Pharmacohistory of Cannabis Use—A New Possibility in Future Drug Development for Gastrointestinal Diseases
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Published:2023-09-28
Issue:19
Volume:24
Page:14677
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ISSN:1422-0067
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Container-title:International Journal of Molecular Sciences
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language:en
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Short-container-title:IJMS
Author:
Thapa Dinesh1, Warne Leon N.12ORCID, Falasca Marco1ORCID
Affiliation:
1. Metabolic Signalling Group, Curtin Medical School, Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia 2. Little Green Pharma, West Perth, WA 6872, Australia
Abstract
Humans have employed cannabis for multiple uses including medicine, recreation, food, and fibre. The various components such as roots, flowers, seeds, and leaves have been utilized to alleviate pain, inflammation, anxiety, and gastrointestinal disorders like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). It has occupied a significant space in ethnomedicines across cultures and religions. Despite multi-dimensional uses, the global prohibition of cannabis by the USA through the introduction of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937 led to prejudice about the perceived risks of cannabis, overshadowing its medicinal potential. Nevertheless, the discovery of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive compound in cannabis, and the endocannabinoid system renewed scientific interest in understanding the role of cannabis in modulating different conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders. Preparations combining cannabidiol and THC have shown promise in mitigating gut symptoms through anti-inflammatory and motility-enhancing effects. This review revisits the ethnomedicinal use of cannabis in gastrointestinal diseases and emphasizes the need for further research to determine optimal dosages, formulations, and safety profiles of cannabis-based medicines. It also underscores the future potential of cannabinoid-based therapies by leveraging the role of the expanded endocannabinoid system, an endocannabinoidome, in the modulation of gastrointestinal ailments.
Funder
Little Green Pharma Ltd.
Subject
Inorganic Chemistry,Organic Chemistry,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry,Computer Science Applications,Spectroscopy,Molecular Biology,General Medicine,Catalysis
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