Upload
balbeer-singh
View
66
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
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.
Thank You