Endocannabinoids are lipid mediators, isolated from brain and peripheral tissues, which include amides, esters and ethers of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (1, 2). These compounds exibit “cannabimimetic activity”, i.e. they mimic ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, the active principle of Cannabis sativa preparations like hashish and marijuana, by activating central (CB1) and peripheral (CB2) can...

On February 14, 2016, a patient with known addiction to oral opium and no occupational or other lead exposure was admitted to Loghman-Hakim Hospital and Poison Center (LHHPC) in Tehran, Iran, with abdominal pain, anemia, constipation, and a blood lead level (BLL) of 137 μg/dL (normal = <10 μg/dL). Over the next 8 months, approximately 3,000 oral opium users were evaluated at LHHPC, and found to...

CHAPTER 3 PHARMACOLOGY OF CANNABIS AND THE CANNABINOIDS 3.1 The plant Cannabis sativa is also known as hemp; it is related to the nettle and the hop. It grows readily in a warm climate, and may be grown in more temperate regions. As a drug of abuse, it usually takes the form of herbal cannabis (marijuana), consisting of the dried leaves and female flower heads, or cannabis resin (hashish), the ...

M and hashish are widespread drugs of abuse that contain D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a bioactive ingredient best known for its psychotropic effects. Remarkably, THC also produces multiple nonpsychotropic effects: for example, analgesia, hypotension, modulation of bronchospasm, and reduction of inflammation (1–6). That THC also influences sexual behavior was clearly demonstrated for the first...

CHAPTER 3 PHARMACOLOGY OF CANNABIS AND THE CANNABINOIDS 3.1 The plant Cannabis sativa is also known as hemp; it is related to the nettle and the hop. It grows readily in a warm climate, and may be grown in more temperate regions. As a drug of abuse, it usually takes the form of herbal cannabis (marijuana), consisting of the dried leaves and female flower heads, or cannabis resin (hashish), the ...

Male reproductive health is under threat from a range of environmental and lifestyle assaults, including endocrine disrupters, toxic pollutants, and ionizing radiations, as well as lifestyle factors such as sexually transmitted infections, alcoholism, smoking, and anabolic steroid use. The latest potential hazard in our modern lifestyle is the use of plant-derived cannabinoids present in hashis...

The proliferation of narcotics use over the past decades has been accompanied by a rise in drug smuggling. Meticulous vigilance by international customs and national authorities has led traders to adopt sophisticated and ingenious methods of drug transport. The smuggler's own body, especially the gastrointestinal tract, is now being used frequently as a vehicle for transporting narcotics. This ...

After having abolished the prohibition of the cultivation of the species Cannabis sativa L. (so-called fibre hemp) with minor content of the psychoactive Δ-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a wide variety of hemp food products is currently offered on the market. In this review, an introduction to the botany of the hemp plant and the current law situation in Germany and the European Union is presented...

This thesis is centered on the identification of the molecular mechanisms involved in the psychomotor effects of cannabinoids and morphine. These drugs share the ability of acting at the level of the basal ganglia, a group of subcortical structures involved in the control of locomotion, as well as in cognitive and motivational aspects of motor function. In Paper I and II, we have examined the i...

Research on homeless and runaway adolescents has shown that this population is at high risk for illicit drug use. Though sexual abuse has been widely considered in the etiology of illicit drug use, we know less about how early sexual abuse affects young people’s decisions to run away, to use drugs, and to engage in other deviant behavior on the streets. Based on interviews with 361 female homel...