Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few Promising Leads.

Abstract in brief

• The chapter discusses the development of cannabis pharmacology starting in the 1960s, highlighting the discovery and synthesis of key compounds like THC and cannabidiol, and emphasizing recent interest in how other phytocannabinoids and aromatic terpenoids contribute to cannabis’ effects.
• It explains how terpenoids and other plant compounds work together with cannabinoids in what is called the “entourage effect,” potentially enhancing therapeutic outcomes for conditions like pain, psychiatric disorders, and cancer.
• The text also introduces less commonly studied compounds from different parts of the cannabis plant, such as friedelin, canniprene, cannabisin, and cannflavin A, suggesting that cannabis might still hold many pharmacological surprises and benefits.]