Minor Cannabinoids and Terpenes: Preclinical Evaluation as Analgesics

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PROJECT SUMMARY Throughout recorded history, humans have used natural products for medicinal purposes. With the onset of modern analytical and pharmaceutical methods, the active ingredients in some of these “natural remedies” were identified and became foundational chemicals in drug development efforts. Among the numerous examples, aspirin (bark of the willow tree), capsaicin (chili peppers), and opioids (opium poppy plant) are notable for their analgesic properties. Similar to these other natural products, Cannabis sativa has long been used for medicinal purposes, including pain relief. The cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa/indica) contains over 100 phytocannabinoids as well as over 500 other identified chemicals, including the terpenoids that give cannabis its distinctive flavoring and aroma. Beyond 9-THC and CBD, however, difficulties in identifying, isolating and purifying minor phytocannabinoids in quantities sufficient for in vivo evaluation have hampered adequate investigation of potential therapeutic uses of individual phytocannabinoids. Recently, we have secured access to purified minor cannabinoids synthesized via a patented biosynthetic process in quantities that allow for preclinical in vivo testing. The goal of the proposed project is to provide a comprehensive evaluation of these compounds alone, and in planned combinations, to determine their potential efficacy as analgesics. In addition, we will conduct a parallel investigation of selected terpenes that have been identified in the cannabis plant. Novel analgesic strategies are needed to combat over-reliance on opioids and the resulting secondary consequences of dependence and morbidity/mortality.