Drugs of Abuse 1 – General/Cannabis Flashcards
Generally speaking, how do the drugs of abuse cause the feeling of euphoria?
The hijack the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway – the central reward pathway
Describe the structure of the central reward pathway.
The dopaminergic neurones project from the ventral tegmental area to the nucleus accumbens
Dopamine release into the nucleus accumbens will stimulate the feeling of euphoria
Put the routes of administration of drugs in order of speed of absorption.
Smoking > IV > Snorting > Oral
Why is smoking slightly quicker than IV injections?
Smoking brings the drug to the alveoli where it easily crosses the alveoli and enters the pulmonary circulation
There is a shorter distance from the pulmonary circulation to the heart and then to the brain than from the site of IV injection to the heart and then to the brain
What are the different classes of the drugs of abuse?
Narcotics/painkillers – e.g. opiate like drugs
Depressants – e.g. alcohol
Stimulant – e.g. cocaine, caffeine
Miscellaneous
What is an alkaloid?
Any class of nitrogenous organic compound of plant origin that has profound physiological actions on humans
What are the active components of the Cannabis sativa plant?
Cannabinoids (there are over 60 of them in the plant)
What is the most potent cannabinoid in the plant?
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9-THC)
What is another important cannabinoid that appears to counteract some of the negative effects of the potent cannabinoid?
Cannabidiol
How has cannabis production changed over the last 10-15 years?
There has been an increase in the amount of 9-THC in the cigarette meaning that there is less cannabidiol
This suggests that cannabis production is heading towards being morepro-psychotic
What percentage of smoked cannabis will reach the blood stream?
Around 30%
Describe the accumulation of cannabis in the brain following administration.
Cannabis levels in the brain rise very quickly after administration but, because the brain is highly perfused, the cannabis levels in the brainfall rapidly as well
Describe the accumulation of cannabis in fat following administration.
Cannabis is very lipid soluble so it slowly accumulates in the fat
This means that cannabis will leak from the store in the fat for a long time after administration
How long will the effects of cannabis last after smoking a joint?
Around 30 days (because of the storage in adipocytes)
What is an important metabolite of cannabis?
11-hydroxy THC (this is more potent than Delta-9-THC)