSYCHIATRIC EFFECTS
(PSYCHOSIS, DEPENDENCE)
• EFFECTS OF INTOXICATION
 DECRIMINALISATION

• MEDICAL PURPOSES

• RECREATIONAL PURPOSES