PsychoactivePlants Flashcards
Categories of psychoactive compounds and what part of the body do they act on?
- Stimulants
- Depressants
- Hallucinogens
- Act on nervous system
- Psychedelics act on the brain
Psychedelics
- Act on the brain
- Affect interaction of neural receptors and neurotransmitters at junction between neurons
What kind of compounds are psychoactive’s?
- Usually alkaloids
Opiate alkaloids, where from, how many species?
- opium poppy, Papaver somniferum, Papaveraceae, poppy family
- Temperate zone, native to middle east
- 100 plus species, all produce latex
- Opium in seed pod, not seeds
Where were the physiological effects of opium alkaloids known?
- Ancient Egypt, Sumeria, Greece by Dioscorides
- Spread by Arab merchants
Latex and psychoactive plants
- Made from opium poppies
- Latex from seed pod, seeds do not contain opium
How is opium taken by humans?
- Dissolved by alcohol as laudanum or smoked
Opium wars
- Between Britain and China
- 1839 and 1856
How many opium alkaloids are there and what are some of the derivatives?
- Over 20 alkaloids
- Morphine, codeine, heroin
What is the most active analgesic?
- Morphine, derivative of opium
How does morphine and other opiates work in the brain?
- Binds to brain receptors of endorphins (endogenous opioids)
Heroin
- Derivative of morphine, an opiate
- First made by Bayer Company (the one that makes aspirin)
- More potent and more addictive
Bioassay
- See which plant at lowest concentration stops a virus
Cocaine alkaloids, plant and where from
- Coca plant, Erythroxylum coca, Erythroxylaceae, coca family
- Native to Andes mountains
How do cocaine alkaloids work, who discovered?
- Leaves chewed by Andean natives for stimulatory effect 3500 years ago
- Blocks repute of neurotransmitters
- Strong stimulant and increase sense of well-being
- Topical anaesthetic
What is a derivative of cocaine that has been used medically?
- Novocaine as a topical anaesthetic
When did cocaine become a popular illicit drug?
- 1970’s
- Trafficked from South America
Mescaline plant, and where from
- Peyote, Lophophora williamsii, Cactaceae, cactus family
- Native to Texas and northern Mexico
How does mescaline affect the body?
- Mimics neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine
THC
- Tetrahydrocannabinol
Marijuana plant and where from
- Cannabis sativa L., Cannabaceae, hemp family
- Wide distribution
- Eastern Asian origin
Where are the compounds located on marijuana plants?
- Resin, richest on glandular trichome hairs on unfertilized female flower buds
What are the compounds in marijuana?
- Phenolic compounds
- Terpenophenolics
How many cannabinoids have been identified?
- Over 200
How does marijuana affect the brain?
- Binds to cannabinoid receptors in the brain
What is the major psychoactive chemical in marijuana?
- THC
- Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol
- Converted from tetrahydrocannabinolic acid by heat
How much THCA is in the plant that is converted to THC by heat?
- 0.5 - 15%
What are other types of terpenophenols in marijuana, what do they do?
- BDC, Cannabidiols
- contribute other medicinal effects like pain-relief
- Analgesic for chronic pain, reduces blood pressure (glaucoma)
- Appetite stimulant
What is essential to activate THC?
- Heat
- Converts THCA to THC
Where and when is the earliest known psychoactive use of marijuana?
- Use by Scythian
- 2500 plus years ago
Where is marijuana a sacred herb?
- India
- Smoked in religious context
When was marijuana a common herb in medicinal mixtures?
- 1600-1900
When was recreational use of marijuana introduced to US?
- After 1910 by Mexican immigrants
- Became popular with counter-culture in 60’s (after criminalization)
When did criminalization of possession of marijuana begin?
- 1937
- Efforts increased by US government through 1990’s
When did Canada legalize marijuana for medical use?
- 2001
Cannabis indica
- Originate in Hindu Kush mountain range
- More cold tolerant than tropical sativa, grows further north
- brought to NA in 1970’s
- Shrubby and short form, easy to grow indoors
What is the history of production of marijuana on the Pacific coast region?
- Recreational imported from mexico to california
- US gov’t sprayed Mexican crops w/ herbicide in 1970’s
- Instigated illicit growth in California
Sinsemilla method
- Enriches resin in marijuana
- Developed after US crackdown on Mexican marijuana instigated growth in California
What happens when sativa is crossed with indica?
- Differences in chemical content ratios
- Increased THC level from 2-3% to 5-8% to 15+% in plant
What did the US gov’t campaign against drugs instigate?
- Growth of drugs indoors for secrecy
- Encouraged shrubby plants as choice b/c grow well indoors (indica over sativa)
What is the current status of Marijuana in Canada?
- Next big cash crop maybe
- Canada is worlds biggest greenhouse producer
- Over 100 strains on the market
Strains of marijuana, how many and what is important in differentiating?
- Over 100 strains on market
- Claims different flavours, physical and mental effects
- Need genetic identification in future to sell product to prove THC content and no pesticides used
Which country is the largest greenhouse marijuana producer, what is a major downside?
- Canada
- Stresses the electrical system due to huge requirements
