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Why Terpenes Matter—The Entourage Effect
Published in Betty Wedman-St Louis, Cannabis as Medicine, 2019
The primary cannabinoids in cannabis are: delta-9-THC, CBD, CBG, and CBC. Delta-9-THC is the most psychoactive compound with terpenes modifying its effects. THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) is a variant of THC found in some chemovars of cannabis with somewhat reduced psychoactivity. CBD occurs in almost all cannabis plants, is not psychoactive, and has many of the same therapeutic effects of THC. CBG (cannabigerol) is non-psychoactive and is a powerful analgesic. CBC (cannabichromene) is found mostly in immature plants and is similar to CBD. [The “A” cannabinoids are raw plant; those no “A” are decarboxylated plant compounds.]
Cannabis and Cannabinoids
Published in Dilip Ghosh, Pulok K. Mukherjee, Natural Medicines, 2019
The Cannabis plant, which may be of different species (principally Cannabis sativa and Cannabis indica) or variants of the same species, is a dioecious entity that contains a number of unique resorcinol metabolites (van Bakel et al. 2011), although the estimated number may vary from 60–110. The most recognisable cannabinoid metabolite is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Recent published data described the pharmacology of two of these agents, cannabidiol (CBD) and Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) and concluded that these compounds exhibited complex interactions with the human endocannabinoid system. Apart from these three compounds, other cannabinoids showing pharmacological affects include cannabigerol, cannabidivarin, cannabidiolic acid and cannabichromene.
Spice Drugs, Synthetic Cannabinoids, and ‘Spiceophrenia’
Published in Ornella Corazza, Andres Roman-Urrestarazu, Handbook of Novel Psychoactive Substances, 2018
Duccio Papanti, Laura Orsolini, John M. Corkery, Fabrizio Schifano
Together with CBD, the pro-psychotic properties of THC in cannabis are limited/modulated by the presence of other natural compounds, such as both terpenoids and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) (Englund et al., 2016; Pertwee, 2008; Russo, 2011). The consumption of cannabis with relatively high CBD content seems to be associated with fewer psychotic experiences (Papanti et al., 2013; Schubart et al., 2011). No such ‘modulating’ compounds are generally detected in Spice products (Ford et al., 2017; Papanti et al., 2014). A cannabinoid receptor partial agonist, like THC, has been shown to possess psychotogenic properties, and substance-induced psychoses have been related to a later development of full psychotic disorders (Niemi-Pynttäri et al., 2013; Starzer, Nordentoft, & Hjorthøj, 2017). However, associations between psychotic experiences and substance misuse can be bidirectional, and previous primary psychotic experiences, or a vulnerability for psychosis, may well drive later development of cannabis and other psychoactive substance intake or misuse (Degenhardt et al., 2018).
Comparative metabolism of THCA and THCV using UHPLC-Q-Exactive Orbitrap-MS
Published in Xenobiotica, 2023
Qianru Rao, Ting Zhang, Qian-Lun Pu, Bin Li, Qi Zhao, Dong-Mei Yan, Zhanxuan E. Wu, Fei Li
Phytocannabinoids of multiple pharmacological activities were extensively used in the scientific field and pharmaceutical industry, which have been legalised in the USA for the past few years (Smart and Pacula 2019). More than 150 phytocannabinoids were characterised from Cannabis sativa L, including two naturally abundant phytocannabinoids of delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) (Nigro et al. 2021). Apart from THC and CBD, other bioactive compounds could interact with G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) and/or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) proteins expressed in many different neuronal types, such as delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) and delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) (Figure 1) (Morales et al. 2017; Palomares et al. 2020). THCA is the acidic precursor of THC and it is also the main form existing in fresh hemp tissue, which is easily decarboxylated to THC by under smoking, heating, or lighting. It exerts a variety of biological activities, including immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, and antineoplastic effects (Moreno-Sanz 2016; Skell et al. 2021). The compound of THCV exists in Cannabis sativa, with a small content, while a broad medicinal value. It could interact with the endogenous cannabinoid system by binding with CB1 and CB2 receptors, and it displays an inhibition (lower than 3 mg/kg) or activation effect (10 mg/kg) with different concentrations (Pertwee 2008). Of the three compounds, the abundance of THCA in cannabis was highest, followed by THC and finally THCV (Zhang et al. 2019; Li et al. 2022).
The state-of-the-art pharmacotherapeutic options for the treatment of chronic non-cancer pain
Published in Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 2022
Ryan S. D’Souza, Brendan Langford, Rachel E. Wilson, Yeng F. Her, Justin Schappell, Jennifer S. Eller, Timothy C. Evans, Jonathan M. Hagedorn
The three basic forms of cannabinoids are those from the cannabis plant (phytocannabinoids), synthetic cannabinoids, and those that occur naturally in the human body (endocannabinoids) [86]. The cannabis plant, Cannabis sativa L., also known as marijuana, has been found to have over 140 naturally occurring phytocannabinoids, including delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC and CBD are the most well-studied compounds, although there are many other secondary components such as cannabigerol, cannabinol, terpenes, and tetrahydrocannabivarin [87]. THC is the main psychoactive compound producing the stereotypical psychotropic effects, while CBD lacks these psychotropic effects [88]. Synthetic cannabinoids are typically either THC molecules or a combination of THC and CBD (Table 5) [88]. Medications in this class include nabilone (capsule formulation of THC), dronabinol (capsule formulation of THC), nabiximols (oromucosal spray formulation of THC and CBD), and Epidiolex (liquid formulation of CBD) [88].
What role do cannabinoids have in modern medicine as gastrointestinal anti-inflammatory drugs?
Published in Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, 2020
Adrian Szczepaniak, Jakub Fichna
Cannabis sativa, also known as marijuana, has been cultivated and used forcenturies for recreational and medicinal purposes. Cannabis plant contains at least 60 cannabinoids and several other compounds such as terpenoids, flavonoids, or alkaloids [2]. The main psychoactive substance in C. sativa is Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) but it also contains pharmacologically relevant cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabivarin, cannabichromene, and cannabigerol. Cannabis extracts have been used throughout centuries for a variety of diseases due to their anti-inflammatory, antiemetic, antidiarrheal, and analgesic properties. In addition to plant-derived compounds, there are two other classes of cannabinoids – synthetic (e.g. WIN55212-2) and endogenous such as anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) [3]. Overall, cannabinoid-based drugs are used mainly in chronic diseases where standard treatment does not have positive effects [4]. Cannabinoids can be administered in many ways, including oral, sublingual, inhaled, or local.