University of Washington, Neuroscience Graduate Student, Seattle, WA, United States.
Int Rev Neurobiol. 2018;140:171-200. doi: 10.1016/bs.irn.2018.07.006. Epub 2018 Aug 17.
Cannabis, or the dried leaves, stems, and seeds of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, is the most widely used illicit drug in America. Typically smoked, vaporized or ingested orally, cannabis is used primarily for recreational purposes, though a few synthetic cannabinoids have been approved for medicinal treatments. Psychoactive cannabinoids, or the pharmacologically active compounds within cannabis, are responsible for producing the infamous "high" sensation, characterized by feelings of euphoria and relaxation, though can also provoke hallucinations, paranoia and anxiety. Cannabinoids act on G-protein coupled receptors in the brain, primarilyCB1 receptors, that typically decrease neural activity and modulate transmitter release. Compared to other drugs of abuse, cannabis use has minimal health risks and almost no potential for fatal overdose, though the trademark method of administration (smoking) has detrimental consequences. Chronic heavy use can also lead to changes in memory, cognitive deficits, psychosis and dependence. Up to 9% of users can develop a cannabis dependence, characterized by a characteristic withdrawal syndrome. The growing prevalence of cannabis use has spurred the development of animals models to research the neurobehavioral basis of cannabis use. Traditional animal models of drug abuse (i.e., conditioned place preference (CPP) and self-administration) have historically struggled to establish rewarding or reinforcing effects of individual cannabinoid molecules. Decades of research have been needed to reveal the appropriate dosage and conditions to promote reward and reinforcement in animal models. While the field has made great strides in elucidating the mechanisms involved in behavioral pharmacology cannabinoids, the social aspects of cannabis use remains underrepresented in animal models. Social interactions are vital to the initiation and continuation of cannabis use in humans, and this component has yet to be accurately captured in current animal models.
大麻，或大麻植物 Cannabis sativa 的干叶、茎和种子，是美国使用最广泛的非法药物。大麻通常被吸食、蒸发或口服摄入，主要用于娱乐目的，尽管有几种合成大麻素已被批准用于医疗治疗。精神活性大麻素，或大麻中具有药理活性的化合物，负责产生臭名昭著的“高”感觉，其特征是欣快感和放松感，但也可能引发幻觉、偏执和焦虑。大麻素作用于大脑中的 G 蛋白偶联受体，主要是 CB1 受体，通常会降低神经活动并调节递质释放。与其他滥用药物相比，大麻使用的健康风险极小，几乎没有致命过量的风险，尽管典型的给药方式（吸烟）会产生有害后果。慢性大量使用还可能导致记忆力变化、认知缺陷、精神病和依赖。高达 9%的使用者可能会出现大麻依赖，其特征是出现特征性戒断综合征。大麻使用的流行率不断上升，促使人们开发动物模型来研究大麻使用的神经行为基础。传统的药物滥用动物模型（即条件位置偏好（CPP）和自我给药）在历史上一直难以确定单个大麻素分子的奖赏或强化作用。需要几十年的研究才能揭示适当的剂量和条件，以促进动物模型中的奖励和强化。尽管该领域在阐明涉及行为药理学大麻素的机制方面取得了重大进展，但动物模型中仍然没有充分体现大麻使用的社会方面。社会互动对于人类开始和继续使用大麻至关重要，而这一组成部分尚未在当前的动物模型中准确捕捉到。
