Cannabis

Cannabis is classified as Medical or Recreational.

Now we will discuss about Medical Cannabis or Medical marihuana.

It is a group of pharmacological agents derived from subspecies of flowering plant genus cannabis .

It is used with intent of alleviating a symptom or a condition.

Medical Cannabis can be delivered in a variety of ways e.g inhaled,swallowed,topical application to skin or bu cal mucosa.

DEA calls it Schedule1 drug.

Currently 30 states and District of Columbia have programs authorizing cannabis use for medical conditions.

As Cannabis is illegal under federal law,clinicians cannot prescribe it and pharmacies cannot dispense it.

States require clinicians to be registered to certify patients for cannabis use.

Clinicians who certify are protected against federal legal repercussions.

Some states require clinicians to have ongoing relationship with patients as needing history and physicals on these patients.

Cannabis is supplied to patients through state licensed dispensaries.

These are for profit centers selling any prep or production compliance with state law.

However we do not know quality as this is not regulated by FDA.

Most states allow access to dried flowers or whole plant cannabis.

None of this is covered by insurance.

Endocannabinoid system

Cannabis interacts with endocannabinoid system.

The endocannabinoid system is a network of receptors that send signals.

The type 1 cannabinoid receptor CB1 is highly expressed in the central nervous system concentrated in prefrontal cortex,basal ganglia,hippocampus,amYgdala,hypothalamus and cerebellum.

Retro synaptic gammaaminobutyric acid signaling generates the neuropsychiatric effects of cannabis.

CB1 receptors are also found in smooth muscle,myocardium,adipocytes,preganglionic symathetic neurons integrated with autonomic and endocrine systems.

The type2 cannabinoid receptorCB2 is expressed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells,macrophages,

 B cells and natural killer cells.CB2 receptors are also present in myocardium,vascular endothelium and

smooth muscle.

Our body synthesises endocannabinoid molecules and they are,

1.N- Arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA or Anandamide)

2.  2-arachidonoylglycerol

Both of these are agonists at CB1 and CB2 receptors.

Phytocannabinoids

These are naturally occurring molecules with affinity for cannabinoid receptors.Over 100 photo cannabinoid pd have been isolated from cannabis.

Concentrations of these cannabinoids in cannabis depend on cannabis strain and horticultural techniques.