[Therapeutical use of the cannabinoids in psychiatry].
OBJECTIVE
To review the main advances related to the potential therapeutic use of cannabinoid compounds in psychiatry.


METHODS
A search was performed in the online databases PubMed, ScieELO, and Lilacs for studies and literature reviews concerning therapeutic applications of cannabinoids in psychiatry, especially cannabidiol, rimonabant, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, and their analogues.


RESULTS
Cannabidiol was found to have therapeutic potential with antipsychotic, anxiolytic, and antidepressant properties, in addition to being effective in other conditions. Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol and its analogues were shown to have anxiolytic effects in the treatment of cannabis dependence and to function as an adjuvant in the treatment of schizophrenia, although additional studies are necessary to support this finding. Rimonabant was effective in the treatment of the subjective and physiological symptoms of cannabis intoxication and functioned as an adjuvant in the treatment of tobacco addiction. The potential to induce adverse reactions such as depression and anxiety restrained the clinical use of this CB(1) antagonist.


CONCLUSIONS
Cannabinoids may be of great therapeutic interest to psychiatry; however, further controlled trials are necessary to confirm the existing findings and to establish the safety of such compounds.
Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil. jcrippa@fmrp.usp.br
José Alexandre S
JA
Crippa
Antonio Waldo
AW
Zuardi
Jaime E C
JE
Hallak
D000818:Animals; D002185:Cannabidiol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013759:Dronabinol / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077285:Rimonabant
D010880:Piperidines; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs; D011720:Pyrazoles; D002185:Cannabidiol; D013759:Dronabinol; D000077285:Rimonabant