BIOL 0170 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Cannabis Sativa, Endocannabinoid System, Anandamide
7 Nov 2016
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Document Summary
Israel is the marijuana research capital of the world. Marijuana is part of standard practice of medicine. Us classifies marijuana as a dangerous schedule i drug. First to isolate thc and cbd decades ago. 10k patients licensed to use it medicinally (pain, ptsd, cancer) Residents in nursing homes using marijuana for parkinson"s, pain, tremors, nightmares and depression. Smoking inside the hospital to ease nausea from chemotherapy. Early studies on mice show potential of marijuana to kill cancer cells (still inconclusive) Promote death of cancer cells that have forgotten how to die, as well as reduction in blood supply. Messengers help cells communicate, protect good ones and kill bad ones. Ns acquired new chemical: related in structure to chemical found in cannabis --> cannabinoids. Coincidence that cannabis acts on the cannabinoid receptors. Key to transformation: artificial environment, entire life cycle in 90 days. Precisely controlled amounts of nutrients, water, extremely bright light. Female marijuana plants produces resin that catches male pollen.
