Cannabis Flashcards
1
Q
what is the street name for cannabis?
A
marijuana
2
Q
what are the 3 types of cannabis plant?
A
sativa, indica, ruderalis
3
Q
what are cannabinoids?
A
unique chemical agents found in the cannabis plant
4
Q
t/f: cannabis is the oldest cultivated plant used for food
A
false; it is oldest plant NOT used for food
5
Q
when/where was cannabis first recorded use?
A
China, 2800 BC
6
Q
when did cannabis spread to Europe?
A
early 1800’s (bc of british colonization)
7
Q
who was Harry Anslinger?
A
a campaigner against weed that brought attention to the drug in the 20’s in the US
8
Q
how were marijuana laws justified early on?
A
that ethnic minorities were main users, therefore negative association
9
Q
what year was cannabis classified as a narcotic and introduced into legislation?
A
1929
10
Q
what is the active ingredient in weed?
A
delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
11
Q
when was THC isolated & synthesized?
A
1964
12
Q
what is the proportion of THC content in a typical joint from the 70s and now?
A
today’s weed has double the THC content
13
Q
what is hashish?
A
the dried resin of the flowers/leaves of the plant
14
Q
what is the THC % in hash?
A
10% THC
15
Q
what is the THC % in hash oil
A
40% THC
16
Q
how is hash oil made?
A
boil hashish in solvent (alcohol) to extract cannabinols
17
Q
what is the most typical method of taking weed?
A
smoking a joint
18
Q
what are other options of smoking weed?
A
using a bong or hookah (pipe like devices that filter smoke with water)
19
Q
what is sensitization of marijuana?
A
when users do not experience effects of THC the first few times bc theyre not effecient at extracting THC from smoke
20
Q
how much of THC in a joint is available for absorption?
A
less than 50%
21
Q
what is the scientific justification for sensitization of weed?
A
users become better at smoking the more they do it ie. get better and larger dose of the drug as they smoke more
22
Q
what is the onset time of effects from smoking?
A
within seconds
23
Q
what is the peak blood concentration time from smoking?
A
10 minutes after inhalation
24
Q
when do peak effects occur from smoking?
A
30-60 minutes
25
how long do effects normally last from smoking?
2-4 hours
26
what is the half life of THC?
around 5 days
27
are cannabinoids water or lipid soluble?
lipid soluble -cross blood-brain barrier easily
28
how long can THC be drug tested in the body?
several days to several weeks afterwards (THC deposits in fat and re-enters circulation during long half life)
29
are cannabinoids absorbed well in the digestive system?
no, only 20% enters bloodstream
30
whats the ratio between edibles and smoking effect vs dose?
need 3 doses of edibles to get same effect of 1 dose of smoking
31
when do peak effects of edibles occur?
1-3 hours after ingestion
32
what effect does a low dose (1/4- 1/2 joint) produce?
mild euphoria, peacefulness
33
what effect does moderate (1 joint) dose produce?
perception and time distortions, drowsiness
34
what effect does a high dose (2 joints) produce?
hallucinations, delusions, distortions of body image
35
what are the physiological effects?
bloodshot eyes, droop in eyelids, dry mouth/thirst, hunger/overeating
36
does cannabis have an effect on pupil dialation?
no, it is a result of smoking in dark lighting
37
what is the effect of placebo and expectations of weed?
large effect of expectations on ratings of weed
38
t/f: weed can be used as an aphrodisiac (increase libido)
true, induces brief rise of testosterone
- but only at low doses.
- at high doses, it depresses testosterone levels and creates orgasmic difficulty
39
what is the name of the sesame oil THC medical product?
dronabinol, trade name marinol
40
what is the synthetic form of THC medical product?
nabilone, trade name cesamet
41
what is the THC oral spray used for MS?
Sativex
42
t/f: THC is not antiemetic (reduces vomiting)
false, it is antiemetic
43
what is more effective as anti-nausea/vomiting? medical products vs smoking product?
medical products like marinol and cesamet are better
44
is natural or man made (dronabinol) weed more effective as a pain killer?
dronabinol has longer pain relief effects
45
t/f: THC has a strong effect on cognitive and motor function
true
46
does weed have strong potential to impair driving ability?
yes
47
when is the driving impairment highest after consuming weed?
the first hour after smoking
48
what aspects of functioning does THC reduce?
memory, attention (divided and sustained), reaction time, motor function
49
what is more effected, short term or long term memory?
short term /working memory
50
what is working memory?
a temporary memory that relates to the current version of an activity or task (ex. trying to remember what cards others hold in a game of cards)
51
what is reference memory?
long term memory that uses relevent information to apply to an activity or task (ex. remembering the rules of the card game)
52
what is the 8 arm radial maze task?
8 arms radiating from central platform, with food placed in 4 of the arms (not visible)
53
if a rat visits a baited arm that already had the food eaten, what kind of memory error would it be?
a working memory error- rat forgot when it had already been during the current test session
54
if a rat visits an arm that has never been baited, what kind of memory error would it be?
reference memory error- rat forgot the general rules that there are baited/unbaited arms
55
what is the effect THC has on learning?
animals given THC are SLOWER to learn tasks
56
when animals are given THC, which memory error increases?
working memory errors
57
where does THC reduce cholinergic neurotransmission in the brain?
the hippocampus (cannabinoid receptors located here)
58
t/f: hippocampus neurons experience no damage following exposure to THC
false, evidence of damage has been found
59
what aspects of cognition do heavy users of weed have difficulty on versus light users?
sustaining attention, organizing/using info, learn word lists, card sorting tasks, introduction of new card game rules, etc
60
what kind of weed use has persistent effects on cognitive performance decline?
heavy, chronic use. even present after temporary abstinence
61
what is a delayed matching to sample task examining? (DMTS)
examines working memory in humans
62
how does a delayed matching to sample task work? (DMTS)
stimulus is shown, then later on person has to choose between a selection and match which was shown before.
63
what results are seen from the DMTS tests?
either 1 or 2 doses of weed significantly impair performance on working memory recall
64
what affected working memory in the DMTS test the most?
the length of delay between showing stimulus and needing to recall it during the matching section of the task
65
t/f: animals do not self-administer THC
false, recent research established self-administration by monkeys and rats
66
does THC produce conditioned place preference or aversion?
conditioned place aversion
67
what conditioned effect do cannabinoid antagonists produce?
conditioned place preference
68
what are electrophysiological indicators of euphorigenic effects?
the increased fire rate of cells in the VTA
69
what effects are effected by tolerance?
all of them, including self-reported intoxication
70
t/f: you cannot experience withdrawal symptoms from weed
false, theres new research that demonstrates withdrawal symptoms after chronic use
71
is there a THC antagonist?
yes, just recently developed
72
what kind of withdrawal symptoms does THC induce?
hot flashes, sweating, runny nose, stomach pain, loss of appetite, disturbed sleep, craving for weed, etc
73
when does withdrawal begin?
within a few hours after stopping the drug
74
how long does withdrawal last?
7-10 days
75
what is priming with THC?
when a stimulus is associated with receiving THC
| -when they stop pressing the lever, display stimulus to trigger (prime) them to continue pressing
76
how is relapse related to priming?
priming triggered relapse for THC
77
t/f: cannabinoid antagonists block the subjective effects of THC and prevent relapse
true
78
t/f: cannabinoid antagonists cannot block the reinforcing effects of other drugs
false, it can block the reinforcing effects of opiates, cocaine, and nicotine
79
what is rimonabant?
a cannabinoid antagonist
80
what was rimonabant originally marketed as?
an anti-obesity drug called Acomplia
81
do animals also have an endogenous cannabinoid receptor system?
yes
82
how is the endogenous cannabinoid receptor system activated?
by a naturally occurring cannabinoid ligand called Anandamide
83
what are the two cannabinoid receptors?
CB1 and CB2
84
where is CB1 found in the body?
the central nervous system
85
are cannabinoid receptors pre or post synaptic?
presynaptic
86
what are the cannabinoid receptors responsible for controlling?
releasing other neurotransmitters, reducing acetylcholine release (in hippocampus) and increasing dopamine by reducing GABA, etc
87
what relevance does genetics have to reacting to canabis?
reactions are thought to be subjective to genetics
88
t/f: THC can be fatal to humans
false, its acutely nonfatal
89
does tobacco or marijuana smoke have higher number of harmful constituents?
marijuana smoke has more harmful stuffs
90
what is the difference between harmfulness of tobacco and marijuana smoke?
weed has more cancer-causing stuff in it but THC protects against it
91
what is the ratio of harm for 1 joint vs cigarettes for carbon monoxide?
1 joint= 5 cigarettes worth of carbon monoxide
92
whats the ratio of harm for 1 joint vs cigarettes for tar?
1 joint=- 4 cigarettes worth of tar
93
whats the ratio of harm for 1 joint vs cigarettes for damage to airway cells?
1 joint= 10 cigarettes worth of damage
94
what factor increases the damage factor of smoking weed versus tobacco?
the topography of smoking weed- hold it longer, inhale more deeply, unfiltered, etc
95
what is teratology?
the study of harmful effects on the fetus of substances ingested during pregancy
96
what % of women give birth after using an illicit drug?
3%
97
what % of illicit drugs reported by pregnant women was weed?
75%
98
does THC produce severe teratological effects on a fetus?
not really significant, especially when compared to alcohol or solvents
99
what is NIDA?
national institute of drug abuse
100
what % of drug treatment admissions in the USA were for marijuana?
16%
101
what % of drug treatment admissions in ontario were for marijuana?
13%
102
what is the typical profile of a weed abuser?
male, white, young, single, less than 20 yrs old
103
what % of recreational users become dependent?
9%
104
is there a specific form of treatment for weed abuse?
no, they use generic treatment
105
is treatment effective immediately afterwards or more long term?
effective immediately after treatment, but tapers off after that
106
what is the most common synthetic cannabinoid called?
HU-210
107
are synthetic cannabinoids less or more potent than natural?
more potent, can be lethal
108
what was the original purpose of creating synthetic cannibinoids?
to treat MS, AIDS, and chemotherapy
109
what are common street names for synthetic cannabinoids on the market?
K2, Spice, Black mamba, kush
110
how many times is HU-210 stronger than natural THC?
800x stronger
