Cannabis as medicine: The pros and cons

Introduction: The use of cannabis for medical reasons is surrounded by numerous pharmacological dilemmas. However, its use in modern-day medicine is here to stay. The complexity of the cannabinoid pathway, as well as individual genetic predisposition, is responsible for different body responses to cannabinoid treatment. Knowledge of cannabinoid receptors and their polymorphisms should enable the prediction of patients with gene variations coding these receptors via gene expression studies. Pros of cannabis use as a medicine are also undermined by cons. This is further compounded by the paucity of literature that highlights the association of genetics with the side effects of cannabis use.

Aim: To discuss the pharmacogenetics of cannabis on cannabinoid receptors to highlight receptors that can be screened via gene expression studies in order to better profile patients for medical marijuana.

Methods: Online searches on the following database; Google Scholar, PubMed, Biomed Central, and SciELL was done. Attempts were made to review articles with keywords; cannabis, cannabinoid receptors, gene profiling, and medical marijuana.
Conclusion: Medical profiling via cannabinoid gene expression studies of patients who are medical candidates of cannabis should prevent negative effects associated with its medical use.