Marijuana (Final Exam) Flashcards
cannabinoids are concentrated in which part of the female plant?
the sticky, yellow resin part of the top
What is the most important psychoactive compound in cannabis?
Delta9-THC
Types of cannabinoids
Delta9-THC, cannabinol, cannabidiol (CBD)
If prevent pollination and seeding in female plants, THC content is (increased or decreased)?
increased
what does sinsemilla translate to?
without seeds
How much was the typical % THC content in marijuana in the 2010s?
8-12%
Concentrated forms of THC
Hashish = dried resin concentration consisting of trichomes (the plant part with the biggest THC content)/ 20-60% THC
Hash oil = alcoholic extraction from hashish
Dab = includes other extractions from cannabis. Can be >90% THC
Routes of administration for cannabis
-Smoking
-20-30% THC can be
absorbed
-Vaping
-Eating
-low absorption of THC
due to first-pass
metabolism in stomach
and liver (but metabolic
products are even
stronger)
What is one of the earliest cultivated non-food plants that was used for ropes and ship sails?
Cannabis sativa (Hemp)
When did recreational use and intoxication of cannabis become common in the US?
1900s
What did anti-marijuana propaganda call cannabis in the 1930s?
a social menace
When did cannabis become very popular with counterculture?
1960s-70s
Cannabis is the most popular _____ drug in the US
illicit (scheudle 1)
Potential medical uses of cannabis
-treatment of glaucoma
-antiemetic
-appetite stimulant
-anticonvulsant
-analgesic
Cannabidiol (CBD) definition
thought to have similar benefits as THC without strong psychoactive effects
What is the approved use of synthetic THC in the US
treatment of nausea and anorexia in AIDS and cancer patients
What is CBD medication used for in children?
severe epilepsy
What does it mean that cannabinoids ar highly lipid soluble?
It means that it crosses the membrane easily
Distribution
-THC reaches brain quickly after inhalation
-distributes to fat stores (depot binding), causing rapid decrease in peak blood concentration. This results in a 20-30 hours half life
Does oral THC have slower or faster effects?
slower
How long can drug tests detect THC for after stopping?
more than 2 weeks (and even longer if there is repeated use
Where does metabolism occur?
metabolism is mostly in the liver
What is 11-hydroxy-THC
Active metabolic porduct after oral consumption of delta9-THC (first-pass metabolism), more potent than delta9-THC itself
What is 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC
Inactive metabolite used in drug test
THC effects of low to moderate doses: Behavior and Mood
-disinhibition, relaxation, drowsiness, floating sensation
-enhanced feeling of well being, euphoria
-impaired short-term memory
-impaired time estimation and reaction time
THC effects of low to moderate doses: Physiological
-increased hunger (“munchies”) - very reliable effect
-decreased muscle strength, small tremor
-increased heart rate (pounding)
-increased blood flow (causes red eyes, good for glaucoma)
THC effects of high doses: Behavior and Mood
-increasingly disorganized thoughts, confusion
-paranoia, agitation
-anxiety (dependent on setting)
-synesthesias and pseudohallucination
THC effects of High doses: Physiological
pronounced motor impairment
THC effects of high doses: are ____ ______ even at very high doses
not lethal
When do withdrawal symptoms peak after chronic use in humans (and are opposite to acute effects of cannabis)
-Irritability
-Anxiety
-Depressed mood
-Sleep disturbances
-Heightened aggression
-Decreased appetite
Factors contributing to increased risk of addition of cannabis:
-early onset of use (young age)
-daily use
Effects of repeated cannabis: Tolerance
-Behavioral tolerance
-Pharmacodynamic tolerance
-after repeated use, desensitization and downregulation of CB1 receptors
Two types of synthetic cannabinoids
Spice and K2
What are spice and K2?
-herbs laced with synthetic cannabinoids sold under a number of names
-Marketed as “safe” legal alternatives to marijuana, but they are not safe or legal!!
-intoxication, withdrawal, psychosis, and overdose death have been reported
Where do cannabis and marijuana act?
at cannabinoid receptors
Where are cannabinoid receptors located?
on the presynaptic terminals for retrograde signaling
Endocannabinoids are…
the endogenous ligands for CB receptors (cb1 and CB2)
Do endocannabinoids have high or low lipid solubility?
high
Two types of endocannabinoids
- Anandamide
-partial agonist for CB1 receptors - 2-AG
-full agonist for CB1 and CB2 receptors
Endocannabinoids: Signaling
-endocannabinoids are lipid NT and retrograde messengers
-No vesicles because they are too lipid soluble to be stored in vesicles
-synthesized on demand in the post-synaptic side of the synapse
-Travel retrogradely to the presynaptic terminal and bind to CB1 receptors
-Inactivation: degradation by enzymes
Where is CB1 receptor expression
mostly in brain and spinal cord
CB2 receptor expression
mostly in immune system
CB1 receptors are…
-high levels in basal ganglia, hippocampus, cerebellum, and cortex
-important for rewarding effects and “high” from cannabis
-exceptionally high densities: the most abundant GPCR in mammalian brain
What important role does endocannabinoid signaling play?
long-lasting synaptic plasticity, including long-term depression (LTD)
Cannabinoid effects: Reward at low doses of THC
conditioned place preference (CPP), self-administration
Cannabinoid effects: REward at high doses of THC
conditioned place aversion (CPA), no self-administration
Evidence that dopamine mediates the reward effects of cannabinoids
- CB1 agonists increase DA firing in VTA and DA release in NAc (via inhibition of GABA, or “disinhibition” of DA)
- Animals will self-administer THC, 2-AG, or CB1 agonists directly into VTA or NAc
What causes “munchies” when injected into NAc
Cannabinoids cause pleasurable reactions to tastes: “munchies”
Cannabinoids effects Memory because
hippocampus cause deficits in working memory because its blocked by CB antagonists rimonabant into hippocampus
CB1 antagonists or CB1 gene knockout:
-block self-administration of THC
-decrease self-administration of of the drugs: alcohol, opioids, cocaine, and nicotine
-decrease sensitivity to all rewards (food or drugs) and decrease NAc dopamine release
What is impaired in CB1 knockout mice?
extinction learning (they keep freezing)
what do CB1 knockout mice’s impaired extinction learning tell us?
That endocannabinoids are important for extinction learning (probably due to role in LTD at synapse)
What is a positive effect of CB1 knockout mice?
They have enhanced retention of other types of memory, so they retain memory for longer
THC effects in mice
-rewarding
-increases feeding
-impairs learning/memory
-hypoalgesic (reduced pain)
-all blocked by CB1 antagonist
CB1 antagonist or knockout effects
-reduced reward
-decreases feeding
-impairs extinction learning
-hyperalgesic (enhanced pain)
Can cannabis use lead to addiction
absolutely
what type of therapy is a treatment option for cannabis addiction?
Psychosocial therapy
marijuana uses had significantly reduced ___ matter in areas of orbitofrontal cortex (even with similar IQ)
gray
What receptors are important in neurodevelopmental changes during adolescence?
CB1 receptors
Therapeutic effects (conclusive evidence) of cannabis
-reduced pain
-reduced nausea/vomiting
Immediate Risks (conclusive evidence) of cannabis
-increased risk of motor vehicle accidents
-impaired learning, memory, and attention
Repeated Use Risks (conclusive evidence) of cannabis
-NO increased risk of cancer
-increased risk of developing schizophrenia, psychoses, and social anxiety disorder; increased thoughts of suicide
