background preloader

Tetrahydrocannabinol

Tetrahydrocannabinol
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or more precisely its main isomer (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol ( (6aR,10aR)-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), is the principal psychoactive constituent (or cannabinoid) of the cannabis plant. First isolated in 1964, in its pure form, by Israeli scientists Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni at the Weizmann Institute of Science,[8][9][10] it is a glassy solid when cold, and becomes viscous and sticky if warmed. A pharmaceutical formulation of (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, known by its INN dronabinol, is available by prescription in the U.S. and Canada under the brand name Marinol. An aromatic terpenoid, THC has a very low solubility in water, but good solubility in most organic solvents, specifically lipids and alcohols.[6] Tetrahydrocannabinol with double bond isomers and their stereoisomers is one of only three cannabinoids scheduled by Convention on Psychotropic Substances (the other two are dimethylheptylpyran and parahexyl). Pharmacology[edit]

Dimethyltryptamine History[edit] Another historical milestone is the discovery of DMT in plants frequently used by Amazonian natives as additive to the vine Banisteriopsis caapi to make ayahuasca decoctions. Biosynthesis[edit] Biosynthetic pathway for N,N-dimethyltryptamine This transmethylation mechanism has been repeatedly and consistently proven by radiolabeling of SAM methyl group with carbon-14 (14C-CH3)SAM).[22][20][24][25][26] Evidence in mammals[edit] In 2013, researchers first reported DMT in the pineal gland microdialysate of rodents.[28] A study published in 2014 reported the biosynthesis of N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in the human melanoma cell line SK-Mel-147 including details on its metabolism by peroxidases. [29] In a 2014 paper, a group first demonstrated the immunomodulatory potential of DMT and 5-MeO-DMT through the Sigma-1_receptor of human immune cells. INMT[edit] Endogenous DMT[edit] The first claimed detection of mammalian endogenous DMT was published in June 1965: German researchers F.

Tianeptine Antidepressant Tianeptine, sold under the brand names Stablon and Coaxil among others, is an atypical antidepressant which is used mainly in the treatment of major depressive disorder, although it may also be used to treat anxiety, asthma, and irritable bowel syndrome.[1][2][3] Tianeptine has antidepressant and anxiolytic effects[9] with a relative lack of sedative, anticholinergic, and cardiovascular side effects.[7][10] It has been found to act as an atypical agonist of the μ-opioid receptor with clinically negligible effects on the δ- and κ-opioid receptors.[11][12][13] Tianeptine was discovered and patented by the French Society of Medical Research in the 1960s. Medical uses[edit] Depression and anxiety[edit] Tianeptine has been found to be effective in depression, in people with Parkinson's disease,[19] and with post-traumatic stress disorder[20] for which it was as safe and effective as fluoxetine and moclobemide.[21] Other uses[edit] Contraindications[edit] Side effects[edit] The U.S.

Tetrahydrocannabinol Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the active chemical in cannabis and is one of the oldest hallucinogenic drugs known. There is evidence that cannabis extracts were used by the Chinese as a herbal remedy since the first century AD. Cannabis comes from the flowering tops and leaves of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa (shown in the picture on the right). Cannabis contains approximately 60 different psychoactive chemicals called cannabinoids, of which the most important one is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The cannabinoids belong to a class of chemicals called terpenoids, meaning terpene-like. THC as an Illegal Drug The cannabinoids are basically non-polar molecules, with low solubility in water, so they are normally self-administered by smoking. Medical Uses Apart from the recreational uses and abuses, THC does have some medical uses. References: Organic Chemistry, Morrison and Boyd (Allyn and Bacon, 1983).

Psilocybin Psilocybin[nb 1] (/ˌsɪləˈsaɪbɪn/ SIL-ə-SY-bin) is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound produced by more than 200 species of mushrooms, collectively known as psilocybin mushrooms. The most potent are members of the genus Psilocybe, such as P. azurescens, P. semilanceata, and P. cyanescens, but psilocybin has also been isolated from about a dozen other genera. As a prodrug, psilocybin is quickly converted by the body to psilocin, which has mind-altering effects similar (in some aspects) to those of LSD, mescaline, and DMT. In general, the effects include euphoria, visual and mental hallucinations, changes in perception, a distorted sense of time, and spiritual experiences, and can include possible adverse reactions such as nausea and panic attacks. History[edit] Early[edit] Modern[edit] Albert Hofmann (shown here in 1993) purified psilocybin and psilocin from Psilocybe mexicana in the late 1950s. Occurrence[edit]

Substituted phenylmorpholine Class of chemical compounds Substituted phenylmorpholines, or substituted phenmetrazines alternatively, are chemical derivatives of phenylmorpholine or of the psychostimulant drug phenmetrazine. Most such compounds act as releasers of monoamine neurotransmitters, and have stimulant effects. Various phenmetrazine derivatives The 2S,3S isomer of phendimetrazine (i.e. (2S,3S)-3,4-dimethyl-2-phenylmorpholine) See also[edit] References[edit] External links[edit] Media related to Substituted phenylmorpholines at Wikimedia Commons Cannabis Vault : Chemistry Cannabis Chemistryby Erowid THC Material Safety Data Sheet (Occupational Health Services) Lysergic acid diethylamide Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide (INN) and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed- and open-eye visuals, synesthesia, an altered sense of time and spiritual experiences, as well as for its key role in 1960s counterculture. It is used mainly as an entheogen, recreational drug, and as an agent in psychedelic therapy. LSD is non-addictive, is not known to cause brain damage, and has extremely low toxicity relative to dose.[3] However, acute adverse psychiatric reactions such as anxiety, paranoia, and delusions are possible.[4] LSD was first synthesized by Albert Hofmann in 1938 from ergotamine, a chemical derived by Arthur Stoll from ergot, a grain fungus that typically grows on rye. Effects Physical LSD can cause pupil dilation, reduced or increased appetite, and wakefulness. Psychological Sensory Potential uses

Toluene Chemical compound As the solvent in some types of paint thinner, permanent markers, contact cement and certain types of glue, toluene is sometimes used as a recreational inhalant[9] and has the potential of causing severe neurological harm.[10][11] History[edit] The compound was first isolated in 1837 through a distillation of pine oil by the Polish chemist Filip Walter, who named it rétinnaphte.[12] In 1841, French chemist Henri Étienne Sainte-Claire Deville isolated a hydrocarbon from balsam of Tolu (an aromatic extract from the tropical Colombian tree Myroxylon balsamum), which Deville recognized as similar to Walter's rétinnaphte and to benzene; hence he called the new hydrocarbon benzoène.[13] In 1843, Jöns Jacob Berzelius recommended the name toluin.[14] In 1850, French chemist Auguste Cahours isolated from a distillate of wood a hydrocarbon which he recognized as similar to Deville's benzoène and which Cahours named toluène.[15] Chemical properties[edit] Miscibility[edit] Uses[edit]

The Endocannabinoid System: An Osteopathic Perspective The endocannabinoid system was discovered long after the endorphin system, which was indirectly detected in 1801 when morphine sulfate was isolated from opium. Morphine's mechanism of action remained a mystery until the opioid μ receptor was identified. That discovery begged the question: Why do humans express a receptor for an opium poppy (Papavera somniferum) plant compound? In 1897, Andrew Taylor Still, MD, DO,2 the founder of osteopathic medicine, famously stated, “Man should study and use the drugs compounded in his own body.” Since then, research—particularly osteopathic medical research—has redirected its attention from the endorphin system to the endocannabinoid system.4-10 A search on the National Library of Medicine's PubMed database of endorphin in the 1992 literature, the year endocannabinoids were discovered, returns 596 citations, whereas endocannabinoid yields only two citations. Exogenous Cannabinoids Animal studies of THC began immediately after its discovery. Figure 1.

Melatonin Melatonin The hormone can be used as a sleep aid and in the treatment of sleep disorders. It can be taken orally as capsules, tablets, or liquid. It is also available in a form to be used sublingually, and there are transdermal patches. Discovery[edit] Biosynthesis[edit] Melatonin biosynthesis involves four enzymatic steps from the essential dietary amino acid tryptophan, which follows a serotonin pathway. In bacteria, protists, fungi, and plants melatonin is synthesized indirectly with tryptophan as an intermediate product of the shikimic acid pathway. Regulation[edit] In vertebrates, melatonin secretion is regulated by norepinephrine. It is principally blue light, around 460 to 480 nm, that suppresses melatonin,[24] proportional to the light intensity and length of exposure. Animals[edit] In vertebrates, melatonin is produced at nighttime by the pineal gland, a small endocrine gland[30] located in the center of the brain but outside the blood–brain barrier. Plants[edit] Functions[edit]

Speedball (drug) Combination of narcotics Cocaine powder Heroin powder "National Trends in Drug Abuse, Summer 1998, Special Section: Speedballing". Science for potheads: Why they love to get high Drug warriors have long tried to smear marijuana as a dangerous scourge, seeking to criminalize possession of a leaf they clearly do not understand. The key to comprehending its effects is by better grasping our physiology. Marijuana is not magic. Marijuana (botanical name, cannabis) affects the human body because the plant-based cannabinoids in marijuana, once ingested, can “plug into” the cannabinoid receptors that are used by the cannabinoids made by our own bodies. It’s not just people that have cannabinoid systems. Evolution has selected for cannabinoid systems, meaning once they emerged, they were retained, and broadly adopted. The cannabinoid receptor seems to have first appeared approximately 600 million years ago in sea squirts. A sea squirt is a tunicate, and tunicates contain a host of potentially useful chemical compounds that are effective against various types of cancer. Could that underlying mechanism allowing for “reprogramming” involve the cannabinoid system?

Related: