Cannabis and Its Secondary Metabolites: Their Use as Therapeutic Drugs, Toxicological Aspects, and Analytical Determination

Abstract

Although the medicinal properties of Cannabis species have been known for centuries, the interest on its main active secondary metabolites as therapeutic alternatives for several pathologies has grown in recent years. This potential use has been a revolution worldwide concerning public health, production, use and sale of cannabis, and has led inclusively to legislation changes in some countries. The scientific advances and concerns of the scientific community have allowed a better understanding of cannabis derivatives as pharmacological options in several conditions, such as appetite stimulation, pain treatment, skin pathologies, anticonvulsant therapy, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases. However, there is some controversy regarding the legal and ethical implications of their use and routes of administration, also concerning the adverse health consequences and deaths attributed to marijuana consumption, and these represent some of the complexities associated with the use of these compounds as therapeutic drugs. This review comprehends the main secondary metabolites of Cannabis, approaching their therapeutic potential and applications, as well as their potential risks, in order to differentiate the consumption as recreational drugs. There will be also a focus on the analytical methodologies for their analysis, in order to aid health professionals and toxicologists in cases where these compounds are present.

Uncovering the hidden antibiotic potential of Cannabis

“…Cannabis plants are important herbaceous species that have been used in folk medicine since the dawn of times. Increasing scientific evidence is accumulating for the efficacy of its metabolites in the treatment, for example, of epilepsy, Parkinson disease, analgesia, multiple sclerosis, Tourette’s syndrome and other neurological diseases 5 . At a very nascent stage are investigations into the potential of cannabis metabolites as antibacterial therapies.…”

Protection from the Pathogenesis of Neurodegenerative Disorders, including Alzheimer’s Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Huntington’s Disease, and Parkinson’s Diseases, through the Mitigation of Reactive Oxygen Species

“…Cannabinoids have also been postulated as therapeutic options for ALS owing to their anti-in lammatory, antioxidant, and anti-excitotoxicity properties [221,222]. Cannabinoid sources include lax seeds, hemp oil, seeds, eggs, and anchovies [223].…”

Untitled

“…Invasive weeds are considered as significant threat to major crops as they compete with them and replace larger part of vegetation in any agro ecosystems (Agarwal, 2002). Despite of economic losses, many of these noxious weeds have numerous secondary metabolites of pharmaceutical importance (Gonçalves, 2019). It is well documented that 80% of world population is dependent on traditional medical health care system.…”