PLS302

042041

This course will provide an academic foundation on the botanical, ethnobotanical, evolutionary, and scientific aspects of Cannabis. A historical perspective since antiquity on the genus Cannabis and the current sociocultural status of the species, will be reviewed. The distinctive cannabinoid chemistry of Cannabis, its biosynthesis in specialized tissues and our current understanding of its interaction with the human endocannabinoid system, will be discussed. Current scientific knowledge on the pharmacology, mechanisms of action and clinical applications of the cannabinoids, and in particular THC and CBD, in the treatment of pain, epilepsy, nausea, and PTSD, will be covered in-depth. The use of Cannabis hemp seed and stalk derived products in non-medicinal and industrial applications in the textile and fiber industry, in the manufacture of construction materials (hempcrete and fiber-resin composites), in the production of biofuels, paper, paints, cosmetics, food, and nutritional products will receive substantial coverage.

This course will introduce and discuss the current body of up-to-date scientific information on Cannabis resulting from reported basic and applied research to foster a new and better understanding of the utility of this resource, with the intent to provide students with a foundational knowledge around Cannabis and its complex and evolving role in the area of medicine and industry.

It is not the intent of this course to prepare students in the cultivation or marketing of marijuana, which is itself a Drug Enforcement Agency Schedule 1 controlled substance and whose production and supply is under regulation of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs Treaty.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Undergraduate