Cannabis sativa: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a medicinal plant with a long history.
Journal of ethnopharmacology December 5, 2018 Sara Anna Bonini, Marika Premoli, Simone Tambaro et al. 669 citations
Cannabis sativa L. is an annual dioecious plant originating alongside early Asian agriculture. Its parts have been used therapeutically and recreationally, with Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol as the key psychoactive constituent. The phylogenetically ancient endocannabinoid system, present in primitive vertebrates, includes ligands AEA and 2-AG and receptors CB1 and CB2. This review critically evaluates ethnological, botanical, chemical, and pharmacological aspects of C. sativa from ancient times to the present, drawing on international databases, books, dissertations, and unpublished resources. Findings confirm its traditional uses and popularity as a recreational drug. Phytocannabinoids are suggested to be involved in pathophysiological mechanisms including food intake, inflammation, pain, colitis, sleep disorders, and neurological and psychiatric illness. Despite medicinal benefits, they remain banned worldwide except in a few countries.