Extensive in vitro and in vivo studies have shown that cannabinoid drugs have neuroprotective properties and suggested that the endocannabinoid system may be involved in endogenous neuroprotective mechanisms. On the other hand, neurotoxic effects of cannabinoids in vitro and in vivo were also described. Several possible explanations for these dual, opposite effects of cannabinoids on cellular f...

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of cannabinoids (phyto- and syntheto-) in the management of rheumatic diseases. METHODS Multiple databases, including Medline, Embase, and CENTRAL, were searched. Randomized controlled trials with outcomes of pain, sleep, quality of life, tolerability (dropouts due to adverse events), and safety (serious adverse events), with comparis...

Cannabinoids induce apoptosis on glioma cells via stimulation of ceramide synthesis de novo, whereas they do not affect viability of primary astrocytes. In the present study, we show that incubation with Delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol did not induce accumulation of ceramide on astrocytes, although incubation of these cells in a serum-free medium (with or without cannabinoids) led to stimulation of...

BACKGROUND While medical cannabis has been used for thousands of years in the treatment of pain and other symptoms, evidence-based use is limited and practitioners face multiple areas of uncertainty regarding the rational use of these compounds. Nonetheless, an increasing public interest and advocacy in favor of medical cannabis is causing the issue to be encountered ever more frequently by phy...

Studies utilising the predatory odour avoidance, open area avoidance and conditioned ultrasonic vocalization models of anxiety. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in the world. However, little is known about the specific mechanisms underlying its habit-forming nature. Cannabis and cannabinoids are also an emerging class of therapeutic compounds. Thus there is an interest in isolating...

Cannabis sativa is one of the oldest crops cultivated for the production of fibers and for medical and recreational purposes. Since the detection of specific cannabinoid receptors and their physiological ligands, the understanding of the cannabinoid signalling system has increased, leading to a recent resurgence of interest in its medicinal properties. In animal studies, cannabinoids exerted si...

Certain types of nonpsychoactive cannabinoids can potentiate glycine receptors (GlyRs), an important target for nociceptive regulation at the spinal level. However, little is known about the potential and mechanism of glycinergic cannabinoids for chronic pain treatment. We report that systemic and intrathecal administration of cannabidiol (CBD), a major nonpsychoactive component of marijuana, a...

1 Introduction 2 Biogenesis of plant cannabinoids 3 Metabolism 4 Synthesis 5 Molecular basis of cannabinoid action 6 Anandamide 7 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-Ara-Gl) 8 Structure–activity relationships of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) derivatives and of endocannabinoids 9 Biosynthesis and inactivation of the endocannabinoids 10 Pharmacology of THC and of the endocannabinoids 11 Cannabinoids as therap...

OBJECTIVE To examine the recent evidence that marijuana and other cannabinoids have therapeutic potential. METHODS Literature published since 1997 was searched using the following terms: cannabinoid, marijuana, THC, analgesia, cachexia, glaucoma, movement, multiple sclerosis, neurological, pain, Parkinson, trial, vomiting. Qualifying clinical studies were randomized, double-blind, and placebo...

BACKGROUND The therapeutic use of cannabis and cannabis-based medicines raises safety concerns for patients, clinicians, policy-makers, insurers, researchers and regulators. Although the efficacy of cannabinoids is being increasingly demonstrated in randomized controlled trials, most safety information comes from studies of recreational use. METHODS We performed a systematic review of safety ...