Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: Addiction to products derived from the plant cannabis sativa has become a relevant problem in western societies. Its prevalence in both teenagers and young adults has grown in the last decade. The problem is aggravated by the availability of plant derivatives with a high THC content. Today, the number of cannabis users requesting medical treatment is growing, as well as the incidence and variety of the adverse effects associated with its chronic consumption. On the other hand, the last 20 years' research have revealed the hidden pharmacology of the active principles of cannabis. Cannabinoids, the psychoactive chemicals of the plant, exert their pharmacological actions through their interaction with an endogenous signaling system, the endocannabinoid system. This system is involved in brain development, plasticity and repair, and its chronic stimulation can induce not only dependence/addiction, but also result in adverse clinical effects. The negative side of cannabis use has greatest impact in the adolescent period. The main adverse effects of chronic cannabis use include the increase in the incidence of mental disorders (mainly psychosis), as well as alterations in cognitive processes including memory, attention, decision-making, risk behaviors as well as impulsivity. Some of these effects are permanent and information and research on their nature is greatly needed in order to achieve a correct public health approach to cannabis use.
Language: Spanish
Subfield: Pharmacology (medical)
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W232573076