Cannabis to be used for treatment of Bipolar Depression

Context

Researchers in Canada floated a new medical trial to examine whether cannabidiol could be used to treat bipolar depression.

About

• The cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa) has long been of hobby to psychiatrists for its perceived effects on mood and cognition.
• There is presently widespread research interest in the usage of hashish-based compounds to manage and/or treat schizophrenia, hashish-use and heroin-use disorders.

The Cannabis Plant and Its Compounds

• The principal psychotomimetic agent in C. Sativa is a compound referred to as delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
• There is developing interest in any other cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), which might also have antipsychotic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective residences.
• The plant’s flowering components are stronger than its leaves.

The Human Cannabinoid System

• It has cannabinoid receptors, known as CB1 and CB2.
• The naturally occuring substrate of the CB1 receptor is anandamide, a compound whose call comes from the Sanskrit phrase ‘ananda’, which means bliss.
• CB2 is found inside the spleen and testes and to a lesser extent inside the central nervous system (CNS).
• CB1 is determined diffusely at some stage in the CNS.

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

• It incorporates a dense network of chemical alerts and cell receptors. The cannabis plant works its impact via hijacking this machinery.
• The cannabinoid machine modulates a number of bodily functions, which include pain, memory, psychomotor control, sleep, and appetite.

Arguments Legalising Cannabis

• Economic Benefits: Legalising it can create new monetary opportunities and might generate tax revenue for the government via the sale and law of cannabis products. 
• Reduced Crime and Black Market: Legalisation can undermine the unlawful market for marijuana by providing a legal and regulated road for acquiring the substance.
  • It can potentially result in a lower in associated criminal activities and violence related to the unlawful drug trade.
• Medical Benefits: Many argue that marijuana has medicinal properties and may be used to relieve signs for various scientific conditions, including continual pain, epilepsy, and nausea associated with chemotherapy. 
• Less Health Risk while in comparison to Alcohol: WHO examine concluded that the general public health dangers from hashish use have been probably less intense than the ones posed with the aid of alcohol and tobacco, which are legal.

Arguments against using Cannabis

• Health Concerns: Some experts have warned that hashish use amongst younger humans can affect the development of the central nervous system, leading to a high risk of growing psychosis and schizophrenia.
  • Sustained use has also been linked to respiration disease and testicular cancer.
• Gateway to drug abuse: Cannabis has gone through genetic modifications to noticeably decorate its efficiency and addictive residences. Growers have deliberately reduced the stages of CBD (cannabidiol) while growing the tiers of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
  • This altered composition increases issues about its capacity to serve as a gateway drug, specifically for vulnerable individuals who may be prone to substance abuse.

Conclusion

• The exploration of medicinal cannabis is an unexpectedly evolving field with big potential for healing packages.
• However, it is also a field fraught with challenges, requiring careful navigation to ensure the safety and well-being of patients.

Source: The Hindu

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q.India’s proximity to the two of the world’s biggest illicit opium-growing states has enhanced her internal security concerns. Explain the linkages between drug trafficking and other illicit activities such as gunrunning, money laundering and human trafficking. What counter-measures should be taken to prevent the same? (2018)

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