Overview of cannabinoids with particular attention on the legal concerns, pharmacology, phytochemistry and its medicinal potential

Abstract

Due to the fast growing interest in marijuana (cannabis) research and its medicinal potential, the cannabidiol business is expected to reach $20 billion in sales by 2024. Marijuana has been used therapeutically for thousands of years. Additionally, with the discovery of the human endocannabinoid system and the identification of the molecular structures of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the medicinal potential of cannabinoids has been examined more thoroughly. The purpose of this paper is to address many aspects of cannabis, including its botanical characteristics, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic parameters, and legal status. Articles were reviewed that were published in English literature reporting on cannabis and cannabinoid pharmacology, legal aspects, current scenario, and the articles reported activity of cannabidiol on different biological targets. The human data presented herein regarding the possible medicinal benefits and hazards of cannabis is limited to unprocessed, botanical cannabis, not isolated cannabinoids, some of which are medically recognised. Numerous research are currently underway to determine the function of cannabis in the treatment of a variety of ailments. The availability of various cannabis-based products may result in exposure to a variety of adverse consequences. Over the previous half-century, much information has been learned and the effects of marijuana and its cannabinoid components have been extensively researched in both non-medical and medicinal contexts. In 1964, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) was isolated from the cannabis plant as the primary psychoactive cannabinoid. Marijuana and synthetic cannabinoids have grown to be the most extensively used illegal narcotics in the world, and they are classified as drugs of abuse in the majority of nations. Chronic back pain, epilepsy, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder are all treated with marijuana. By considering the legal implications, medicinal potential, and probability of abuse, we find that it is difficult to sustain marijuana's legitimacy.