Community/Disease/Health/Hot topics/Uncategorized

Marijuana Medication: How Much Should Be Enough?

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Marijuana has been known as the miracle medication that can treat several diseases, such as anxiety, seizure and even cancer.

 

Marijuana is extracted from the Cannabis plant. Its characteristics and functions have been studied for the medical use. Marijuana is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1985. It is used to treat cancer with chronic pain, nausea or cachexia (severe wasting). It also helps to improve the symptoms of those having glaucoma, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), Tourette’s syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), seizures with epilepsy, multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease) and PTSD.

 
When marijuana is uptake by either smoking or oral, it binds to cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2) in presynape to inhibit the neurotransmitter. This process is called presynaptic inhibition; for example, marijuana reduces the pain by preventing the “pain” signal to be sent further to postsynapses.
 
About the cancer treatment, marijuana stimulates more ceramics produced that activate autophagy in cancer cells, resulting with the death of these cancer cells.

However, there are side effects in using cannabis as the medication. One study showed that the administration of dronabinol need to avoid over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products, such as disulfiram. The side effects are changing in mood/ behavior, high/ low blood pressure, and drowsy. Another study indicated that the higher dose of marijuana can cause psychotropic effects, such as perceptual alternation, impaired short-term memory, delusions, hallucinations, a loss of sense of personal identity due to fantasy, and increasing blood pressure. Those taking marijuana orally have a high chance of psychotropic effects, because they tend to take more marijuana due to the slower effect in physical and psychological changes.
 
In addition, the potency of marijuana is increasing in medical use; for example, the THC content was 3.1% in 1990s and was 6.1% in 2014. The new formulations of marijuana contain 50% THC content. The higher level of marijuana in doses could cause severe psychotropic effects.

 
Marijuana has shown positively in treatment for many diseases. Still, more studies need to be done  research further about marijuana to maximize its potential as well as limiting the psychotropic effects.
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Effects of Marijuana and THC: A Careful Balance

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Marijuana, and all of the cannabinoid compounds found in it, are listed as schedule one drugs according to the DEA. Other drugs found in the schedule one class are heroin, LSD, and ecstasy; these drugs are considered to be the most addictive and dangerous, and are not considered to have any valid medical purposes (1). This is why they have been placed in the schedule one category.
 
But does marijuana really belong in the same class as heroin and other highly dangerous substances? There is little to no evidence that suggests marijuana is even close to being as addictive as heroin, or even alcohol and tobacco for that matter. Other highly addictive and dangerous drugs, such as cocaine and fentanyl (a type of opiate), are listed one class below marijuana in schedule two (1), indicating that the DEA considers marijuana to be more dangerous than drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and even fentanyl.
 
Given the current scientific knowledge about marijuana and its active ingredient, THC, marijuana probably doesn’t belong in the same category as drugs like heroin and LSD. Marijuana simply isn’t as addictive or lethal as these other drugs are. There are also numerous legitimate medical uses for marijuana and some of the cannabinoids contained within it, making its placement in the schedule one category even less logical.
 

THC molecular structure

 
 
However, this doesn’t automatically mean that marijuana is completely safe for recreational use. To determine how safe marijuana really is, it is necessary to weigh the known benefits of smoking marijuana against the known detriments. Here is a list of the known effects of marijuana, and more specifically THC, on the human brain and body:
 
Potential Benefits:
1. Analgesia: THC is well-known for its analgesic, or pain relieving, effects in the human brain. This effect is one of the main reasons why marijuana is used for medicinal purposes (2), and this is definitely a beneficial use of marijuana.
2. Anti-cancer: A study found that consuming THC is linked to the death of cancer cells in one type of cancer, known as glioma (3). In this study, THC induced the death of human glioma cells through a process known as autophagy, in which cells basically ‘recycle’ or ‘eat’ their organelles until they die (3). This process is often beneficial in patients who suffer from cancer.
3. Anti-seizure effects (4)
4. Anti-inflammatory effects (4)
 
 
Adverse Effects:
1. Addiction: It is possible to become addicted to marijuana, and an estimated 9% of individuals who try marijuana eventually become addicted to it (4).
2. Problems with brain development: Adolescents who smoke marijuana regularly are at risk of developing minor brain abnormalities, such as the decreased size or connectivity of some regions of the brain. One region that can be adversely affected is the prefrontal cortex, which is involved with decision-making (4).
3. Mental Illness Related Effects: Marijuana use has been found to increase the likelihood of the development of schizophrenia, but genetic factors that make the individual susceptible to schizophrenia must be present as well (4).
4. Memory impairment: Some studies have shown a clear link between THC consumption and both short-term and long-term impairment of memory formation (4).
5. Negative effects on cognitive functioning: Some studies have established a link between regular marijuana use among adolescents and poor achievement in school, indicating that regular marijuana use may inhibit cognitive functions such as learning (4).
 
 
Although some of the effects of marijuana and THC have been well-documented, research on marijuana is difficult to conduct due to heavy restrictions, and more research needs to be done on marijuana in order to fully understand the effects it has on the human body. Other compounds found in Marijuana, like cannabidiol, have much therapeutic potential, and these chemicals need to be researched as well.
 
 

Sources

1. https://www.dea.gov/druginfo/ds.shtml

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4827335/

3. https://www.jci.org/articles/view/37948

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4827335/

 

Image Credits

 
1. https://www.cbsnews.com/marijuana-nation/
2. https://longhorns7770.wikispaces.com/
 

Community/Disease/Health/Hot topics/Uncategorized

My Kind of High: Medical Marijuana and the Endocannabinoid System

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Marijuana

Marijuana: illegal, euphoria, high, decreased motivation and IQ, munchies, pain and anxiety relief, and potential future medication. These are only some of the many different words and ideas that come to mind when thinking of marijuana. However, as time continues to pass and further scientific research is conducted, we are starting to realize the potential and numerous benefits of marijuana for various illnesses.  But how could a recreational drug such as marijuana, still illegal in a majority of states, produce medicinal effects?  The answer lies within our own body’s production of endogenous cannabinoids, also known as endocannabinoids, that act upon our body’s cannabinoid system.

The Endocannabinoid System 

Endocannabinoids are lipid-based (fatty) molecules made within the body that act upon the cannabinoid system and help maintain homeostasis (stability) throughout the body. These molecules are neurotransmitters (help neurons talk to each other) that are made on demand within the body, and are thus not stored within the body for future use. This allows endocannabinoids to act locally and only for a short time-period for which they are needed to maintain homeostasis within the body.
These molecules act primarily on two known cannabinoid receptors:
CB1 Receptors: the most common receptors; found throughout the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, and various bodily organs.
CB2 Receptors: less common; found in the immune system and associated tissues (lymph nodes, thymus, spleen, tonsils), as well as the gastrointestinal system.
 

Figure 1. General locations of CB1 and CB2 receptors throughout the body.
 
The two most highly understood endocannabinoids are anandamide and 2-AG (2-arachidonoylglycerol). Both of these molecules are arachidonic acid derivatives and are formed from lipids in the membrane of cells. These molecules are known as “retrograde neurotransmitters,” meaning that they work backwards. After being created from the cell membrane of a “post-synaptic neuron,” these molecules diffuse backward to a “pre-synaptic neuron,” where they bind to their CB1 and CB2 receptors found within the cell membrane of the “pre-synaptic neuron.”
After binding to their receptors, endocannabinoids lead to a decrease in neurotransmitter release from the “pre-synaptic neuron.” Simply put, endocannabinoids decrease the amount of communication between neurons. In doing so, they often produce inhibitory effects that promote homeostasis, including pain relief, anxiety relief, anti-inflammatory effects, seizure relief, and the death of cancer cells. The endocannabinoids also activate pathways in the post-synaptic neurons from which they were originally made, leading to similar effects as previously mentioned.

Figure 2. Endocannabinoid synthesis and retrograde action. Actions of THC on cannabinoid receptors.
 

Marijuana and The Endocannabinoid System 

Exogenous cannabinoids, such as those found in marijuana, are known to “supplement” and “enhance” the body’s endocannabinoid system. The commonly known cannabinoid THC has a high binding affinity for CB1 receptors throughout the body. In other words, THC LOVES CB1 receptors and binds to them like a child clings to their mother. When THC binds to CB1 receptors, it has a similar effect to that of natural endocannabinoids binding to CB1 receptors, but the effects are stronger and longer-lasting due to the higher/stronger binding affinity of THC to CB1 receptors. This results in patients experiencing significant relief from pain, nausea, depression, anxiety, and can lead to anti-inflammatory effects.
When THC binds to CB2 receptors, specifically in the gastrointestinal system, it leads to anti-inflammatory responses which offers long-lasting relief to those suffering from Crohn’s Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Marijuana: healthy or not?

Marijuana has been proven to have many beneficial and therapeutic effects throughout the body, particularly due to its direct influence on the body’s natural endocannabinoid system that promotes homeostasis.
Therapeutic Effects of Marijuana:

  • Pain Relief
  • Anxiety Relief
  • Seizure Treatment (Epilepsy)
  • ADD/ADHD Treatment
  • Anti-cancer Treatment (death of cancer cells)
  • Stimulates Appetite (for chemotherapy patients)
  • Glaucoma Treatment
  • Inflammatory Bowel Disease & Crohn’s Disease
  • Multiple Sclerosis  (severe and persistent muscle spasm treatment)
  • the list goes on and on..


Figure 3. List of various cannabinoids and their corresponding therapeutic effects.

Legalize or Nah?

So, should all 50 states legalize medical marijuana? Should medical marijuana be smoked or orally consumed? Can my current medications be swapped out for medical marijuana instead?
Before confidently answering these questions, much more research needs to be conducted in regard to medical marijuana. Currently, researchers are searching for cannabinoids that offer the same beneficial relief from disease without the psychoactive effects of THC (euphoria, high, mind-altering effects). Wouldn’t it be great to have a new drug that confers the many benefits of marijuana while also allowing you to remain in your own mindset (without the “high”)? This would allow students and those of the workforce to participate in the beneficial effects of the drug while also going about their daily, busy lives.
Unfortunately, due to marijuana’s classification as a Schedule 1 Drug (along with heroine and LSD), it is a very difficult drug to research. There are strict regulations on marijuana that are keeping researchers from accessing the plant, even for scientific use. This is not very convenient being that medical marijuana has shown a lot of promise for therapeutic uses but still needs much more research before being cleared for medicinal use by the FDA.
SO, should we be prescribing medical marijuana? The answer is up to future research and discovery to decide.
 
For more information regarding the endocannabinoid system’s role in the body and the effects of medical marijuana on the cannabinoid system, please visit:
https://moodle.cord.edu/pluginfile.php/625296/mod_resource/content/0/endocannabinoids.pdf
 
Figures from:
https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/what-is-the-endocannabinoid-system
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/bnp4bv/how-and-why-your-brian-makes-its-own-cannabinoids
https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/cannabinoids-101-what-makes-cannabis-medicine
 
 

Disease/Health

Spark the “Weed” Conversation

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We have all heard about marijuana somewhere in our social realm. Whether it is recreational or medicinal use, we all know someone who uses marijuana and either benefits from it or just enjoys its “relaxing” effects. Articles flood Facebook, Twitter, our news feeds, TVs and we accumulate our own ideas about the illegal but maybe-beneficial-maybe-not drug. So, let’s get gritty about the real details behind the biochemistry of marijuana (cannabis) in our brains and bodies and see where that can take us.
Biochemistry of Weed
Our bodies naturally produce and metabolize dozens of endocannabinoids such as lipid-derived molecules, 2-AG and anandamide. These fat-like molecules move around in our bodies and brains and bind to receptors called CB1 and CB2 receptors. There are many classes of receptors that play different physiological roles in our bodies. The CB1 and CB2 receptors are called G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and they have many long-term effects on the body most of which are stimulatory. When an endocannabinoid (made in our bodies) or a cannabinoid (found in marijuana) binds a receptor, the pathway that is normally activated in GPCRs is inhibited. Therefore, a stimulatory molecule, cAMP, is now rendered inactive. This causes many cellular changes such as overall less activity in our brains (relaxation) and apoptosis. Apoptosis is a fancy word for cell death. This process, induced by endocannabinoids and cannabinoids, alike is incredibly beneficial in cancer or tumor growth. Apoptosis occurs due to binding of the cannabinoid followed by an accumulation of ceramide synthesis which induces a stress response in the cell. The cellular stress response is to essentially kill itself. In cancers like breast and colon, direct cell death occurs. Apoptosis can greatly affect tumor growth due to cancerous cells. But, too much relaxation and the psychoactive effects of THC can be harmful to everyday activities.
Implications
Hopefully, when we listen to the morning news or scroll through our social media feeds, we can now know a little bit of the science behind cannabis. It really does have effects on the brain which can be bad for everyday use and everyday life. But, it also has beneficial effects on life threatening diseases such as cancer. Therefore, before we decide whether it should be legal or not, we should think about the certain cases that cannabis can be harmful or helpful. Obviously, there are many economic factors associated with drug use and cannabis requires much more research. Nonetheless, if we can understand a little more about the drug it may spark more conversation and maybe some drastic changes in one direction (research) or the other (legalization).
https://www.journals.elsevier.com/prostaglandins-and-other-lipid-mediators/

Uncategorized

Legal Issues

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It is tough to get a grip on any viable information in today’s world with all the hubbub that is going on. New discoveries here… Future research will be done there… This is what we found… The push for scientific discovery and importance has boomed within the last 20 or so years. What is happening today however, is instead of studying for answers, we are stretching for grey area results, especially when it comes to talks about cannabis.
 
I did not know much about the properties of cannabis, or its history, before reading and researching these subjects within the last week. With how much literature was found, I learned several things: Cannabis binds to receptors that our body already has, it used to be legalized before being outlawed due to racial conflicts, its healing properties have been substantially promising, and the shortage of research behind a drug that is legal.

Cannabis is a combination of roughly 400 chemical properties, which most people are only able to associate THC as one. The properties of this plant provide drug-like properties on your body. Your body itself has what is called endocannabinoids, which your body also produces. These endocannabinoids, also known as 2-AG and Anandamide, provide necessary functions inside your body. 2-AG and Anandamide bind to receptors on the outside of cells, and activate internal processes for cellular growth. Cannabis and its chemicals, bind to these same receptors internally, and essentially increase the effects of this pathway.
Cannabis, or Marijuana, or “Mary Jane” was first made illegal in order to keep it from coming out of Mexico during emigration. What was known and called by the native Mexican people at the time was Marijuana. This was thought to be a different drug entirely from Cannabis, but was actually not. This ignorance caused by the American people at that time, ended up hurting themselves since it was used for therapeutic purposes.

Today’s society heavily talks about Cannabis, both as a recreational and a therapeutic amenity. Its ability to stimulate appetite for eating disorders, to calm the seizures of epilepsy, and even to help people with their pain. Cancer has played a huge role in this, since Cannabis does both play a role in cell apoptosis and have pain relieving side effects. Despite it’s ever promising effects to do good for people, it is still relatively unknown the extent of its harmful properties.

It is exciting to see such promising results for a drug, but disappointing to understand what little we actually know. Let me rephrase, Little we CAN know. Cannabis is a schedule 1 type drug, which means that it is as hard to obtain for research as is cocaine. How is this possible when we have it legalized for recreational use? This fact absolutely astounds me. The fact that we as a society can use a drug for recreational purposes, without having it just as available, if not more available for research purposes baffles me. At this point, I don’t see a need for legalization of Marijuana, if the research has not been done. I’m not saying Marijuana is bad or good, it’s just plain unknown.
RESOURCES:
https://www.nature.com/articles/4401284
https://books.google.com/books?id=QwihCgAAQBAJ&pg=PA347&lpg=PA347&dq=FAAH+as+breakdown+of+eCBs+to+apoptosis&source=bl&ots=FMGjFvKRnE&sig=pQB3GVRKzdd4i3m26859mDa0FKw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjk28q227_XAhVM3GMKHc4sBTwQ6AEIODAC#v=onepage&q=FAAH%20as%20breakdown%20of%20eCBs%20to%20apoptosis&f=false
https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/legislative-activities/testimony-to-congress/2016/biology-potential-therapeutic-effects-cannabidiol
http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/molpharm/58/4/814.full.pdf
 

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Cannabinoids in the Body

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Legalize marijuana? Medicinal or recreational? Is marijuana good or bad for you? These are the questions our society is currently facing when discussing the legal stance on marijuana. Right now, the legal climate is fairly rocky as some states have decided to legalize this drug for recreational use. However, it is still currently illegal under the federal government. This is because we don’t fully understand the impacts and effects of cannabis on the brain/body and how this can effect us long term. The FDA classifies this drug as a schedule I drug which makes research on cannabis nearly impossible. This makes it extremely difficult to learn more about this potentially very beneficial drug. Here is what we do know about how the cannabinoids in our brain impact us right now:
Endocannabinoids:
Endocannabinoids (eCB’s) are the molecules that we find naturally occurring in the brain. The most abundant eCB’s in the brain are N-Arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide, AEA) and 2-arachidonoylclycerol (2-AG). In the brain, these molecules bind to the CB1 and CB2 receptors. These are also the same receptors that we think exogenous cannabinoids bind to, like THC in marijuana. The CB1 receptor is a g-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) which is paired to a Gi protein. This means that when activated this molecule will decrease the activity of adenylyl cyclase which in turn leads to lower levels of cAMP and PKA which are important molecules for cell functioning and working memory. This pathway also has the ability to activate the ERK, JNK, FAK and p38 pathways along with the control of ceramide and ion concentrations within the cell. I would specifically like to talk about the role of the JNK pathway and the CB1 receptor.
JNK and CB1 activation:
The JNK pathway is normally turned on in response to stress which leads to DNA repair, transcription factor changes or even cell death in extreme cases. Due to the CB1 receptor being coupled to the Gi g-protein, the activation of this GPCR has the ability to turn on Ras (one of the first proteins involved in the activation of the JNK pathway). Ras activates Raf activates MEK activates MKK which activates JNK in the nucleus. All of these molecules phosphorylate the next protein in the chain leading to its activation. It is also interesting to note that MEK is responsible for activating the MAPK pathway and the MEKK pathway. Therefore, the activation of the CB1 receptors can have three different outcomes just from activating the Ras protein. JNK leads to DNA repair and cell apoptosis. This could explain some of the healing effects of marijuana. We see that it has the ability to aid in the decline of growth of cancer cells while also giving patients an appetite needed during treatment.

Figure shows the activation of CB1 which in turn activates the JNK pathway.
Legalize it?
Although we don’t necessarily have enough evidence telling us whether the extended use of medicinal marijuana is bad or good. It has been shown to have remarkable beneficial impacts on diseases like cancer, glaucoma and epilepsy (seizures). Cannabis definitely changes the chemical balances in the brain and can in some cases be seen as addictive which could lead to negative side effects in the future. However, it may be logical to use medical marijuana as a treatment for these diseases to give people pain relief, appetite and relaxation for now.
For more information about the role of eCBs in the body read:
https://moodle.cord.edu/pluginfile.php/625296/mod_resource/content/0/endocannabinoids.pdf
Figure from:
http://molpharm.aspetjournals.org/content/molpharm/58/4/814.full.pdf
Cover Photo from:
https://www.hcillinois.com/learn/endocannabinoid-system/

Community/Health

What’s the Hype With Medical Marijuana?

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Why does it seem so difficult to make medical marijuana available to everyone who needs it? I mean after all we have all seen those videos online showing how medical marijuana is such a miracle drug.
 
Well things aren’t as simple as they seem. Medicine needs science to back it up before it can be used on patients. The problem with medical marijuana is that we don’t have enough research to show that the psychotic effects are worth the advantages of this medical treatment.
 
Marijuana has some side effects that can be dangerous to patients, here is why. The human body already contains what is called canaboid receptors which respond to the chemicals in marijuana. Our body naturally makes signals similar to those found in marijuana to regulate our body and that is why it works well in certain situations.
 
However, each different type of marijuana causes a different reaction in our bodies, some have chemicals that cause anti-anxiety effects some cause an anti-epileptic effect but most of these causeContinue reading →

Community/Health

Your Body’s Cannabinoid System: The Endocannabinoids

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The Endogenous Cannabinoid System (ECS)

For medical marijuana to be so useful, your body must have a well-oiled system in place for it to act on, which is the ECS. This system is composed of your body’s cannabinoid receptor proteins, that are expressed throughout your central and peripheral nervous systems, and the endocannabinoids, which are lipid-based neurotransmitters. When the endocannabinoids bind to the cannabinoid receptors (which are G-protein coupled receptors) CB1 or CB2, calcium channels are blocked and the ERK and p38 pathways are activated.
The two main endocannabinoids are 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA). 2-AG is synthesized from phosphoinositol, while AEA begins with phosphatidylethanolamine. Each synthesis requires its specific enzymes to cleave these membrane proteins into the endocannabinoids.

Figure 2: AEA

Figure 1: 2-AG

 

Effects in the Body

Medicinal marijuana effects include:

  • Pain relief
  • Cell apoptosis (death) – This is anti-cancer
  • Stress relief
  • Seizure treatment

Endocannabinoids are able to do these same things through binding to their CB1 or CB2 receptors, but CB1 is the most common receptor. The modulation done by endocannabinoids can increase appetite, directly cause cell apoptosis, can be anti-inflammatory, and can be inhibitory by keeping the cell signaling at appropriate levels.

Medical Marijuana Treatments

Medical marijuana is now legal in 29 states, as well as Washington D.C.
There are also 18 states that have specifically legalized medical cannabidiol (CBD), a non-psychoactive extract of marijuana.
Medical marijuana is used to treat:

  • Terminal illness
  • Glaucoma
  •  PTSD
  • Seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy
  •  Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
  • Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
  •  Tourette’s Syndrome
  •  Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
  • Cancer, if the underlying condition or treatment produces one or more of the following:
    •  severe or chronic pain
    • nausea or severe vomiting or
    • cachexia or severe wasting
  • Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS)
  •  Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Intractable pain

There is still much research needed to fully understand the ECS, as well as the benefits and dangers of medical and recreational marijuana, but much progress has been made in the last 10 years to this understanding.
 

Health/Hot topics

Our Body’s “Chill Pill”

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The endocannabinoid pathway is a pathway that the body does using naturally occurring endocannabinoids in the body. These endocannabinoids are neurotransmitters that are made out of lipids that are present in the central nervous system (CNS) of the human body.

Photo: https://elixinol.com/blog/what-is-the-endocannabinoid-system-and-how-it-works
 
This system is important for energy intake, metabolism and nutrient transport. The receptor for this neurotransmitter is CB1 receptor. However these receptors are not on post synaptic membrane but instead work in a retrograde fashion. This means that the signal is sent from the postsynaptic membrane to the presynaptic membrane.

Photo: https://www.leafly.com/news/science-tech/is-your-endocannabinoid-system-in-balance
 
The endocannabinoids bind to receptor which in turn result in the decrease in neurotransmitter release due to a change in ion flow. After the endocannabinoids are broken down.
 

Photo: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Endocannabinoid.svg
This inhibitory process is what gives endocannabinoids their healing properties. It’s the body’s ability to tell the brain to “chill out” and stop sending so many signals. Although cannabinoids occur naturally in the body. Medical cannabis is sometimes used to increase the amount of cannabinoids in one’s body, increasing the inhibition of other neurotransmitters such as glutamate.
 
The two subspecies of Cannabis (Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Satvia) are very complicated with over 300 chemical compounds and about 15% of those be cannabinoids.
 
Some of the more well know chemicals are:

Photo: https://www.helmag.com/products/chemicals/
 

  • Cannibinol  is the byproduct of when THC is exposed to light and oxygen. It seems to aid THC in its psycho-active effects. This chemical is also known for it’s anti-epileptic properties as well as its ability to relieve intraocular pressure.
  • Cannabidiol which is known for  it’s anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, anti-nausea and sedative properties
  • Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is know for its pshyo-active effects as well as its ability to relax an individual and treat pain.
  • Cannabichromene which helps give Cannabis it’s is an anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects). It also has the potential to block the growth of cancerous tumors.

 
 
For more reading on the the endocannabinoid system, please check out:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/10988823
 
Feature Photo:
http://dailychillpill.com/Chill_Pill/chill_pill.html
 
For more reading on the chemicals in Cannabis, please check out:
https://unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/2014/04/11/thc-thca-cbd-cbn-the-chemicals-in-cannabis
 
For a video on the human endocannabinoid system, please check out:
The Human Endocannabinoid System

Disease/Health

Help Without the High: The Journey to the Legalization of Medical Marijuana

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Recently there has been more and more talk about the legalization of medical marijuana. There is a push for it because it can be used to treat pain, and it is less addictive than opiates. The cannabis plant (marijuana) contains molecules called cannabinoids that have many health benefits, however, many people are still against the legalization of medical marijuana because of the psychoactive (mind-altering) effects that it has.
 
What are cannabinoids?
It is important to understand the role of cannabinoids in the body. Cannabinoids that are produced naturally within our bodies are referred to as endocannabinoids. Endocannabinoids are molecules synthesized from the phospholipids in the membranes of post-synaptic neurons in the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.
 
What do cannabinoids do in the body?
The two most common endocannabinoids are anadamide and 2- AG. Once they are synthesized, these endocannabinoids are released from the post-synaptic neuron and travel back to the pre-synaptic neuron to bind to their CB1 (in the brain) or CB2(other parts of the body) receptors and decrease the calcium influx into the pre-synaptic neuron. Blocking the influx of calcium inhibits the presynaptic neuron from releasing its neurotransmitters, thus preventing subsequent signaling.
 
Cannabinoids as treatment?
Endocannabinoids play a very important role in the inhibition of signaling throughout the body, and can therefore help do things like reduce pain, decrease anxiety, prevent seizures, stopping migraines and even killing cancer cells. Certain medications increase the effects of endocannabinoids by inhibiting the enzymes that degrade them. Other medications will target the reuptake receptors so that endocannabinoids will remain in the synaptic cleft for longer and their effects will last longer.
 
The role of marijuana
In addition to these medications, the cannabis plant (marijuana) could be used to increase the levels of cannabinoids in the body. The cannabis plant contains over 60 cannabinoids related to THC, including cannabidiol, cannabinol, and β-caryophyllene. Cannabinoids can be inhaled or ingested, and once in the body will bind to the endocannabinoid receptors in a similar fashion as the endocannabinoids. This leads to inhibition in the pre-synaptic neurons as well as the activation of pathways in the post-synaptic neurons.

Figure 1. Endocannabinoids, anadamide (AEA) and 2-AG, binding to the CB1 receptor on the pre-synaptic neuron and inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft.

Figure 2. The health benefits of consuming exogenous cannabinoids such as THC and cannabidiol.
Medical marijuana?
Given this information, medical marijuana sounds like a great treatment option for many people dealing with chronic pain and other health problems. The only issue is that the current medical marijuana contains THC, the main active ingredient in marijuana. The cannabinoid THC has many health benefits, but it also produces psychoactive effects, which can prevent someone from going to work. There needs to be more research conducted to create a cannabinoid painkiller that doesn’t cause a high.
 
Improvements with treatment
There needs to be more research on finding a cannabinoid that has health benefits, but does not cause the psychoactive symptoms. Currently research is difficult for scientists because the regulations on marijuana are so strict that researchers have limited access to the plant. Marijuana is currently listed as a schedule 1 drug, along with other substances such as heroin, ecstasy and LSD, meaning it is a highly controlled substance.
 
Hope for cannabinoid medication
A better, safer form of medical marijuana needs to be developed so that the FDA will approve it and then medical insurance can cover it. Once it is safer to use, the access to it will also improve because more locations will be able to dispense it. The development and legalization of medical marijuana would be very beneficial to many people dealing with chronic pain, anxiety, migraines, seizures, and even cancer.
 
 
 
For more information on endogenous cannabinoids, please visit:
https://moodle.cord.edu/pluginfile.php/625296/mod_resource/content/0/endocannabinoids.pdf
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