Analysis of the therapeutic basis of cannabis and its application in medicine

Abstract

This review compiles information on the therapeutic applications of cannabinoids as a basis for their application in medicine as a treatment strategy. The main objective of this review was to analyze the therapeutic benefits of cannabinoids such as: pain relief, antitumor effect, cell cycle regulation and immune stimulation. Information was compiled from various scientific databases, such as PubMed, BioCell, Scielo, Elsevier, Redalyc, MDPI, PLOS, JAFC, BJPS and Medicinal Chemistry Research, searching by keywords and selecting according to the inclusion criteria. It was possible to identify the therapeutic potential of those that endorse their interaction in receptors, thus the remarkable antitumor effect, pain relief and immune stimulation. However, the effectiveness of cannabis products varies according to the stage of the disease and dosage. It was concluded that the endocannabinoid system (ECS) offers important therapeutic activities for some diseases, whose molecular mechanisms of action have been assessed in different experimental models. The clinical applications of cannabis have been documented in several pathologies such as: cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, arthritis, asthma, Alzheimer, Crohn, sclerosis, insomnia and Parkinson, the current legislation has opened the way for its industrial production and therapeutic use under the control of regulatory entities