| Summary: | Cannabis has been used medicinally and recreationally for several centuries, commonly in the form of the plant's dried leaf/flower ("marijuana"). Δ9- Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis and is prescribed as a pharmaceutical (Dronabinol®) to stimulate appetite in AIDS patients, and to treat nausea and vomiting for patients undergoing chemotherapy. Δ9-THC is also under clinical investigation as an agonist-based therapy to combat
cannabis dependence and addiction. Nabilone® is a synthetic Δ9-THC analog sold as a prescription medication for treating emesis and as an analgesic for neuropathic pain. However, Dronabinol® and Nabilone® therapies suffer from several drawbacks, including unpredictable duration of action, poor bioavailability, and variable efficacy and detoxification, primarily due to high lipophilicity and the production of pharmacologically active metabolites after metabolic
biotransformation.
|
|---|
