cannabis sativa

CNS Depressant Drug

Cannabis plan

Origin: dried flowering or fruiting tops of pistillate plant of cannabis sativa family cannabinaceae

·         Female plant: has thread like style with mushroom like glandular hair.

·         Male plant: has oval pollen sac &contain low % of cannabinoids than female &used for twin fibers.

Chemical constituents:     

About 500 compounds are separated from cannabis plant but only 86 compounds are cannabinoids.

Cannabinoids: they are group of (c₂₁) typically and present in cannabis sativa, and their carboxyllic and their transformed products.

Cannabinoids belongs to class of terpenophenols, dibenzopyran with n-pentyl side chain

Cannabinoids of forensic signficans:

·         Tetrahydro cannabinol (THC): responsible for most activity of normal (old fashion) cannabis and has viscous oil properties

·         Cannabinol (CBN) : it is dibenzopyran compound, solid compound.

·         Cannabidiol (CBD) : diphenolic compound,no psyco-activity and used for treatment of myosclerosis.

Pharmacological effect :

·         It cause mild hallucination followed by CNS Depression (sedative, hypnotic) and deterioration of muscle co-ordination (ataxia).

Medicinal uses:

·         Cannabis was used as sedative, analgesic and for treatment of obesity.

·         Terahydro cannabinol (THC) is used as anti-emetic drug.

·         Dronabinol, marinol andnabilone are synthetic (THC) products used as anti-emetic drugs in patient receiving cancer chemotherapy.

·         Terahydro cannabinol (THC) is used as appetite stimulant in patients of HIV.