Pharmacology of non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids and their potential for treatment of cardiometabolic disease.

Wainwright, Cherry L.; Walsh, Sarah K.

Abstract

The use of Cannabis sativa by humans dates back to the third millennium BC, and it has been utilized in many forms for multiple purposes, including production of fibre and rope, as food and medicine, and (perhaps most notably) for its psychoactive properties for recreational use. The discovery of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) as the main psychoactive phytocannabinoid contained in cannabis by Gaoni and Mechoulam in 1964 (J Am Chem Soc 86, 1646–1647), was the first major step in cannabis research; since then the identification of the chemicals (phytocannabinoids) present in cannabis, the classification of the pharmacological targets of these compounds and the discovery that the body has its own endocannabinoid system (ECS) have highlighted the potential value of cannabis-derived compounds in the treatment of many diseases, such as neurological disorders and cancers. Although the use of Δ9-THC as a therapeutic agent is constrained by its psychoactive properties, there is growing evidence that non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids, derived from both Cannabis sativa and other plant species, as well as non-cannabinoid compounds found in Cannabis sativa, have real potential as therapeutics. This chapter will focus on the possibilities for using these compounds in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease and related metabolic disturbances.

Citation

WAINWRIGHT, C.L. and WALSH, S.K. 2025. Pharmacology of non-psychoactive phytocannabinoids and their potential for treatment of cardiometabolic disease. In Wainwright, C. and Schini-Kerth, V. (eds.) Natural products as sources of novel drugs. Handbook of experimental pharmacology, 287. Cham: Springer [online], pages 61-93. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2024_731

• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2025
• Deposit Date: Feb 13, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 1, 2027
• Publisher: Springer
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 61-93
• Series Title: Handbook of experimental pharmacology
• Series Number: 287
• Series ISSN: 0171-2004; 1865-0325
• Book Title: Natural products as sources of novel drugs
• ISBN: 9783031802928; 9783031802959
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2024_731
• Keywords: Canabis sativa; Psychoactive properties; Cardiovascular disease; Phytocannabinoids
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2486551
• Contract Date: Sep 6, 2024