Cannabis

What is cannabis?

• Sativa/ indica

• Most commonly used (besides alcohol and caffeine) psychoactive drug

What drug schedule is cannabis?

Schedule I

What is sativa?

Tall and thin plant—> stimulatory effects

What is indica?

Short and bushy plant—> sedative effects

What are the active ingredients in cannabis?

Cannabinoids:

• Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)

• Cannabiniol (CBN)

• Cannabidiol (CBD)

What is THC?

THC is the most psychoactive, feel more high and more stimulatory vs sedative

Medical and recreational use

What are the common cannabis preparations?

Flower

Edibles

Concentrates

What is flower?

Most common preparation (smoking)

• low grade: plant material - leaf not much flower (low potency)

• medium grade: flower but female plant fertilized by male plant, potency is lower since it is fertilized

• high grade; flower without being fertilized, resign produced (high potency)

What are edibles?

Gummies

• CBD alone is not psychoactive unless mixed with THC

• THC gummies range from 5mg-100g

What are concentrates?

Pure doses of cannabinoids in flower, no dilutions

resign from flower, dried, higher potency of cannabinoids

-'dabs

-wax

hash oil

butane- extract concentrates, more potent

What is the ROA for cannabis?

Orally- mixed with food, low bioavailability, edibles

• takes long time to feel effects, but long lasting

• considered 1st pass metabolism

• 5 hours

Inhalation- smoking, shorter duration but faster onset effects

• 2-3 hours

What is the half life of cannabis?

20-30 hours

detectable in body even if not adverting effects

What happens when you smoke cannabis?

10-25% of cannabinoids in cigarettes/ joint enter the lungs.

• bongs and vaporizer may enhance this amount

• Absorption of THC related to depth of inhalation

What causes loss of cannabinoids?

• smoke not inhaled, the cannabinoids are lost

• coughing also causes cannabinoids to be lost

• inhalation matters, not holding breath

What happens when you smoke from a bong?

• Bong captures smoke when covered vs. vape not heated so smoke does not irritate lungs or cough, so more cannabinoids go to the lungs

What does cannabis bind to in the brain?

Bind to cannabinoid receptors

Enodocannabinoids

• anandomide: memory, learning, anxiety

What are the acute physical effects of cannabis?

• Dilation of blood vessels in whites of eyes - ONLY cannabis

• dry mouth

• intense hunger

• increased HR- Psychomotor stimulants

• muscle relaxation- CNS depressants

• blocks convulsions- CNS depressants

• sedation

• analgesia- opioids

• decreased body temp -opioids

What are the acute physiological effects of cannabis?

• impaired memory at all stages -CNS depressants

• “high’, mild euphoria, mellow

• relaxation- CNS depressants

• anxiety relief- CNS depressant

• distorted sense of time- psychedelics, time is slower in cannabis

• avoidance of effortful tasks- cognitive/ psychomotor effects & CNS depressant

• impaired hand-eye coordination -cognitive/ psychomotor effects & CNS depressant

• impaired attention and problem solving -cognitive/ psychomotor effects & CNS depressant

Does cannabis effect driving?

Yes, 3-7x higher risk of accident

• little effect on ability to control a car

• but impaired ability to attend to peripheral stimuli

• enhanced with use of alcohol

• no set limit like alcohol, only can see by blood test

• 5 nano grams of THC

• tests for psychomotor impairment

What are the acute effects at high doses of cannabis?

• panic

• paranoia

• mild hallucinations

• disorientation/ confusion

What is the therapeutic index for cannabis?

TI: at least 1000

What are the tolerance effects of cannabis?

Tolerance: to subjective effects

not as obvious/ negative— very mild

What are the withdrawal effects of cannabis?

not as obvious/ negative— very mild

onset: 1-3 days post

remain in body up to 14 days

decreased appetite, restlessness, insomnia, craving

What happens reproductively when you use cannabis?

• lower levels of sex hormones

• decreased sperm production

• depressed ovarian function

• not associated with premature birth or birth defects, though later hyperactivity, impulsivity, and LD

WHat are the health issues when using cannabis?

• cannabis smoke may contain 50-70% more carcinogenic material than tobacco

• e-cigarette or vaping product use associated with lung injury because it heats up

• cardiovascular risks, lung cancer

What is the gateway theory?

The more the person uses cannabis, the greater the probability of using other drugs as well.

What is the common factor model?

Although cannabis is used first, people have propensities or risk levels to use any drug and other biological, psychological, and environmental factors that play a role.

More likely to be in opportunities to use drugs—→ is the case with any drugs

People use cannabis first because it is safer and more available

Degree of drug exposure more powerful predictor of hard drug use

What are the medical benefits of cannabis?

• antioxidant — dna damage/ cancer

• antiemetic— nausea

• analgesic— pain relief

• appetite stimulant

• antispastic

• potential for use in : anxiety, insomnia, seizures, tumors, or Tourette’s

Is synthetic THC legal?

Yes, marinol (schedule III)

sativex (but not approved in US)

Is THC derived from a plant legal?

No

What about CBD oil ( and other cannabinoids)?

Federally legal if delta-9 THC <0.3%

CBD alone is not psychoactive

“therapeutic’ but not supported in research

marked for treatment in cancer and alzeimers but supported as effective