Delivery routes: Drugs such as Marinol capsules and Cesamet pills are taken orally. Dried forms of marijuana, including buds of flowers and leaves, pieces of leaves, seeds, and stems, are smoked in marijuana cigarettes or pipes, burned and vaporized using other means, or ingested in foods such as brownies or baked cookies. Cannabis sativa also may be used to produce the drug hashish, or hash, a resinous substance typically found in either block or oil form. Hash can be smoked or consumed orally.
Oral forms are often used to mitigate nausea, which may accompany all forms of cancer and the chemotherapeutic drugs used to treat them. Non-oral forms, such as smoking, may be contraindicated for some types of cancer, such as lung cancers. Use may also be contraindicated in the presence of other medical and psychiatric conditions.
How this compound works: The human body has a cannabinoid system that includes two G protein–coupled receptors called CB1 and CB2 receptors (or CNR1 and CNR2). CB1 receptors are located in the central and peripheral nervous system, as well as in some other peripheral tissues. CB2 receptors are located mainly in peripheral immune cells, although some are also found in the brain and the gastrointestinal system. Both CB1 and CB2 receptors are involved in nausea and vomiting, interacting with other neurotransmitters affecting both the central nervous system and the gastrointestinal system. Products containing THC, its derivatives, or its synthetic forms are understood to affect the cannabinoid system as a whole and via these CB1 and CB2 receptors.
Cannabis sativa is a plant whose history spans centuries across diverse cultures. The plant itself has many purposes, so its worldwide presence is understandable. It has been used in spiritual and religious ceremonies in some cultures, for its medicinal purposes in others, and as a recreational drug in many. In some cultures, it is an illicit substance or is highly controlled or regulated, depending on its form. In the United States, marijuana is the most widely used illicit drug. Effects may be differ substantially depending on the concurrent use of other substances, whether legal, illicit, or medicinal, and the presence of physical or mental illnesses.
For many years, marijuana use was thought to be associated with cancers, particularly those of the head, neck, and lungs, such as those commonly associated with tobacco products. Contemporary scientific reviews (Mehra et al., 2006) and studies (Hashibe et al., 2007) suggest, however, that such assertions are more cautionary and tentative, and a forty-year cohort study (Callaghan et al., 2013) concluded that marijuana use might elevate the risk of lung cancer but could not establish a connection with any certainty. In fact, no studies have shown a definitive link between long-term marijuana use and cancer. As with other forms of smoking, however, it is associated with increased respiratory infections and other physical changes. In addition, risks associated with secondhand smoke are still suspect, and marijuana and tobacco contain many of the same carcinogens. Therefore, caution is recommended regarding any marijuana use.
Hashibe and colleagues point out that the current findings regarding marijuana and health deserve continued study. For instance, scientists need better methods to estimate the amount of marijuana smoked, so that they can more formally evaluate dose-response issues. This is problematic for epidemiologic and naturalistic studies of marijuana use because marijuana is primarily a street drug, and neither the quality nor the level of active ingredient per amount is set at a known standard. There is also a need for studies of the effects of marijuana over longer periods to account for any long-term health impacts.
Side effects: Short-term effects may vary by user but often include such things as changes in sensory experiences, increases in appetite, relaxation, increased feelings of pleasure, decreases in feelings of nausea, memory and learning difficulties, panic, anxiety, coordination problems, and impaired problem solving. Long-term effects may include problems related to addiction, such as abuse or dependence, motivational problems, daily cough, phlegm problems, respiratory problems, and impact on the immune system. It should be noted that these effects are what would be observed in normal users, that is, individuals without other significant physical or mental health problems who are not using any other substances. In individuals with other characteristics, such as other physical or psychiatric problems, the effects might differ in important ways.
Bibliography
Callaghan, Russell C., Peter Allebeck, and Anna Sidorchuk. "Marijuana Use and Risk of Lung Cancer: A 40-Year Cohort Study." Cancer Causes & Control 24.10 (2013): 1811–20. Print.
Earleywine, Mitch. Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence. New York: Oxford UP, 2002. Print.
Faupel, Charles E., Gregory S. Weaver, and Jay Corzine, eds. The Sociology of American Drug Use. 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2014. Print.
Grotenhermen, Franjo, and Ethan B. Russo, eds. Cannabis and Cannabinoids: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutic Potential. Binghamton: Haworth, 2002. Print.
Hashibe, Mia, et al. “Marijuana Use and the Risk of Lung and Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancers: Results of a Population-Based Case-Control Study.” Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 15.10 (2006): 1829–34. Print.
Mackie, Ken. "Cannabinoid Receptors: Where They Are and What They Do." Here, There and Everywhere: The Endocannabinoid System. Ed. Roberto Vettor et al. Spec. issue of Journal of Neuroendocrinology 20.s1 (2008): 10–14. Print.
Mehra, Reena, et al. “The Association between Marijuana Smoking and Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review.” Archives of Internal Medicine 166.13 (2006): 1359–67. Print.
Russo, Ethan B., and Franjo Grotenhermen, eds. Handbook of Cannabis Therapeutics: From Bench to Bedside. Binghamton: Haworth, 2006. Print.
Weil, Andrew T., and Winifred Rosen. From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know about Mind-Altering Drugs. Rev. ed. New York: Houghton, 2004. Print.
No comments:
Post a Comment