In Marihuana and Medicine, leading physicians and scientists from around the world critically review the pharmacological and molecular basis of the therapeutic properties of marihuana and its active ingredient, THC. They detail the broad array of marihuana's effects on brain function, the immune system, male and female reproductive function, and cardiac and pulmonary function, as well as evaluate its clinical applications in psychiatry, glaucoma, pain management, cancer chemotherapy, and AIDS treatment. Their work indicates that marihuana impairs brain and reproductive function, is harmful to the immune system, is more damaging when smoked to the lung than tobacco smoke, and is not an effective, medically acceptable therapeutic vehicle for THC. The editors have also included key historical material tracing the controversial history of marihuana in science and medicine over the centuries.Marihuana and Medicine's report of the latest findings on the pharmacological, pharmacodynamic, and molecular mechanisms of marihuana will be essential reading for clinicians, psychiatrists, pharmacologists, policy makers, health-care workers, and attorneys.

Introduction: Marihuana and Medicine-A Historical Review.- I. Chemistry and Pharmacokinetics.- II. Biochemistry and Molecular Mechanisms.- III. Pharmacology and Physiopathology.- IV. Marihuana and Reproductive Function.- V. Cannabinoids in the Treatment of Pain.- VI. Marihuana and Glaucoma.- VII. Marihuana, Cannabinoids, and the Nervous System.- VIII. Marihuana and Psychiatry.- IX. Marihuana and Aids Management.- X. Marihuana and Medicine, Public Health, and Public Policy.- XI. General Conclusions.