Weed Science: Cannabis Controversies and Challenges

Cover
Weed Science:
Cannabis Controversies and Challenges
Copyright
Dedication
About the author
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1 - Introduction
	Beginnings
	Reference
Chapter 2 - Good science and bad science
	Good science, bad science, and how scientific data can be reframed
		Does Marijuana cause psychosis?
	References
Chapter 3 - Holi
	References
Chapter 4 - Ethnobotany, botany, and archaeology
	What is Cannabis? What’s the difference between cannabis and hemp, how do we classify them, and why does it matter?
	Where and when in the Earth’s history did cannabis first emerge as a distinct plant?
	When did the Cannabis plant translate into human agriculture?
	When and where was cannabis first used for its mind-altering properties?
	How do we classify different kinds of cannabis plants?
	References
Chapter 5 - Neuroscience
	How the brain works
	What is the endocannabinoid system?
		How was the ECS discovered?
		How early did cannabinoid receptors originate in evolution?
		What are some broad properties of ECS components?
		How did people figure out what the ECS and its components do?
	Molecular studies of receptor structures
		Measuring human CB1 receptors with PET scans
		What body functions is the ECS responsible for?
		Brain development, brain maintenance, and beyond
		Reward circuits
		Memory
		Stress, anxiety, and mood
		Other organ systems
		The immune system and inflammation
		Cannabinoid activity via receptors outside of the conventional ECS (and in Scotland)
	How do THC, CBD, and other plant cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system?
		What are synthetic cannabinoids?
	Cannabidiol, the “Cure-All.”
	Is CBD an effective drug, and if so for what conditions? And what about all those other health claims?
		CBD’s mechanism of action
		Cannabidiol and pain
		CBD interactions with THC
		Can CBD get you high?
	Revelation number two: why the ECS turns out to be different than our initial expectations
	How are psychopharmacologist and pharmaceutical companies trying to build new endocannabinoid-related drugs?
	References
Chapter 6 - Psychology + human behavior
	Abstract
	Keywords
	An introduction to intoxication
	What are motivations for peoples’ use of cannabis?
		Purposeful controlled recreational intoxication
		Recreational use taken to an extreme
		Specific use to heighten perception to explore one’s internal world and to increase creativity
		Medical use
		Misguided self-prescribed psychotherapy
	The subjective experience of being stoned
		Expectations and placebo effects
		Inter-individual biological differences
		Experience with the drug
		Touch, temperature, and taste
		Space and time
		Paranormal phenomena such as ESP
		Bodily experiences
		Social interaction
		Sexuality
		Cognitive processes: memory
		Cognitive processes: thought
		Emotions
		Control of intoxication
		Identity and spiritual experiences
		Sleep and dreams
		After-effects and miscellaneous effects
		Dose-related effects
	Can neuroscience explain cannabis acute effects?
		Control of intoxication
	References
Chapter 7 - Epidemiology
	How many people are using cannabis regularly, what percent of adults and teens and for what reasons?
	Schizophrenia: epidemiologic studies
	Does using cannabis lower your IQ?
	Are medical marijuana laws associated with changes in either nonmedical prescription opioid use or prescription opioid use ...
	Does opening a marijuana dispensary affect crime rates?
	What are trends in terms of type of use?
	Who is at risk for cannabis use disorder (CUD)?
	References
Chapter 8 - Toxicology
	What are some major concerns regarding health effects of cannabis to the user, and to other people?
		Automobile driving
	Psychosis and delirium
		Delirium
		Short-lived, acute psychosis
		Acute, persisting psychotic state
	Chronic psychosis resembling schizophrenia
		Acute human laboratory challenge studies
	How might THC cause psychosis?
		Dual diagnosis patients
	Schizophrenia treatment trials with cannabidiol (CBD)
	Are there biological differences in individuals with psychosis who have histories of significant adolescent cannabis use?
		How do we define “abuse,” “dependence,” and “substance use disorder?”
		Disordered use, dependence, and addiction
	More on Structural and functional brain imaging consequences of cannabis use
		Long-term effects of cannabis use
	Long-term effects of youthful cannabis use in older adults
	Pregnancy effects
	How dangerous is cannabis overall as a recreational substance? And how do its risks compare to those of other recreational ...
	References
Chapter 9 - Chemistry, chemical analysis, and extraction. Terpenes to tinctures
	Chemovars
	Meet the terpenes
	Where and how are cannabinoids and terpenes synthesized in the cannabis plant?
	Terpene chemistry
	What are behavioral effects of terpenes in humans?
	Cannabis concentrates
	References
Chapter 10 - Medical marijuana and clinical trials
	Conceptual difficulties
	Studies with cannabidiol
	What’s the evidence for utility of medical cannabis in other conditions?
		Currently available legal cannabinoid drugs and their indications
	What are the arguments against using medical marijuana?
	Recommendations
	References
Chapter 11 - Economics
	Where are things headed?
	Who may benefit financially from marijuana legalization, and who may potentially lose out?
		What is likely to happen to cannabis prices over time?
	Is youth marketing of cannabis in our future?
		Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)
		It’s all about marketing
	What are some of the procedural hurdles to be overcome?
	What are some alternative possibilities?
	References
Chapter 12 - Summary
	Set age limits on cannabis sales
	Limit drug potency
	Reduce cannabis consumption rates
	Improve product quality and ensure uniformity and safety
	Dispensaries and point of sale procedures. License budtenders and cap retail cannabis outlets
		Appropriate product pricing
		Teaching teens using facts and avoiding inappropriate scare tactics; providing education that works
	Can we identify individuals at high-risk for psychosis, and prevent them from using cannabis?
		Reducing marijuana-impaired driving
	Changing drug laws and drug policies
	Testing for drugs in the workplace, following legalization
	What are the research issues of the future?
		Prolonged use of concentrates
		Risks of illicit vaping
	New sources of cannabis and cannabinoids
	The future of medical marijuana
	What can we learn from Canada’s experience?
	References
Index
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