title: Medical cannabis vs. synthetic cannabinoids: What does the future hold?
abstract: The medical use of cannabis has an intricate therapeutic history that finds its roots in ancient China (∼2700 BC). The main psychoactive component of cannabis, Δ(9) -tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ(9) -THC), was discovered in 1964. This was a significant breakthrough, as it allowed the generation of synthetic analogs of Δ(9) -THC, the discovery of cannabinoid receptors, and the generation of synthetic small molecules. Despite this, today there is still a paucity of drugs that target the cannabinoid system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Wolfson Link Bldg. 253, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland, U.K.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bolognini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D002186:Cannabinoids / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; D006801:Humans; D064086:Medical Marijuana / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000502:physiology; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2 / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D002186:Cannabinoids; D064086:Medical Marijuana; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1; D043885:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB2