Cannabis: Current Trends and Research Emily Leuer January 21, 2020 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Cannabis: Current Trends and Research

Emily Leuer January 21, 2020

Agenda

• Vireo Health Overview
• Cannabis: Hemp vs Marijuana
• Minnesota Medical Marijuana
• How Cannabis Interacts with the Human Body
• Cannabinoids
• Terpenes
• Formulating with Cannabis

Vireo Health Overview

Vireo Health

• On track to be in 11 states
• Minnesota Medical Solutions
• Pennsylvania Medical Solutions
• Maryland: MaryMed
• Ohio Medical Solutions
• Vireo New York
• Rhode Island, Arizona, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, & Puerto Rico
• Headquartered in Minneapolis
• For more information: https://vireohealth.com/

Cannabis: Hemp vs Marijuana

Hemp vs Marijuana

• 2018 Farm Bill legalized farming of industrial hemp
• Surge of CBD products since the change
• Biologically, they are the same plant
• Hemp: ≤ 0.3% THC (dry basis)
• Marijuana: > 0.3% THC
• Typically 5-20% THC

FDA Stance on CBD

• “It is currently illegal to market CBD by adding it to food or labeling it

as a dietary supplement”

• “Some CBD products are being marketed with unproven medical

claims and could produced with unsafe manufacturing processes”

• For more information:
• https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-

cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd

• Or, Google FDA and CBD

Medical Marijuana Products

• Testing protocol varies by state, but in general, medical products are

tested for the following:

• Potency
• %THC, %CBD
• Heavy Metals
• Arsenic, lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium
• Pesticides
• Residual solvents
• Ethanol, hexane, pentane
• Microbials
• Salmonella, coliform, yeast, mold, aerobic bacteria, gram negative bacteria

Minnesota Medical Marijuana

Qualifying Conditions

Changes to MN MMJ in August, 2020

• New delivery methods
• Water-soluble cannabis powder
• Orally dissolvable lozenges and mints
• New qualifying conditions
• Chronic pain
• Macular degeneration
• More dispensaries
• Vireo: Woodbury, Blaine, Burnsville, Duluth
• Leafline: Willmar, Mankato, Golden Valley, Rogers

How Cannabis Interacts with the Human Body

Endocannabinoid System

• The human endocannabinoid system was discovered in the 1990s
• The endocannabinoid system exists to retain homeostasis
• The endocannabinoid system is very old (500 MM years +) and exists

in all vertebrates

• Receptors were originally thought to only exist in the brain but have

since been discovered throughout the body

• Muscle, organs, blood vessels
• Plays a role in many processes
• Sleep, stress, pain, mood, immunity, appetite, memory

Source: UCLA Health Cannabis Research Initiative

Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System

• Different cannabinoids bind with different endocannabinoid receptors
• THC works similarly to a neurotransmitter naturally produced in the human

body call anandamide

• Both THC and anandamide interact with CB1 receptors
• Anandamide may also affect pain and provide a sense of euphoria
• May be responsible for “runner’s high”
• Endorphins cannot cross the blood-brain barrier whereas anandamide can
• Also found in chocolate
• There are potentially over one hundred cannabinoids in marijuana and
• ver three hundred terpenes, each of which may interact individually

within the human body or synergistically (aka the entourage effect)

Cannabinoids

Sources for this section: Leafly.com Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few Promising Leads, E.B. Russo& J. Marcu, 2017

Acid Form vs Neutral Form

THCA – Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid

• Does not produce euphoric effects
• Preliminary research shows….
• Anti-inflammatory properties
• Neuroprotective
• Anti-emetic properties

THC: Tetrahydrocannabinol

• Does produce euphoric effects
• Interacts with CB1 and CB2 receptors
• Short-term effects from THC
• Relaxation, sedation, pain relief, memory impairment, hunger, anxiety
• Currently used as treatment for:
• Nausea, appetite loss, insomnia, pain management, etc
• Studies show it may have 20x the anti-inflammatory power of aspirin

and 2x hydrocortisone

CBDA – Cannabidiolic Acid

• A study in 2008 showed CBDA may act as a COX-2 inhibitor
• May be able to be used as a substitute for NSAIDs
• May have better bioavailability than CBD
• May have anti-convulsant properties
• May have anti-depressant properties

CBD: Cannabidiol

• Low affinity for CB receptors but may possess CB1 and CB2 independent

mechanisms

• Shown to have anticonvulsive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and

antipsychotic effects.

• Currently used to treat the following:
• Epilepsy and seizure disorders
• Crohn’s disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• PTSD
• Anxiety
• Pain/inflammation
• Alzheimer’s
• Huntington disease

CBG - Cannabigerol

• Current research involving mice shows:
• May be effective in treating glaucoma
• May decrease inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease
• May protect neurons with Huntington’s disease
• May help to fight cancer cell growth
• May be a non-psychoactive appetite stimulant
• A study from 1975 shows CBG supports GABA uptake inhibition

greater than either THC or CBD and provide muscle relaxation effects

• A 2011 study showed CBG was effective against MRSA

CBC - Cannabichromene

• Appears to interact with CB2 receptors but not CB1
• May be a powerful anti-cancer agent
• May help with inflammation
• May have a synergistic effect with THC on inflammation
• May fight acne
• May work with THC and CBD as an anti-depressant

THCV - Tetrahydrocannabivarin

• May be both agonistic and antagonistic on CB1 receptors
• May suppress appetite
• A 2007 study showed THCV lead to weight loss, lower levels of body

fat, and increased energy in mice

• May help regulate blood sugar levels and help with diabetes
• May reduce occurrence of panic attacks
• May help with Alzheimer’s
• May stimulate bone growth

CBN - Cannabinol

• Breakdown product of THC
• Some studies show it has sedative properties when combined with

THC

• May have anticonvulsant properties
• May be anti-inflammatory
• May have antibiotic properties
• May be effective against MRSA
• May show promise against psoriasis in topicals

Terpenes

Source for this section: Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few Promising Leads, E.B. Russo & J. Marcu, 2017

ß-Myrcene

• Current research shows
• Anti-inflammatory
• Sedative
• May cause “couch-lock” effects in

some cannabis chemovars

• A 2014 study suggests myrcene

works synergistically with THC and CBD offering neuroprotective antioxidant effects

• Also found in
• Mangoes
• Hops
• Bay leaves
• Lemongrass
• Eucalyptus
• Cardamom
• Flavor
• Green mango

ß-Caryophyllene

• Current research shows
• Anti-inflammatory
• Cardioprotective
• Neuroprotective
• Hepatoprotective
• Gastroprotective
• Antimicrobial
• Also found in
• Black pepper
• Cloves
• Basil
• Oregano
• Cinnamon
• Flavor
• Spicy, warm

α-Pinene

• Current research shows
• Anti-inflammatory
• Bronchodilator
• Antibiotic against MRSA
• Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor
• May counteract memory loss

association with THC

• Also found in
• Pine
• Juniper
• Rosemary
• Flavor
• Piney

Linalool

• Current research shows
• Anti-anxiety
• Sedative
• Anti-depressant
• Analgesic
• Anticonvulsant
• Also found in
• Lavender
• Rose
• Basil
• Neroli oil
• Flavor
• Soapy

D-Limonene

• Current research shows
• A 2006 study with mice showed

limonene to have strong anti- anxiety effects

• Stimulating effects
• May inhibit cancer cell

proliferation

• Antioxidant
• Also found in
• Citrus peels
• Flavor
• Citrus

Formulating with Cannabis

Source for this section: Nanoparticle- and Microparticle-Based Delivery Systems, D.J. McClemets, 2015

Cannabis Extracts are Lipids

• Lipids dissolve easily in solvents (ethanol) and other lipids (MCT oil,

beeswax, etc)

• Lipids do not mix well in water

Creating an Emulsion

• Mechanical means
• Homogenizer
• Ultrasonicator
• Chemical means
• Surfactant/emulsifier
• Liposomes

Creating an Emulsion - Homogenization

• Feed enters the homogenizer via high pressure
• The feed is forced through small spaces
• This results in smaller lipid molecules
• Multiple passes may be required

Creating an Emulsion - Ultrasonication

Photo source: ScienceDirect.com

Creating an Emulsion - Surfactants

• Surfactants help stabilize an emulsion by lowering the surface tension

between two liquids

• Many different types
• Nonionic: tween, span, quillaja extract
• Anionic: SLS, DATEM, CITREM
• Cationic: lauric arginate
• Zwitterionic: lecithin

Photo source: integratedhealthblog.com

Thank you!