EXAM 2

Question 1

primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana?

Answer 1

THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)

400+ chemicals, ex: CBD (cannabidiol)

Question 2

routes of absorption for THC

Answer 2

• inhaled by smoke/vapor, orally by edibles
  -inhalation is fastest (20-3- seconds to get to brain and 1 minute to feel effects)
• orally can take 2 hours to make it to bloodstream (metabolized into 11-hydroxy-THC, stronger and longer lasting)

Question 3

what type of receptors does THC bind to in the brain?

Answer 3

cannabinoid receptors (anandamide naturally made and mimicked)

Question 4

how is THC metabolized?

Answer 4

P450 family of hepatocytes
- 11-hydroxy-THC (stronger than THC)
- final metabolite: carboxy THC, (THC- COOH), urine analysis, half life 19-30 hours

Question 5

overdose on marijuana vs LSD

Answer 5

not possible to die or overdose on either alone
- can die from cardiovascular/pulmonary issues related to marijuana
- deaths from LSD happen due to an increase in risky behavior (accidents)

Question 6

different forms of marijuana (concentrations of THC)

Answer 6

butane honey oil (BHO): (wax) up to 80% and highest form- dabbing

hashish: 8-14% THC

Question 7

amotivational syndrome

Answer 7

people become lazy and not motivated in life (trouble concentrating, memory impairment, lack of follow-through)

Question 8

physical side effects of chronic marijuana use

Answer 8

cardiovascular: irregular contractions of the heart (greater risk of stroke or heart attack)

pulmonary (lungs): benzopyrene, equally as bad as tobacco smoke

brain development in teens

immune system: immunosuppressant

reproductive system: males (testosterone reduced), females (growth of eggs, implantation of egg in uterus, menstrual cycle) babies exposed can develop ADHD

Question 9

marijuana vs tobacco (health risks)

Answer 9

puff- to- puff there is the same damage from cigarettes and marijuana, cigarette smokers take more puffs (much fewer puffs are taken of marijuana)

Question 10

marijuana as a gateway drug

Answer 10

intrinsic argument: marijuana will lead to the use of other drugs

socio-cultural argument: friends w/ whom you smoke marijuana may expose you to other drugs

marijuana users are 7x more likely to use stronger drugs

Question 11

salvia divinorium

Answer 11

plant (diviner’s sage, magic mint, etc)
- salvinorin A: psychoactive chemical that leads to the high
- agonist to the kappa opiod
- very different to THC (causes trance-like state)
- dissimilar to both LSD and THC

Question 12

hallucinogen trips

Answer 12

salvia: much shorter (lasts 15-20 minutes)

mescaline: longer trip (about 10 hours, takes a while to have effects on brain)

DMT: short trip

psilocybin: trip of 2-5 hours

LSD: long high 5-9 hours

PCP: can last hours to days

Question 13

psychoactive chemicals in “spice”

Answer 13

cannabicyclohexanol
- major concerns: tachycardia, agitation, vomiting, seizures
- THC reduces seizures while spice increases them

Question 14

which hallucinogenic drugs affect serotonin receptors?

Answer 14

LSD, psilocybin, psilocyn, mescaline, MDMA

Question 15

naturally occurring vs man-made hallucinogens

Answer 15

natural: psilocybin, psilocin, mescaline (peyote), lysergic acid amide, DMT, salvia

synthetic: LSD, synthetic psilocybin, ketamine, PCP, spice, MDMA

Question 16

hallucinogenic drugs: chemical similarity to serotonin and norepinephrine

Answer 16

serotonin: LSD, psilocybin, psilocin, DMT

norepinephrine: mescaline, MDMA

Question 17

cross tolerance

Answer 17

tolerance to one drug that can produce tolerance to a pharmacologically similar substances (ex. LSD, psilocybin, mescaline)

Question 18

creation of LSD

Answer 18

albert hofman in a swiss lab (1938)
- trying to synthesize lysergic acid to decrease blood flow for use in procedures like childbirth, accidental creation

Question 19

flashbacks and LSD

Answer 19

reliving the experience on the drug (days or months after taking the drug), something may have stayed in the body and changed receptors

Question 20

does tolerance occur in LSD?

Answer 20

builds very quickly (four days in a row, 5th day wouldn’t feel it), 5-7 days of non use diminishes tolerance
- pharmacodynamic tolerance, receptors adapt quickly to LSD and stop responding

Question 21

synesthesia

Answer 21

when 2 of your senses mix, when one sensory receptor is triggered by another (ex. hearing colors and seeing music)

Question 22

hallucination vs perceptual distortion

Answer 22

hallucination: seeing something that isn’t actually there (ex. seeing a person or shadow that is not there)

vs

perceptual distortion: seeing something real/physical in an inaccurate form “altered perception (ex. thinking the walls are breathing, toe throwing up)

Question 23

active chemical in mushrooms?

Answer 23

psilocybin is the active chemical, psilocin is the metabolite for psilocybin (also an active chemical)

• mushrooms are less potent than LSD, shorter trip, more visual hallucinations, less emotionally intense

Question 24

DMT

Answer 24

chemical that is naturally found in our brain (endogenous chemical)

• most commonly snorted, can also be smoked
• effects happen quickly and only last about an hour
• half-life is only 15 minutes

Question 25

which neurotransmitters are affected by MDMA (ecstasy)?

Answer 25

norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin

• blocks reuptake of serotonin which gives hallucinogenic effects

-serotonin (hallucinogenic aspects of drug), norepinephrine and dopamine (stimulant aspect of drug)

Question 26

what chemical is often added to ecstasy and why is this combo dangerous?

Answer 26

dextromethorpan (commonly found in cough medicine), has hallucinogenic effects, reduces sweating response + ecstasy’s increase of body temperature response leads to dangerous risk of hyperthermia

Question 27

MDMA brain alterations, negative side effects

Answer 27

kills neurons, especially serotonin
- neurotoxicity, short + long term memory problems, attention issues, depression/anxiety, hyperthermia, tachycardia, concussions, kidney/liver failure, death

• monkey experiment, serotonin levels never the same after use of drug

Question 28

side effects of ecstasy

Answer 28

• euphoric feeling, feel close to others (hug drug), emotional sensitivity, lights are brighter, positive effects
• wear pacifier to help with jaw clenching

Question 29

how is peyote taken and what is the dosage?

Answer 29

mescal buttons (about 5, 200mgs) can also be smoked, common in religious ceremonies

Question 30

psychoactive chemical in peyote (absorption and metabolization)

Answer 30

chemical is mescaline

• taken orally and absorbed into the body through intestines
• most of the mescaline is not metabolized, comes out exactly the same as how it entered

Question 31

for what uses were ketamine, MDMA, and PCP originally developed?

Answer 31

ketamine: made as an anesthetic in the 60s, used in Vietnam war for field surgeries, used in veterinary medicine today

MDMA: meant to be used in therapy to promote empathy and lower defensiveness

PCP: meant to be used as an anesthesia + analgesic for surgery, failed because patients had severe adverse reactions upon waking up (nightmares)

Question 32

how is PCP very different from other drugs discusssed?

Answer 32

no medical value, does not block pain, but rather dissociates you from it (perceived as not real despite being felt)

• blocks glutamate NMDA receptors, antagonist for these receptors learning memory
• initially schedule 3 –> now schedule 2
• accidental consume, laced in “killer joints”

-very rare dependence, “one and done” due to its extreme intensity and disorienting effects

• causes mania, depression, mood swings, disorientation/confusion, paranoia, aggression, hallucinations, doll eye appearance