Barbara Dawson

Beginners And Dummies Guide To Cannabis Chemistry Barbara Dawson

In r???nt years, th?r?'? been an ?n?r???? in the numb?r ?f media reports on users of ??nth?t?? cannabinoids. Commonly r?f?rr?d t? b? n?m?? ?u?h as 'S????' ?r 'K2', th? most recent r???rt?d case ?nv?lv?d f?v? UK ?tud?nt? being hospitalised ?ft?r use. But what ?r? th? chemicals ?r???nt ?n '?????' and similar drug?, and wh?t ?r? the chemical ??m??und? ?n cannabis th?t they aim t? mimic? That's wh?t this gr??h?? ?nd ???t attempt t? ?n?w?r. Let's ?t?rt w?th ??nn?b??. C?nn?b?? ??nt??n? a l?rg? number ?f ??m??und? kn?wn ?? '??nn?b?n??d?'. Th??? ?r? ?r?du??d n?tur?ll? by th? plant, and th? most ?m??rt?nt ?? tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. Th?? ?? th? major ??m??und ?n ??nn?b?? r????n??bl? f?r the drug'? ?ff??t?. The ??nn?b?n??d? ?n ??nn?b?? target th? cannabinoid r????t?r?; th??? ??m? ?n tw? v?r??t???, CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 r????t?r? ?r? f?und ?r?m?r?l? in th? br??n, ?nd it's the ?nt?r??t??n ?f ??nn?b?n??d? w?th th??? r????t?r? that ?? responsible for psychological effects. The CB2 r????t?r? ?r? f?und m??nl? ?n the ?mmun? ???t?m, and are ??rtl? r????n??bl? f?r th? ?nt?-?nfl?mm?t?r? ?nd potential m?d???n?l b?n?f?t? ?f cannabis (th?ugh ?n ??m? ?????, th??? ?r? also du? t? interaction with CB1 r????t?r?). Wh? do we ?v?n h?v? r????t?r? that the ?h?m???l? ?n ??nn?b?? are capable ?f activating? Th? ??nn?b?n??d r????t?r? ?r? usually ??t?v?t?d b? wh?t ?r? kn?wn as 'endogenous ??nn?b?n??d?' - ?n ?th?r w?rd?, ??nn?b?n??d ?h?m???l? we produce in ?ur bodies. On? ?f th??? ?? ?n?nd?m?d?, a neurotransmitter wh??h has a numb?r ?f roles, including ?n ???n, appetite, and m?m?r?. Research ?nt? th? r?l?? ?f endogenous ??nn?b?n??d? ?? ?t?ll ??nt?nu?ng - they w?r? only discovered ?ft?r investigation ?nt? th? ?ff??t? of THC in th? body, h?n?? wh? the ?l??? ?f chemicals and the r????t?r? ?r? n?m?d after ??nn?b??. S?nth?t?? ??nn?b?n??d? ?r? a ?l??? ?f ??m??und? originally ??nth?????d t? further ?nv??t?g?t? ??nn?b?n??d receptors, and th? potential m?d???n?l benefits ?f cannabis. N?n? ?f th?m ?r? f?und n?tur?ll? ?n ??nn?b?? - th?? are ?ll the ?r?du?t ?f laboratory synthesis. Work ?n th?m b?g?n in th? 1970?, ?nd ?n?t??ll? they were structurally similar t? THC. H?w?v?r, ??n?? then, a w?d? variety ?f ??m??und? with ?tru?tur?? mu?h different from th?t ?f THC h?v? been synthesised. What th?? d? ?ll h?v? ?n ??mm?n is their interaction w?th ??nn?b?n??d r????t?r?.