What are Cannabinoids?

What are Cannabinoids?

What are Cannabinoids?

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Cannabinoids are a group of chemical substances that are found in the cannabis plant. They are just one type of chemical compound called cannabinoids, which can be isolated from natural sources or synthesized artificially. Cannabinoids have been studied for their potential therapeutic effects on many diseases and mental disorders such as cancer, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dystonia.

There is currently only one FDA-approved cannabinoid product: Dronabinol (Marinol) which is used to treat nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy treatments in people who have not responded to standard treatment with other medications.

Cannabis is available from many providers, including Canna-Express, 24/7 weed delivery in Mississauga.

How It Was Found?

Cannabinoids were first discovered in the 1940s when a team of scientists at British pharmaceutical company, GW Pharmaceuticals, were studying cannabis extracts to see if they could treat malaria. They isolated an active compound from cannabis and named it “cannabidiol” (CBD). In the 1960s, another cannabinoid was discovered and named “tetrahydrocannabinol” (THC). THC is the main psychoactive component of cannabis and is responsible for its characteristic high.

What Are The Types Of Cannabinoids?

There are more than 100 different cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, but only a few have been studied in depth. The most well-known cannabinoids are THC and CBD. Other examples include CBC, CBG, THCA, THCV, cannabicyclol (CBL), cannabinol (CBN) among others.

Benefits of Cannabinoids

Cannabinoids have been shown to have a range of potential therapeutic benefits, including:

  • Reducing inflammation
  • Treating chronic pain
  • Preventing seizures in people with epilepsy
  • Helping improve sleep quality
  • Reducing anxiety and depression symptoms
  • Stimulating appetite in people with cancer or HIV/AIDS

Besides these, cannabinoids have a lot of other benefits which are currently being studied. The cannabis research has taken a significant place in the medical industry and in recent years, the interest in cannabinoids has significantly increased.

Disadvantages of Cannabinoids

Even though research on cannabis and its compounds is growing, many disadvantages hamper further development of cannabinoid-based medicines:

  • Cannabinoid drug products approved for medical use by FDA have not been tested against placebo or standard treatments; this needs to be done in order to determine their effectiveness
  • There are no standardized formulations for cannabinoid drugs which makes it difficult to compare the results of different studies. This is because cannabis contains more than 100 cannabinoids and each compound has a distinct effect on people taking them. For example, THC could increase appetite but CBD might reduce nausea
  • Cannabinoids can interact with other medications that a person takes, which could lead to adverse effects
  • People who take cannabinoid drugs for medical reasons might develop tolerance to them and require higher doses to achieve the same effect. This could also increase the risk of addiction
  • The long-term effects of cannabinoids are still unknown. More research is needed to determine if they are safe and effective for long-term use

Cannabinoids can also have some drawbacks, including:

  • Producing psychoactive effects (e.g. feeling high)
  • Interfering with other medications
  • Can be addictive for some people
  • May cause nausea and vomiting
  • May increase heart rate
  • Can impair cognitive function

All of these disadvantages need to be taken into account before cannabinoids can become a mainstream treatment option. However, the potential benefits of cannabinoids seem to outweigh the risks, which is why further research is warranted.

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