![[Image of the Cannabis plant and its distinctive green leaves.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/08/Cannabis-image.jpg)
If I was to say the word “cannabinoid” to you, where would your mind go? Would you immediately wonder, “What? Is it just a fancy way to say weed?” or would you ask questions like, “As in the molecular components of Cannabis?” or “Are you referring to the specific endogenous cannabinoid ligands in our body?” If your first thoughts align with the latter, prepare for a nice refresher on cannabinoids. If your response was closer to the former, get ready for a crash course in how we characterize cannabinoids and how they can be used to treat various health conditions…
Tag: cannabinoids
Cannabidiol: A step in the right direction for treating epilepsy
![[Black and white image of the brain. The black lines represent the many different “connections” our brain uses in order to communicate and function.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/04/abstract-image-of-brain.png)
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder that is characterized by sudden, uncontrolled electrical activity between neurons in the brain. These electrical disturbances typically manifest in the form of seizures which, in their mild forms, can go unnoticed, but in more severe cases can cause uncontrollable muscle twitches, loss of consciousness and, ultimately, memory loss. There are two classes of seizures: general, whole brain seizures and focal seizures, in which only a part of the brain is affected. Based on these two classes, additional seizure types are characterized by their severity and symptoms…
The Origins of 420
![[A cannabis plant, seeds, and oil displayed on a canvas cloth.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2021/04/cbd-4469987_1920.jpg)
This Tuesday is April 20th, otherwise known as 420. For some it’s just another day in the week, but for others it’s a much-anticipated and beloved holiday. However, have you ever stopped to consider how this pseudo-holiday came to be? A quick google search will provide a number of varying and amusing theories. Some of the most popular 420 stories include 420 as a police dispatch code for cannabis use, as the number of chemical compounds in cannabis (actually there are over 500), or the day of Bob Marley’s death (actually May 11th). However…
A better, stronger cannabinoid for pain relief?
![[Medicinal cannabis symbol.]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/06/Cannabis-as-medicine.png)
Cannabis has been consistently used to treat pain since the beginning of its medicinal history. Even today, the most common reported use of medical cannabis is for pain relief, and support for this is not only anecdotal, as there’s a large body of evidence supporting this claim. Although cannabis is helpful to many who suffer from pain, there are still many limitations to using it as a pain medication.
IU’s take on the cannabis trend
![[The image shows Cannabis Sativa plant]](https://blogs.iu.edu/sciu/files/2020/01/hemp-4354389_1920.jpg)
On March 20, 2019, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences Professor Emeritus Dr. Brian O’Donnell and Research Scientist Dr. Alex Straiker met with the student community for a Q&A session entitled “Cannabis: Science and Policy.” “IU has been the world center for research regarding cannabinoid signaling,” said Dr. Straiker during his address at the Science Café talk. Having studied cannabinoid signaling for more than 20 years, Dr. Straiker mentions the growing enthusiasm for cannabis use in a variety of forms, like essential oils; not only recreationally, but also for the treatment of anxiety, autoimmune disease, inflammation, and pain management…
Harnessing the therapeutic benefits of marijuana: Research findings from Dr. Andrea Hohmann’s laboratory at Indiana University presented at international neuroscience conference
Last week, over 32,000 neuroscientists met in San Diego for the annual Society for Neuroscience (SfN) conference. Joining them were members of IU’s Program in Neuroscience, including Dr. Andrea Hohmann, who is also a professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in the College of Arts in Sciences and a Linda and Jack Gill Chair of Neuroscience… Read more »