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Medical and recreational cannabis is being legalised in many countries around the world, and this is raising the question of how we regulate a plant that humans have used for thousands of years. Production, quality control, research and development, risk reduction, and product safety are all important considerations as national governments develop future cannabis policies. To develop cannabis products that can both enhance the quality of life of cannabis users and comply with current and future regulations, first we must understand what cannabis is, how people use it, and how it affects the human body and mind. Alberto Sainz Cort, Principal Scientist in Human Studies at Broughton explores...
The origins of the cannabis plant Cannabis Sativa come from East Asia and from there it expanded across Asia, Europe, and the rest of the world. Cannabis subspecies are divided into three categories: Sativa, Indica, and Rudelaris. However, due to domestication and hybridisation, there are hundreds of cannabis varieties, which are usually called strains.
As happens with grapes for wine, each of these cannabis strains has its own characteristics, like the size and form of the plant, flowering periods, smell, and chemotype.
The Endocannabinoid System
Cannabis’ main compounds can interact with our cells through the Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS is a group of proteins and molecules produced in the human body (as well as in all vertebrates and some invertebrates) responsible for many cellular and physiological functions. The most well-known components of the ECS are the molecules Anandamide and 2-AG, which interact with the cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2), but there are dozens of components in our body that are currently considered part of the ECS.
The human ECS is distributed through the Central Nervous System (CNS), the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS), and the Immune System and can be found in every organ of the human body. This means that the ECS can control physiological functions all around body. Defining these physiological functions of the ECS is not easy as it’s a very large and complex system and it’s still being studied to understand all its interactions.
The Therapeutic Properties of Cannabinoids
Plant cannabinoids like Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabigerol (CBG), Cannabinol (CBN), and Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) have many molecular similarities with endocannabinoids and that is the reason why they can interact with cannabinoid receptors and modulate the functioning of the ECS.
Despite the complexity of the interaction between the ECS and the components of the cannabis plant, we already know that cannabis might help with several medical conditions. The scientific community has been studying the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids for decades, and regardless of the different levels of current clinical evidence, we can point out some of the medical conditions which can benefit from cannabinoid therapies.
Approved cannabis-based drugs Epidiolex, Sativex, and Marinol are already prescribed for specific types of epilepsy, some multiple sclerosis symptoms, cancer-related pain, chemotherapy-related nausea, and HIV-related anorexia. As well as this, cannabinoids may be considered useful for the treatment of neuropsychological-related disorders like ischemia, Alzheimer, Parkinson and Huntington’s diseases, and mood, sleep, anxiety, psychotic and autistic disorders.
There are also low levels of evidence that cannabinoids might be useful in treating sleeping disorders, metabolic disorders and even skin diseases. Note that a low level of evidence means that most of the studies show pre-clinical evidence, but not enough human studies have been carried out to prove cannabis can treat these conditions.
The Subjective Effects of Cannabis
Since plant cannabinoids can interact with the ECS, and the ECS is involved in several physiological functions in the CNS, cannabis use affects the brain and can cause psychoactive effects altering the mind and behavior. One of the most notable psychoactive effects is the commonly called a cannabis “high”.
Other cannabinoids like CBD or CBG are also psychoactive, but these do not produce a high effect, so their effects are very subtle and are usually reported as relaxation and drowsiness. It is important to note that the subjective effects of cannabis are not only related to single cannabinoids, but also to their combination and the influence of terpenes and flavonoids.
The effect produced by the combination of the components of cannabis, rather than isolated cannabinoids, is called the “Entourage Effect”. For example, CBD can counteract some of the subjective effects of THC and terpenes can modulate the high produced by THC, being more euphoric or more relaxed. This would explain why different cannabis strains have different subjective effects, as their chemotypes are different to each other. Ultimately, this also means that the therapeutic effects of cannabis may differ for each cannabis strain.
The opportunities for both recreational and medical cannabis industries are just beginning to be explored as legalisation becomes a reality in many countries around the world. For companies already producing or looking to develop cannabis products now is the time to gather data around the cannabis strains being used. It is also important to establish processes for collecting real-world evidence about user reported benefits when using these products, so it is available for future regulatory submissions as governments look to create regulatory frameworks to manage this new industry.
For help with developing your medicinal cannabis and CBD product, visit https://www.broughton-group.com/cannabinoids.