Metabolism and Side Effects of Cannabinoids

By Pharmacology University

In the following book you will learn about biochemistry, metabolism, pharmacokinetics and side effects of cannabinoids.

Cannabis is a plant species of the Cannabaceae family, which includes three strains: Cannabis indica, Cannabis sativa and Cannabis ruderalis. Thanks to its features, cannabis has been used in several fields throughout history. The first reference of its therapeutic use was in China, in the 4.000 B.C. in the most ancient pharmaceutical guide known: the Pen Ts’ao Ching, attributed to the emperor Shen Nung, where it was used against menstrual disorders, goute, malaria, constipation and muscular weakness; later, indications were extended to wound healing, against infectious processes, clearance of pus, treatment of rheumatism, and to decrease fever and anxiety.

The growing interest in the biology, chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology of cannabis, has allowed the development of cannabinoid drugs, through the understanding of pharmacokinetics, its disposition in fluids and biological tissues, in order to understand the mechanism of action of cannabis and its therapeutic effects.

Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of cannabinoids involve absorption through different routes of administration and drug prescriptions, distribution of their compounds throughout the body, metabolism by the liver and extrahepatic tissues, and elimination in feces, urine, sweat, oral fluids and hair, and excretion by different body fluids. Pharmacokinetic processes are dynamic, can change over time and can be affected by the frequency and magnitude of drug exposure.

There is limited understanding of the expected side effects of cannabis use in a therapeutic context. Consequently, a significant amount of the data on this topic are derived from studies investigating the recreational use of cannabis, which implies caution in making conclusions regarding medicinal use. Specifically, the amount of cannabis used, methods of administration, and the existence of comorbidities differ significantly between recreational and medicinal cannabis-using populations. As a result, different side effects might be expected, but what has been documented to date refers to mild effects.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pharmacology University
• Release date: Apr 4, 2022

Pharmacology University

Pharmacology University is a company with more than 12 years of experience in educational systems focused on medicinal cannabis. We were born in Texas and since then we have had the challenge of transforming the social stigma of medicinal cannabis with the best tool in the world: Education.

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INTRODUCTION

ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM AND CANNABINOIDS

METABOLISM OF CANNABINOIDS

SIDE EFFECTS OF CANNABINOIDS

CONCLUSION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

INTRODUCTION

Cannabis (Cannabis Sativa L) is a species of the Cannabaceae family that includes three strains: Indica, Sativa, and Ruderalis. They show morphologic differences, such as plant height, the number of branches, dense growth, and the number of flower buds. Thanks to it, cannabis has been used in several fields throughout history.

The first reference of the therapeutic use of this plant was in the 4000 B.C in China, in the most ancient known pharmacopeia (set of texts about products with medical properties, composition, and preparation): Pen Ts’ao Ching, whose authorship is attributed to emperor Shen Nung. This describes how the plant was used against menstrual disorders, gout, malaria, constipation, and muscle weakness; later, the indications were expanded in wound healing, against infectious processes, in the clearing of pus, treatment of rheumatism, to reduce fever and anxiety. There was also interest in fields like pharmaceutics and construction, given its metabolites show several bioactivities on human health; the stem constitution could be used in the manufacture of bioplastics and concrete.

The use of cannabis is legalized in some parts of the world, although there are still lots of taboos about it, authorization and distribution in the market are unevenly spread. In the last years, scientists and the medical community have developed solutions to separate therapeutic from undesired side effects, mainly psychoactivity.

Cannabis is made up of more than 500 different chemical compounds, among which we can highlight substances like phytocannabinoids, proteins, amino acids, terpenes, sugar, alcohols, flavonoids, vitamins, hydrocarbons, aldehydes, and fatty acids. Regarding phytocannabinoids, we can find the most significant psychoactive compound: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but also other relevant compounds such as cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN); and in low concentrations cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabicyclol