Klin Farmakol Farm. 2024;38(4):156-160 | DOI: 10.36290/far.2024.024

Molecular mechanisms and pharmacology of cannabinoids: from theory to practice

Marek Lapka
Ústav farmakologie, 3. lékařské fakulty Univerzity Karlovy, Praha

Cannabinoids, active compounds of the Cannabis plant, influence a wide range of physiological processes through the endocannabinoid system, comprising CB1 a CB2 receptors, endogenous ligands, and regulatory enzymes. This review summarizes the mechanisms of action of phytocannabinoids, synthetic cannabinoids, and endo­cannabinoids, including their pharmacological properties, therapeutic potential, and associated risks. The article also discusses the toxicity of synthetic cannabinoids, highlighting the public health threat posed by their recreational use. Finally, it explores current clinical applications of cannabinoids, particularly in the treatment of pain, nausea, and neurological disorders.

Keywords: cannabinoids, endocannabinoid system, CB1 a CB2 receptors, synthetic cannabinoids, therapeutic applications.

Accepted: January 23, 2025; Published: February 4, 2025  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Lapka M. Molecular mechanisms and pharmacology of cannabinoids: from theory to practice. Klin Farmakol Farm. 2024;38(4):156-160. doi: 10.36290/far.2024.024.
Download citation

References

  1. Clarke RC, Merlin MD. Cannabis: Evolution and Ethnobotany [Internet]. 1st ed. University of California Press; 2013 cit. 25-11-2024. Available from: https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/j.ctt3fh2f8.
  2. Okazaki H, Kobayashi M, Momohara A, et al. Early Holocene coastal environment change inferred from deposits at Okinoshima archeological site, Boso Peninsula, central Japan. Quaternary International. 2011;230(1):87-94. Go to original source...
  3. Pisanti S, Bifulco M. Medical Cannabis: A plurimillennial history of an evergreen. J Cell Physiol. 2019;234(6):8342-8351. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  4. WHO review of cannabis and cannabis-related substances [Internet]. cit. 25-11-2024. Available from: https://www.who.int/teams/health-product-and-policy-standards/controlled-substances/who-review-of-cannabis-and-cannabis-related-substances.
  5. Wakeford AGP, Wetzell BB, Pomfrey RL, et al. The effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) self-administration in male and female Long-Evans rats. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol. 2017;25(4):242-248. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  6. Zangen A, Solinas M, Ikemoto S, Goldberg SR, Wise RA. Two Brain Sites for Cannabinoid Reward. J Neurosci. 2006;26(18):4901-4907. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  7. Mendizábal V, Zimmer A, Maldonado R. Involvement of kappa/dynorphin system in WIN 55,212-2 self-administration in mice. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2006;31(9):1957-1966. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  8. John WS, Martin TJ, Nader MA. Behavioral Determinants of Cannabinoid Self-Administration in Old World Monkeys. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017;42(7):1522-1530. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  9. Hempel BJ, Wakeford AGP, Clasen MM, et al. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) history fails to affect THC's ability to induce place preferences in rats. Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior. 2016;144:1-6. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  10. Tanda G. Preclinical studies on the reinforcing effects of cannabinoids. A tribute to the scientific research of Dr. Steve Goldberg. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2016;233(10):1845-1866. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  11. ElSohly MA, Radwan MM, Gul W, et al. Phytochemistry of Cannabis sativa L. In: Kinghorn AD, Falk H, Gibbons S, Kobayashi J, editors. Phytocannabinoids: Unraveling the Complex Chemistry and Pharmacology of Cannabis sativa [Internet]. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2017. cit. 25-11-2024. p. 1-36. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45541-9_1. Go to original source...
  12. Flores-Sanchez IJ, Verpoorte R. Secondary metabolism in cannabis. Phytochem Rev. 2008;7(3):615-639. Go to original source...
  13. Sugiura T, Kondo S, Sukagawa A, et al. 2-Arachidonoylgylcerol: A Possible Endogenous Cannabinoid Receptor Ligand in Brain. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications. 1995;215(1):89-97. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  14. Wiley JL, Marusich JA, Thomas BF. Combination Chemistry: Structure-Activity Relationships of Novel Psychoactive Cannabinoids. Curr Top Behav Neurosci. 2017;32:231-248. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  15. Gerostamoulos D, Drummer OH, Woodford NW. Deaths linked to synthetic cannabinoids. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2015;11(3):478-478. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  16. Grim TW, Morales AJ, Gonek MM, et al. Stratification of Cannabinoid 1 Receptor (CB1R) Agonist Efficacy: Manipulation of CB1R Density through Use of Transgenic Mice Reveals Congruence between In Vivo and In Vitro Assays. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2016;359(2):329-339. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  17. Blankman JL, Simon GM, Cravatt BF. A comprehensive profile of brain enzymes that hydrolyze the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol. Chem Biol. 2007;14(12):1347-1356. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  18. Schurman LD, Lu D, Kendall DA, et al. Molecular Mechanism and Cannabinoid Pharmacology. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2020;258:323-353. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  19. Pertwee RG. Endocannabinoids and Their Pharmacological Actions. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2015;231:1-37. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  20. Buckley NE, McCoy KL, Mezey E, et al. Immunomodulation by cannabinoids is absent in mice deficient for the cannabinoid CB(2) receptor. Eur J Pharmacol. 2000;396(2-3):141-149. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  21. Howlett AC, Johnson MR, Melvin LS, et al. Nonclassical cannabinoid analgetics inhibit adenylate cyclase: development of a cannabinoid receptor model. Mol Pharmacol. 1988;33(3):297-302. Go to original source...
  22. Houston DB, Howlett AC. Solubilization of the cannabinoid receptor from rat brain and its functional interaction with guanine nucleotide-binding proteins. Mol Pharmacol. 1993;43(1):17-22. Go to original source...
  23. Mukhopadhyay S, Howlett AC. Chemically distinct ligands promote differential CB1 cannabinoid receptor-Gi protein interactions. Mol Pharmacol. 2005;67(6):2016-2024. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  24. Lu HC, Mackie K. An Introduction to the Endogenous Cannabinoid System. Biol Psychiatry. 2016;79(7):516-525. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  25. Maccarrone M, Guzmán M, Mackie K, et al. Programming of neural cells by (endo)cannabinoids: from physiological rules to emerging therapies. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2014;15(12):786-801. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  26. Araque A, Castillo PE, Manzoni OJ, et al. Synaptic functions of endocannabinoid signaling in health and disease. Neuropharmacology. 2017;124:13-24. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  27. Chen X, Zheng C, Qian J, et al. Involvement of β-arrestin-2 and clathrin in agonist-mediated internalization of the human cannabinoid CB2 receptor. Curr Mol Pharmacol. 2014;7(1):67-80. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  28. Nogueras-Ortiz C, Yudowski GA. The Multiple Waves of Cannabinoid 1 Receptor Signaling. Mol Pharmacol. 2016;90(5):620-626. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  29. Mahavadi S, Sriwai W, Huang J, et al. Inhibitory signaling by CB1 receptors in smooth muscle mediated by GRK5/β-arrestin activation of ERK1/2 and Src kinase. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2014;306(6):G535-545. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  30. Puighermanal E, Marsicano G, Busquets-Garcia A, et al. Cannabinoid modulation of hippocampal long-term memory is mediated by mTOR signaling. Nat Neurosci. 2009;12(9):1152-1158. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  31. Bénard G, Massa F, Puente N, et al. Mitochondrial CB₁ receptors regulate neuronal energy metabolism. Nat Neurosci. 2012;15(4):558-564. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  32. Oliveira da Cruz JF, Robin LM, Drago F, et al. Astroglial type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1): A new player in the tripartite synapse. Neuroscience. 2016;323:35-42. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  33. Ilyasov AA, Milligan CE, Pharr EP, et al. The Endocannabinoid System and Oligodendrocytes in Health and Disease. Front Neurosci. 2018;12:733. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  34. Galiègue S, Mary S, Marchand J, et al. Expression of central and peripheral cannabinoid receptors in human immune tissues and leukocyte subpopulations. Eur J Biochem. 1995;232(1):54-61. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  35. Pacher P, Bátkai S, Kunos G. The endocannabinoid system as an emerging target of pharmacotherapy. Pharmacol Rev. 2006;58(3):389-462. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  36. Cridge BJ, Rosengren RJ. Critical appraisal of the potential use of cannabinoids in cancer management. Cancer Manag Res. 2013;5:301-313. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  37. Laprairie RB, Bagher AM, Kelly MEM, et al. Cannabidiol is a negative allosteric modulator of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor. Br J Pharmacol. 2015;172(20):4790-4805. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  38. Slivicki RA, Xu Z, Kulkarni PM, et al. Positive Allosteric Modulation of Cannabinoid Receptor Type 1 Suppresses Pathological Pain Without Producing Tolerance or Dependence. Biol Psychiatry. 2018;84(10):722-733. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  39. Munro S, Thomas KL, Abu-Shaar M. Molecular characterization of a peripheral receptor for cannabinoids. Nature. 1993;365(6441):61-65. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  40. Soethoudt M, Grether U, Fingerle J, et al. Cannabinoid CB2 receptor ligand profiling reveals biased signalling and off-target activity. Nat Commun. 2017;8:13958. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  41. Aghazadeh Tabrizi M, Baraldi PG, Borea PA, et al. Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Potential Therapeutic Benefits of Cannabinoid CB2 Receptor Agonists. Chem Rev. 2016;116(2):519-560. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  42. Mackie K. Mechanisms of CB1 receptor signaling: endocannabinoid modulation of synaptic strength. Int J Obes (Lond). 2006;30 Suppl 1:S19-23. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  43. Kondo S, Kondo H, Nakane S, et al. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol, an endogenous cannabinoid receptor agonist: identification as one of the major species of monoacylglycerols in various rat tissues, and evidence for its generation through CA2+-dependent and -independent mechanisms. FEBS Lett. 1998;429(2):152-156. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  44. Vujanovic V, Korber DR, Vujanovic S, et al. Scientific Prospects for Cannabis-Microbiome Research to Ensure Quali­ty and Safety of Products. Microorganisms. 2020;8(2):290. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  45. Dryburgh LM, Bolan NS, Grof CPL, et al. Cannabis contaminants: sources, distribution, human toxicity and pharmacologic effects. Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2018;84(11):2468-2476. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  46. Amendola G, Bocca B, Picardo V, et al. Toxicological aspects of cannabinoid, pesticide and metal levels detected in light Cannabis inflorescences grown in Italy. Food Chem Toxicol. 2021;156:112447. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  47. Taylor A, Birkett JW. Pesticides in cannabis: A review of analytical and toxicological considerations. Drug Test Anal. 2020;12(2):180-190. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  48. Volkow ND, Weiss SRB. Importance of a standard unit dose for cannabis research. Addiction. 2020;115(7): 1219-1221. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  49. McDonagh MS, Morasco BJ, Wagner J, et al. Cannabis-Based Products for Chronic Pain : A Systematic Review. Ann Intern Med. 2022;175(8):1143-1153. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  50. Whiting PF, Wolff RF, Deshpande S, et al. Cannabinoids for Medical Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2015;313(24):2456-2473. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  51. Boehnke KF, Gangopadhyay S, Clauw DJ, et al. Qualifying Conditions Of Medical Cannabis License Holders In The Uni­ted States. Health Aff (Millwood). 2019;38(2):295-302. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  52. Slawek DE, Curtis SA, Arnsten JH, et al. Clinical Approaches to Cannabis: A Narrative Review. Med Clin North Am. 2022;106(1):131-152. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  53. Fraser GA. The use of a synthetic cannabinoid in the management of treatment-resistant nightmares in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CNS Neurosci Ther. 2009;15(1):84-88. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  54. Jetly R, Heber A, Fraser G, et al. The efficacy of nabilone, a synthetic cannabinoid, in the treatment of PTSD-associa­ted nightmares: A preliminary randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design study. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2015;51:585-588. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  55. Cameron C, Watson D, Robinson J. Use of a synthetic cannabinoid in a correctional population for posttraumatic stress disorder-related insomnia and nightmares, chronic pain, harm reduction, and other indications: a retrospective evaluation. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014;34(5):559-564. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  56. Doppen M, Kung S, Maijers I, et al. Cannabis in Palliative Care: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2022;64(5):e260-284. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
  57. MacDonald E, Farrah K. Medical Cannabis Use in Palliative Care: Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines - An Update [Internet]. Ottawa (ON): Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; 2019. cit. 29-11-2024. (CADTH Rapid Response Reports). Available from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551867/.
  58. Hammond S, Erridge S, Mangal N, et al. The Effect of Cannabis-Based Medicine in the Treatment of Cachexia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res. 2021;6(6):474-487. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...




Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacy

Madam, Sir,
please be aware that the website on which you intend to enter, not the general public because it contains technical information about medicines, including advertisements relating to medicinal products. This information and communication professionals are solely under §2 of the Act n.40/1995 Coll. Is active persons authorized to prescribe or supply (hereinafter expert).
Take note that if you are not an expert, you run the risk of danger to their health or the health of other persons, if you the obtained information improperly understood or interpreted, and especially advertising which may be part of this site, or whether you used it for self-diagnosis or medical treatment, whether in relation to each other in person or in relation to others.

I declare:

  1. that I have met the above instruction
  2. I'm an expert within the meaning of the Act n.40/1995 Coll. the regulation of advertising, as amended, and I am aware of the risks that would be a person other than the expert input to these sites exhibited


No

Yes

If your statement is not true, please be aware
that brings the risk of danger to their health or the health of others.