Cyclizing Chemicals Inside Marijuana

What if there was a chemical found in marijuana that can prevent and even heal several deadly cancers? Just think of how many sick cancer patients there are out there waiting for a treatment to cure them. In this blog, I intend to explain a couple of important chemicals found in cannabis that relieves the pain for any sick patients. I will also explain the idea of mechanism and a little on how molecules cyclized. When molecules are cyclized, a whole new molecule forms which makes a whole new compound. This makes the chemical react a bit differently from its original chemical. 

There are over 426 chemicals found in cannabis. This is because there are a variety of multiple mechanisms in this plant. Mechanism is the sequence of steps during which a chemical reaction occurs, including the transition state during which the reactants are converted into products. In the forum, “The Mechanism of Action of Cannabis,” it stated that

[t]he active ingredient of cannabis is ∆⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆⁹-THC) is thought to exert its effect by binding to cannabinoid CB1 receptors on pre-synaptic nerve terminals in the brain. ∆⁹-THC binding to CB1 receptors activates G-proteins that activate/inhibit a number of signal transduction pathways. The G-proteins directly inhibit N and P/Q-type voltage dependant calcium channels and sodium channels and indirectly inhibit A-type calcium channels via inhibition of adenylate cyclase. ∆⁹-THC binding and G-protein activation also activates inwardly rectifying potassium channels and the MAP kinase signalling pathway. The cumulative effect of these pathways is the euphoric feelings associated with cannabis use.

Below, the diagram describes the idea of how ∆⁹-THC binds to cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1), a G protein-coupled cannabinoid receptor located in the brain, to activate G-proteins. G-proteins (guanine nucleotide-binding proteins) are a family of protiens involved in transmitting chemical signals outside the cell which causes the changes inside a cell. The diagram also shows how ∆⁹-THC binds G-protein inwardly to rectify potassium channels and the MAP kinase (mitogen-activated protein) signaling pathways. MAP kinases are serine/threonine-specific protein kinases that respond to extracellular stimuli (mitogens, osmotic stress, heat shock, and proinflammatory cytokines) and regulate various cellular activities, such as gene expression, mitosis, differentiation, proliferation, and cell survival/apoptosis.

 

Cannabis’s active ingredient ∆⁹-THC activates itself as a particle in order to ease the kinase (phosphotransferase), a type of enzyme that transfers phosphate groups from high-energy donor molecules. This is also known as Adenosine Tri-Phosphate (ATP), a multifunctiona nucleotide used in cells as a coenzyme, to specific substrates, inside the nerve terminal.

Within 426 chemicals, about 85 of them are cannabinoids, the parent compound of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).  Cannabinoid is the active principle of marijuana, which has been isolated from cannabis plant. It has been isolated because these classes all derive from cannabigerol-type compounds and are different mainly in the way they cyclized. Cyclized is where one part of this molecule can undergo another and create a whole new molecule. This is also known as mechanism. When this happens, a new molecule is created and will have a different melting point and boiling point. The melting and boiling points in every molecule are important because it determines how strong or weak the bonds are. For instances, if heat is added the substance will react faster.  It is very important to understand how each molecule is different from one another. Let’s look at the classes from cannabigerol-type compound in the way this precursor is cyclized. The molecule structure of cannabigerol is different from cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabinoid found in cannabis which is a constituent of the plant. They behave differently and affect or relieve humans differently. For example, cannabigerol relieves intraocular pressure which benefits in the treatment of glaucoma and cannabidol relieves convulsion, inflammation, anxiety, and nausea. This portrays that the chemicals found in cannabis, marijuana, are very powerful such that it really eases the pain for sick patients.

 

cannabigerol-type molecule structure

cannabidol-type molecule structure

Note the differences among both structures.  Each have a different mechanism which makes them both different from one another.