The cannabis plant (Cannabis sativa) has long been of interest to psychiatrists for its perceived effects on mood and cognition. There is currently significant research interest in using cannabis-based compounds to manage and/or treat schizophrenia and cannabis-use and heroin-use disorders.
Recently, researchers at the University of British Columbia in Canada floated a new clinical trial to examine whether cannabidiol could be used to treat bipolar depression. Given the paucity of agents to treat depressive episodes in bipolar disorder, this trial has the potential to uncover a novel treatment to treat the debilitating depression associated with the condition.
The major psychotomimetic agent in C. sativa is a compound called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). There is growing interest in another cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), which may have antipsychotic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties. The plant’s flowering parts are more potent than its leaves.
