Cannabis: 12,000 years of experiences and prejudices

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:

Cannabis Sativa has been part of human evolution and has been used by different populations for different purposes. By reviewing the history and main advances in cannabinoid medicine, the aim of this study was to identify the major discoveries in recent years, which have prompted the publication of articles.

CONTENTS:

The following topics were searched: “history of cannabis”, “history of hashish”, “history of marijuana” and “main advances in endocannabinoid medicine”; in SCIELO, Pubmed, Google Scholar, Brazilian Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Medline (Capes platform) databases.

CONCLUSION:

There has been an increase in the number of publications following major discoveries about the endocannabinoid system, including receptors and endocannabinoids, but prejudice and the difficulty of accessing this therapeutic tool prevent further development.

Keywords:
Cannabis; Cannabinoids; History; Tetrahydrocannabinol; Therapeutic use

HIGHLIGHTS

Cannabinoids have been described in medical literature for several years, showing the progressive evolution of published articles.

New discoveries about the endocannabinoid system have changed knowledge about the treatment of diseases.

The Cold War and the prohibition of cannabis associated the plant with other toxic substances. In Geneva, testimonies attributed to cannabis the same effects as heroin, and Brazil is one of the defenders of this prohibition.