Cannabis sativa is a very remarkable herb. Most of the world only knows Cannabis for its recreational use, but nature has put many special chemicals in it which can do miracles in the medical field. As more and more research is done, newer uses and benefits of Cannabis are coming forth.

 

To start with, these are the most important chemicals that the scientists have found out in Cannabis:

1. Delta 9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): It is found in largest amounts and the Cannabis high is because of psychoactive effects of THC in Cannabis.
2. Cannabidiol (CBD): It is second major chemical in Cannabis and accounts for 40% of plant extract. It relieves convulsion, inflammation, anxiety and nausea. It is a neuro-protective antioxidant, and an effective atypical anti-psychotic drug. It is first exogenous non-toxic chemical that has ability to down regulate tumor aggressiveness.
3. Beta-Caryophyllene: It is mainly found in Cannabis essential oil in 12-35% strength. It is known to reduce inflammation by its action on CB2 receptors.

 

 

GOVERNMENT APPROVED CANNABIS PRODUCTS:

 

NAME	DESCRIPTION ABOUT USAGE	STATUS
Nabilone	Nausea of cancer chemotherapy untreatable by conventional medicine	FDA approved 1985
Dronabinol	Nausea of cancer chemotherapy untreatable by conventional medicine, AIDS wasting	FDA approved 1992
Sitavex	Adjunctive treatment for neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis and cancer	Approved in Canada 1997

 

 

 

 

 

 

ONGOING RESEARCH ON MEDICAL-CANNABIS:

 

 

   Research on Cannabis is being done for a number of medical conditions e.g. to suppress nausea, relieve eye pressure, decrease muscle spasms, stop convulsions, relieve menstrual pain, cancer and many more as shown in the figure above. The action of Cannabis is on endocannabinoid system mainly, but there are several pathways through which Cannabis may act other than the CB1 and CB2 of the endocannabinoid system.

 

1: Pain:

• A study in 2007 shows that nabilone significantly reduced pain in fibromyalgia patients[1]. It is also being studied for neuropathic pain associated with cancer chemotherapy.
• In 2008, researchers at University of California at Davis reported that Cannabis relieved pain intensity (nociception/nerve pain) and unpleasantness equally.
• In 2008, researchers at University of Milan found out further that a single Cannabinoid as THC or CBD produce limited relief as compared to whole Cannabis plant extracts.
• Sitavex, already approved by Canadian government for neuropathic pain with MS and as adjunctive analgesic for cancer patients non-responsive to opioids, is in phase-3 trial in US for cancer related pain relief.
• A study showed that Cannabis smoking was 34% affective (placebo 17% affective) for HIV-associated neuropathic pain[2].

 

2: Nausea and Vomiting:

        Synthetic THC is already approved by FDA for cancer-chemotherapy related nausea.

 

3: Alzheimer’s disease:

·        During a study on rats injected with Alzheimer’s inducing proteins, it was observed that administration of cannabinoid prevented cognitive impairment and decreased neurotoxicity[3].

·        In 2006, Scripps Research Institute reported that THC was superior to Donepazil and Tacrine (Alzheimer’s drugs) in inhibiting the enzyme responsible for plaque aggregation which is the primary marker of Alzheimer’s disease.

 

4: Multiple Sclerosis:

       Researches of University College of London’s Institute of Neurology reported that in addition to symptom management, the cannabinoid agonist provided significant neuro-protections and may slow the degeneration process. The British government is now sponsoring a 3-year clinical trial based on above report, to assess long term effects of cannabinoids on MS patients.

 

5: Osteoporosis:

        Cannabinoid agonists are reported to slow down development of osteoprosis, stimulate bone growth and reduce bone loss in animals[4]. A follow-up research, published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences in 2007, showed that CB-2 was responsible for these actions. 

 

6: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA):

        CBD administration suppressed the progression of arthritis in animals and in vitro[5]. Preclinical data also indicates that cannabinoids can reduce the progression of RA. In 2006, investigators at British Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Disease did the first ever controlled trial to assess the efficacy of Cannabis on RA and they reported significant improvements in all aspects of disease with no serious adverse effects of the drug.

 

NEW DISCOVERIES

 

1: Antibiotic:

      Giovanni Appendino of the Piemonte Orientale University, in Italy, and Simon Gibbons of the School of Pharmacy at the University of London, tested five cannabinoids for their antibiotic efficacy against MRSA (a multi-drug resistant dangerous bacterium). Cannabinoids seem to be unaffected by the ways how MRSA evade existing antibiotics. Mode of action of cannabinoids is unclear but they are far more superior to the conventional antibiotics, furthermore, the most potent of the five cannabinoids being tested is non-psychoactive. These could be used as topical preparations for ulcers and wounds in hospitals, thus decreasing the antibiotic load. Such preparations have long been in use in Europe and no allergies have been reported so far (ABC news).

 

2: Migraine:

       Patients with history of migraine possess lower levels of endocannabinoids. This supports that deficiency or dysfunction in endocannabinoid and serotonergic systems may be the pathology behind chronic migraine and medication-over-use headaches[6]. Thus patients of migraine may benefit from cannabinoid use.  

 

3: Cluster headache:

       As per a case study published in journal “Headache” it was reported that inhalation of Cannabis completely relieved cluster headaches within minutes.

 

4: Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD):

       Researches noted that CB2 receptors (found in immune system cells) appeared on gut wall of patients with IBD, along with CB1 receptors which are normally found in everyone. CB2 receptors are believed to have a role in immune suppression. Thus, when the gut wall is suffering from IBD, this maybe a part of body’s natural mechanisms to restore normal state of gut. Cannabinoids are a new hope for IBD patients[7].

 

5: Anti-psychotic:

       THC of Cannabis induces anxiety and psychosis-like symptoms. These effects are significantly reduced by CBD, another Cannabis component, which doesn’t induce any psycho-activity in the body (full study)

 

6: Schezophrenia treatment:

        Various open case reports of schizophrenic patients treated with CBD, and a controlled clinical trial study comparing CBD with an atypical antipsychotic drug showed that CBD is a safe and well tolerated alternative treatment for schizophrenia (full study).

 

7: Neuro-protective:

       This study reports that cannabinoids such as THC and CBD are potent antioxidants and protect the brain from glutamate-induced cell death in post-ischemic states. This neuro-protection by both chemicals where independent of CB1 and CB2 and was effective even in presence of the receptor antagonists.