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Health and social impacts on cannabinoid users
STANĚK, Lukáš
The aim of this thesis was to discover the effects of cannabinoids on the health and social area of the users. In order to reach the goal, two research questions were posed: What effects do cannabinoids have on the social situation of the users? How do cannabinoids influence the health condition of the users? The methodology chosen for the research was qualitative research with the use of semi-structured interview. Choosing the participants was undertaken using the snowball sampling technique. The acquired data was subsequently processed by the method of Grounded theory with open coding, following categorization and sub-categorization if necessary. Under the influence of cannabinoids, the users struggle to integrate with people who are not cannabis users at the same time. They deal with paranoid feelings, having issues to initiate conversation and achieve the same level of thinking. A drop in productivity occurs as well as slacking attitude towards other people. In the company of other users, cannabinoids show positive effects, also an increase in creativity during leisure activities and calming down. In terms of health effects, it is important to distinguish between physical and mental dimensions. In the physical dimension, negative effects exceed since the only positive effects mentioned were pain relief and regeneration after physical activity. The users deal with impairment of lung condition, cough, worsening of physical condition, even a mention of pneumothorax occurred. In the mental dimension, the effects are considered from two points of view: long-term effects and the state during intoxication. In long-term, there is a risk of anxiety, states of paranoia and deterioration of short-term memory. Effects during the state of intoxication depend on the mental state during which they came into contact with cannabinoids. In the case of anxiety states, they most frequently deal with deepening those states. On contrary, the effects prove positive in moments when the users are in a positive mood and have no other responsibilities in the moment. The research can serve in both primary and secondary prevention of cannabinoid use. It can be also utilized as a source of information for the general public, possibly also for specialists in various addictology centres and other organizations focused on the issue of cannabinoids.
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Pharmacokinetics, systemic toxicity, and acute behavioural effects of hexahydrocannabinol (HHC)- an animal study.
Mallarino, Barbara ; Šíchová, Klára (advisor) ; Svoboda, Jan (referee)
The emergence of semi-synthetic cannabinoids, exemplified by hexahydrocannabinol (HHC), poses a notable public health concern. Despite its growing popularity among cannabis users, HHC remains inadequately studied in both animal models and human subjects. To this day, only a few studies examining the drug's pharmacology, toxicology, and behavioral effects have been published. The present study therefore aims to delineate the pharmacokinetic profile, acute toxicity, and behavioral effects across a spectrum of dosages (1, 5, and 10 mg/kg, p.o.) in Wistar rats. Two hours after oral administration, the concentration of HHC peak in both blood serum and brain tissue. Toxicity was established according to the OECD toxicity assay, where HHC was categorized as a compound of class 4 toxicity, with an estimated lethal dose of 1 g/kg in a rat model. Further, HHC exhibited dose-dependent effects on locomotor activity and anxiety levels, since high doses induced a significant reduction in locomotor activity in the Open field test, concurrent with elevated anxiety. Moreover, HHC administration impaired sensorimotor gating, as evidenced by deficits in Prepulse Inhibition, with the severity of these effects correlating positively with dosage escalation. This thesis is one of the first studies focused on the acute...
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