Behavioral pharmacology of cannabinoids with a focus on preclinical models for studying reinforcing and dependence-producing properties.
George Panagis, Styliani Vlachou, George G. Nomikos
Current Drug Abuse Reviews November 2008 DOI: 10.2174/1874473710801030350 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction |
| Key findings | The authors conclude that cannabinoids exhibit reinforcing and rewarding properties in experimental animals mostly under particular experimental conditions, unlike opiates, psychostimulants, alcohol, and nicotine. They argue that understanding of how cannabis and Delta(9)-THC act in the central nervous system to produce these effects remains incomplete. |
Abstract
Cannabis preparations as recreational drugs are the most widely used illicit drugs in the world. Although cannabis derivatives produce clear subjective motivational responses in humans leading to drug-seeking behavior and in a specific proportion in repeated drug use, the reinforcing/rewarding attributes of these subjective effects are difficult to define in experimental animals. This led to the notion of cannabinoids being considered as "atypical" or "anomalous" drugs of abuse. To this end, our knowledge and understanding of the way cannabis and its main psychoactive constituent, Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta(9)-THC), act in the central nervous system to exert their reinforcing/rewarding effects is far from complete. The aim of the present article is to review from a preclinical perspective the current status of what is known about the behavioral pharmacology of cannabinoids including the recently identified cannabinoid neurotransmission modifiers with a particular emphasis on their motivational/reinforcing and dependence-producing properties. We conclude that cannabinoids exhibit reinforcing/rewarding properties in experimental animals mostly under particular experimental conditions, which is not the case for other drugs of abuse, such as opiates, psychostimulants, alcohol and nicotine. The paper will discuss these findings critically and also point to open questions that should be addressed in the future in order to improve our understanding of these specific actions of cannabinoids that will also impact drug discovery and development efforts of related compounds as therapeutics in the clinic.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account | 2016 | Review | |
| Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents Animal models and cellular studies | 2018 | Review | |
| A narrative review of yoga and mindfulness as complementary therapies for addiction. | 2013 | Review | |
| The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies | 2018 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- Optogenetic brain‐stimulation reward: A new procedure to re‐evaluate the rewarding versus aversive effects of cannabinoids in dopamine transporter‐Cre mice Addiction Biology February 3, 2021
- Chronic exposure to inhaled vaporized cannabis high in Δ9-THC suppresses Adderall-induced brain activity. Frontiers in Pharmacology 2024
- Cannabinoid CB1 Receptors Are Expressed in a Subset of Dopamine Neurons and Underlie Cannabinoid-Induced Aversion, Hypoactivity, and Anxiolytic Effects in Mice. Journal of Neuroscience January 18, 2023
- Marijuana dependence: not just smoke and mirrors. ILAR Journal 2011
- Effects of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol on reward and anxiety in rats exposed to chronic unpredictable stress. Journal of Psychopharmacology May 2010
Cites 23
- Antidepressant-like activity and modulation of brain monoaminergic transmission by blockade of anandamide hydrolysis Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences December 13, 2005
- Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research April 1, 2006
- Lack of behavioral sensitization after repeated exposure to THC in mice and comparison to methamphetamine. Psychopharmacology September 2007
- MDMA attenuates THC withdrawal syndrome in mice. Psychopharmacology July 2007
- Nicotinic facilitation of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol discrimination involves endogenous anandamide. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics June 2007
and 18 more in the library