Les différents usages du cannabis : approche adaptée du biologiste toxicologue

Abstract

AbstractCannabis commonly refers to the recreational drug extracted from the Cannabis sativa plant. Its main known active coumpound is ∆-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (∆9-THC), responsible for the psychotropic effects sought during its consumption. Though it is prohibited and classified in the register of narcotic substances in most countries, cannabis remains the most widely used drug in the world to date, with nearly 200 million users, far ahead opioids and amphetamines.Since the 2010s, the use of synthetic cannabinoids, which belong to the New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), is more frequent. These chemical analogues of ∆9-THC exhibit the same effects as the latter, but with more potency.The second best-known cannabinoid is cannabidiol, or CBD, also extracted from Cannabis sativa. It has no psychotropic activity and is often used as an anxiolytic. Several therapeutic properties are claimed for these molecules in the medical field. Thus, several countries have legalized trade and use of cannabinoids, as a dietary supplement or as a medicine. Toxicological analysis will make it possible to distinguish consumption profiles (intoxication or treatment monitoring, etc.). Immunological urinary screening will allow detection of recreational cannabis consumption while chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry will allow, thanks to a screening, monitoring the appearance of a new cannabinoid molecule (NPS), or will ensure therapeutic monitoring of a patient under cannabinoid treatment by a specific dosage of the various molecules and their metabolites.