Final Exam Cannabinoids Flashcards
Cannabinoids are
drugs that contain Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) or have similar pharmacologic actions
over __ cannabinoids, including naturally-occurring and synthetic, exist
70
cannabis is a hemp plant indigenous to the __ and __ mountains
Altai
Tien-Shan
it has been cultivated for at least ___ years
6,000
because of its physical strength it is often used to make ___
rope
about 2,000 years ago it was first used as an ___
anesthetic during operations
marijuana comes from the __ plant ___
hemp
cannabis sativa
hash oil is derived by (3)
- soaking cannabis flowers (buds) in isopropanol (an alcohol)
- removing all plant material, then
- heating the mixture to evaporate the isopropanol
butane honey oil (BHO): butane is used instead of __ for extraction
isopropanol
Δ9-THC levels in marijana ___
4.5%
Δ9-THC levels in BHO can be as high as __%
60-90%
cannabis sativa (marijuana) contains hundreds of ___ chemical constituents
non-psychoactive
despite some media reports, marijuana use is not associated with ___
lung cancer
however, increased rates of __ cancer (up to 2x) are reported in epidemiologic studies
testicular
naturally-occurring: among the 70+ known naturally-occurring cannabinoids, 3 are psychoactive:
- Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC)
- Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (67% as potent as Δ9-THC)
- Δ9-tetrahydrocannabidivarin (25% as potent as Δ9-THC)
synthetic: artificial cannabinoids are a relatively recent development; examples (among many) include (2)
- spice
2. K2
these compounds (synthetic spice and K2) are known by ___, after John W. Huffman, an organic chemist at Clemson, who first synthesized them
JWH designations
like Δ9-THC, they (spice and K2) are cannabinoid receptor 1 and 2 (CB1, CB2) __
agonists
___ is the most commonly used illegal drug in the US
marijuana
__% of those ages 12 and older have used marijuana
42
although rates of use have increased steadily since 2000, rates of ___ have NOT
marijuana use disorder
about __% of those who ever used cannabis in the past year show cannabis dependence
9%
True or False? marijuana is often the first regularly used psychoactive drug for children/adolescents, even ahead of alcohol and tobacco
True
Medical Uses: marijuana (THC) has a number of __ and potential medical uses
proven
Behavioral Effects: marijuana use is intoxicating, and includes __ a dream-like state, and at high doses, ___
euphoria, happiness,
tiredness and fatigue
Behavioral effects of marijuana: some people become more __, some people become more __ (also depends on dose). Concentration worsens, memory becomes poor, simple tasks require excess effort, and slowed perception of time
sociable
withdrawn
marijuana is almost always__ (__ administration is very inefficient)
smoked
oral
as with all inhaled substances, marijuana hits the bloodstream in __
seconds
peak blood levels occur in __
3-10 min
only about _% of Δ9-THC has entered the brain at the time of ___
1
behavioral/psychoactive effects
significant accumulation is stored in ___, unlike other drugs
body fat
Δ9-THC is broken down by the __
liver
elimination half-lives of all active metabolites: __days
5-6
metabolites can therefore be detected in urine for __
over a month
For many years (and even today), a common belief was that cannabis use does not induce ___. Beginning in the 1980s (when THC preparations gained considerable strength), a __ was identified
dependence
dependence syndrome
Cannabis dependence syndrome (5)
fear of health consequences blunted emotion expression emotional alienation from loved ones low achievement low grade depression
Progression from casual to dependent follows a typical course: (5)
pleasurable social use tolerance more frequent use social withdrawal functional impairment at work/school
2 types of dependence have been noted (note that this is not unlike alcohol, for which no such distinction is made):
Type one: multiple times a day
Type two: every 24-48 hours
Dependence symptoms are __ to those observed for other substances
similar
tolerance to both ___ and ___ builds rapidly, even among light/moderate smokers
physical effects (e.g., heart rate acceleration) psychological effects (subjective high)
tolerance this occurs through ___ (cannabinoid receptors are profoundly ___)
neuroadaptations
downregulated
__ effects (e.g., altered liver metabolism) are minimal
metabolic
cannabis withdrawal syndrome is well characterized
DSM-5 withdrawal syndrome requires three of more of the following: (7)
- irritability, anger, or aggression
- nervousness or anxiety
- sleep difficulty
- decreased appetite/weight loss
- restlessness
- depressed mood
- abdominal pain, shakiness/tremors, sweating, fever, chills, headache
effects on ___ and ___ are similar to those induced by alcohol
psychomotor performance
memory
among those suspected of driving impaired who have NOT used alcohol, __ test positive for marijuana
1/3
marijuana use __ the risk of motor vehicle accidents
doubles
for unknown reasons, cannabis use rates are high among people who are predisposed to or suffer from ___
psychotic disorders (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder)
use can potentiate (increase the power) genetic vulnerability to __
psychosis
cannabis use has particularly detrimental effects on ___ in adolescence
prefrontal cortex development
reduced prefrontal volumes are associated with __, __, and __ deficits (executive functions)
decision-making, memory, and long-term planning
the potency of cannabinoids correlates strongly with their CB1 and CB2 ___
receptor binding affinity
cannabinoid receptors are expressed densely in several brain regions:
basal ganglia: (including the nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen, thalamus, and globus pallidus)
cerebellum: which is implicated in motor control and coordination of neural activity across the cortex
cannabinoid receptors are expressed at lower levels in several other brain regions: (3)
- hippocampus, which is implicated in memory consolidation and the preoccupation/anticipation stage of addiction
- amygdala, which is implicated in withdrawal/negative affect and preoccupation/anticipation stages of addiction
- cortex, which serves sensory, attentional, and executive functions and is implicated in the preoccupation/anticipation stage of addiction
cannabinoid-1 (CB1) receptors are expressed throughout the brain and __ most of the psychoactive effects of cannabinoids
CB1 knockout mice (3)
mediate
- show no behavioral effects of Δ9-THC administration
- do not self-administer Δ9-THC, and
- show no withdrawal syndrome after prolonged Δ9-THC administration
cannabinoid-2 (CB2) receptors are expressed in the __ and less in the brain, but appear to exert some effects on the mesolimbic DA system
periphery
Δ9-THC has acute reinforcing effects, as evidenced by in animals by (3)
- conditioned place preference
- IV self-administration
- conditioned place aversion on withdrawal
These acute reinforcing effects are blocked by cannabinoid receptor __
antagonists
___ by other drugs is not observed (e.g., substituting benzodiazepines for alcohol)
cross-substitution
Both Δ9-THC and synthetic cannabinoids (e.g., WIN 55,212-2) release __ in the __:
dopamine nucleus accumbens (NAcc) shell
the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) shell is the site identified by Berridge and Robinson as mediating __ effects of drug use (liking)
pleasurable
Δ9-THC and synthetic cannabinoids also release ___
endogenous opioid peptides
chronic Δ9-THC administration produces tolerance to ___, analgesic effects, ___, and ___
behavioral effects
motor effects
memory effects
tolerance to behavioral and analgesic effects begins as soon as __
3 days
tolerance to memory effects takes __
weeks
tolerance occurs through __ of CB1 receptor densities throughout the brain
down-regulation
True or false? CB1 receptor densities return to normal after approximately one month of abstinence
True
withdrawal is characterized by __
excessive anxiety
as with other drugs of abuse, ___ levels rise during acute withdrawal, indicating a physiological stress response
corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)
animal __ are not well developed for Δ9-THC
reinstatement models
