CANNABIS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATHOLOGIES- LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The medicinal decline of Cannabis came with the appearance of other substances and the difficulty of isolating its active principle. The Israeli professor, Raphael Mechoulan, was able to identify and isolate the main components of this plant, allowing a greater knowledge about a Cannabis. It has about four hundred substances. Among these substances, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol, one responsible for psychoactive effects and the other for not being psychoactive, were the most interesting ones. In studies, it was possible to perceive that there are different species of Cannabis, and Cannabis sativa is characterized by a high THC content, Cannabis indica having a low THC content and Cannabis ruderalis that has no psychoactive substance. Another finding that drew much attention was that of cannabinoid receptors. Being CB1, which has great concentration in the brain and are responsible for most of the psychoactive effects, CB2, which are found in the immune system, and finally CB3 which is the way they call the other non-CB1 / CB2 cannabinoid receptors. With the advancement of medicine and all these discoveries it was possible to carry out studies with Cannabis and to prove that it has pharmacological effects. Today, this plant is used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's, epilepsy, AIDS, glaucoma, schizophrenia, anxiety, weight reduction and insomnia.