Cannabis Part II: Further Explication of Pros and Cons
A study published in the Society for the Study of Addiction’s journal tested behavioral effects of the cannabinoid agonist WIN on adult and pubertal rats. The study tested both long-term and short-term effects of the cannabinoid. As seen in the figure, the results showed that cannabinoid treatment on both pubertal and adult rats caused decreased percentages in object and social discrimination (Schneider et al., 2008). Therefore, it is clear that the cannabinoid has the ability to hinder social abilities as well as memory and recognition.
Percentages of Object and Social Discrimination, Vehicle Group vs. WIN Group, per trial.
Furthermore, a study published in the European Journal of Pharmacology analyzed the influence of pre-exposure to the cannabinoid agonist CP 55,940. In one of the experiments, “rats were pre-exposed to CP 55,940 or a vehicle for 14 days and were subsequently trained to self-administer morphine intravenously (1 mg/kg per lever press) for 14 days. Rats pre-exposed to CP 55,940 self-administered a significantly greater number of morphine infusions than vehicle pre-exposed rats” (Norwood, 2003). This information can be interpreted into the real world of drug use and show that cannabis can act as a gateway to other drug addiction.
Cannabis can also pose a hindrance to neurological health by affecting serotonin receptors. A study published in The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology examined the effects of long-term cannabis use on responsivity of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptors. These receptors have been shown to have links to depression. The experiment yielded “data [that] imply that chronic cannabinoid treatment may up-regulate 5-HT2A receptor activity while concurrently down-regulating 5-HT1A receptor activity, a finding similar to that sometimes observed in depression” (Hill, 2006).
Despite what seem to be overwhelmingly negative results about cannabis and its effects on health, there are some studies that show that cannabis has some useful and beneficial properties. For example, a study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology states that although cannabis has been associated with myocardial infarction, the cannabinoid HU-210 “prevented the drop in left-ventricular systolic pressure (HU-210: 1425 mm Hg; P<0.05 vs control: 1243mm Hg; and P<0.001 vs AM-251: 1143mmHg)” in rats with myocardial infarction. This study has the potential to disprove the idea that cannabis can cause myocardial infarction.
Furthermore, various cannabinoids are used to treat pain in patients who require strong pain relieving medications. A study published in the Society of Cannabis Clinicians’ Journal found that “inpatient adults with painful HIV neuropathy in 25 subjects in double-blind fashion to receive [who] either smoked cannabis as 3.56 % THC cigarettes or placebo cigarettes three times daily for 5 days (Table 18.1) … had a 34 % reduction in daily pain vs. 17 % in the placebo group (p = 0.03). The cannabis [group] also had 52 % of subjects report a >30 % reduction in pain scores over the 5 days vs. 24 % in the placebo group (p = 0.04) (Table 18.1)” (Russo, 2013). Therefore, cannabis also provides some benefits to people’s health by acting as a pain relief medication.
There is a very divided debate in the US about whether cannabis should be legal to sell and use. This is unsurprising considering the wide variety of studies published that discuss the health effects of cannabis. While many articles show that cannabis can adversely affect physiological health, some articles prove the health benefits of cannabis and show it to be a natural remedy for pain.
Works Cited
Norwood CS, Cornish JL, Mallet PE, et al. Pre-exposure to the cannabinoid receptor agonist CP 55,940 enhances morphine behavioral sensitization and alters morphine self-administration in Lewis rats. European Journal of Pharmacology. Vol 465, p 105-114. 2003.
Schneider M, Schömig E, Leweke FM. Acute and chronic cannabinoid treatment differentially affects recognition memory and social behavior in pubertal and adult rats. Society for the Study of Addiction: Addiction Biology Vol 13, p 345-357. 2008.
Wagner JA, Hu K, Karcher J, et al. CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonism promotes remodeling and cannabinoid treatment prevents endothelial dysfunction and hypotension in rats with myocardial infarction. British Journal of Pharmacology. Vol 138, p 1251-1258. 2003.
Hill MN, Sun JC, Tse MTL, et al. Altered responsiveness of serotonin receptor subtypes following long-term cannabinoid treatment. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology. Vol 9, p 277-286. 2005.
Russo EB, Hohmann AG. Role of Cannabinoids in Pain Management. Society of Cannabis Clinicians. Vol 18, p 181-197. 2013.
