Indica and sativa cannabis classifications produce clinically distinct medical effects

Differentiating Cannabis Products: Drugs, Food, and Supplements.. 2022. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.906038

"Hemp" refers to non-intoxicating, low delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) cultivars of <i>Cannabis sativa</i> L. "Marijuana" refers to cultivars with high levels of Δ9-THC, the primary psychoactive cannabinoid found in the plant and a federally controlled substance used for both recreational and therapeutic purposes. Although marijuana and hemp belong to the same genus and species, they differ in terms of chemical and genetic composition, production practices, product uses, and regulatory status. Hemp seed and hemp seed oil have been shown to have valuable nutritional capacity. Cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid with a wide therapeutic index and acceptable side effect profile, has demonstrated high medicinal potential in some conditions. Several countries and states have facilitated the use of THC-dominant medical cannabis for certain conditions, while other countries continue to ban all forms of cannabis regardless of cannabinoid profile or low psychoactive potential. Today, differentiating between hemp and marijuana in the laboratory is no longer a difficult process. Certain thin layer chromatography (TLC) methods can rapidly screen for cannabinoids, and several gas and liquid chromatography techniques have been developed for precise quantification of phytocannabinoids in plant extracts and biological samples. Geographic regulations and testing guidelines for cannabis continue to evolve. As they are improved and clarified, we can better employ the appropriate applications of this uniquely versatile plant from an informed scientific perspective. Differentiating Cannabis Products Salehi Arash 1 † Puchalski Keely 2 † Shokoohinia Yalda 2 Zolfaghari Behzad 1 Asgary Sedigheh 3 * 1 Department of Pharmacognosy , School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences , Isfahan University of Medical Sciences , Isfahan , Iran 2 Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research , Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine , The Assyrians, Egyptians, Indians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans are all reported to have used cannabis for medical purposes ( Leghissa et al., 2018a ). Classifications for different cannabis species continues to be a highly debated topic amongst taxonomists and botanists ( Sawler 2015 ). Although some experts recognize three different species of Cannabis: C. sativa , C. indica , and C. ruderalis ( Pollio, 2016 ), and others one monospecific species [ C. sativa L.] with two subspecies [subsp. sativa and subsp. indica (Lam)] ( Small and Cronquist, 1976 , UNODC.org ), neither of these nomenclature systems accurately reflects the diversity and complexity of modern cannabis plants. Because cannabis species have been cultivated globally over many years to exhibit nearly indistinguishable phenotypes with overlapping genotypes, Cannabis sativa L. varieties are now most accurately identified by cultivar or chemotype, including specific cannabinoid profiling and even subtyping ( Sarma et al., 2020 ). Recently proposed suggestions for chemotyping will be discussed. Although it has valuable nutritional capacity, hemp material was initially cultivated mainly to produce textiles and ropes. Due to expanded applications of synthetic fibers over the past two centuries, its cultivation decreased precipitously. The term “industrial hemp,” in some cases, may be used interchangeably with “hemp” ( Johnson, 2019 ; Crini et al., 2020 ). Officially, based on the U.S. 2018 Farm bill, hemp is now legally defined as follows: “The plant Cannabis sativa L. and any part of that plant, including the seeds thereof and all derivatives, extracts, cannabinoids, isomers, acids, salts, and salts of isomers, whether growing or not, with a Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on a dry weight basis” ((7 U.S.C. §5940(b)(2)). Terpenes are of increasing interest to researchers, healthcare practitioners, and the natural products industry as both isolated therapeutic agents and as enhancing compounds in holistic cannabis formulas designed to engage what has recently been labeled “the entourage effect” ( Sommano et al., 2020 ). Variation in terpene content is likely responsible for the more sedative vs . stimulating effects of different cannabis cultivars, a notion that had historically been attributed to “indica” vs . “sativa” varieties. Terpenes are a family of organic compounds which biosynthetically produced by isoprene units found mainly in plants. Pharmacological Effects Cannabis is known to affect nearly every system in the human body, including but not limited to the central and peripheral nervous systems, as well as the endocrine, immune, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal systems. Thousands of articles and over 100 clinical studies have been published on the pharmacodynamics and bioactive effects of cannabis on human psychology, appetite, cognition, sleep, and pain ( Russo & Marcu 2017 ). Also in the Netherlands, Cannabis manufacturer, Bedrocan, has expanded to procure vast ownership over medicinal cannabis production in the country and produces, standardizes and exports large amounts of cannabis products with different THC and CBD concentrations. More strict policies still apply in parts of Asia, as medical cannabis has remained prohibited in Iran, Japan, Vietnam, and Pakistan; but in India, several legal provisions for use of medical cannabis have been permitted ( Aguilar et al., 2018 ; Ghiabi et al., 2018 ). In the U.S. For non-biological samples which range from raw materials and cannabis extracts to semi- (mixture of cannabinoids) or fully-purified (single cannabinoid) materials and formulated cannabis preparations (e.g, edible oil or capsule), analysis of cannabinoids is done to determine the chemical profile of cannabinoids. Cannabis extraction is the process of isolating cannabinoids or terpenes from cannabis trichomes with the purpose of producing medical or recreational supplements and is necessary before any quantification or purification.