ABSTRACT
The identification of the chemical structure of Cannabis components and the possibility of obtaining its pure constituents were related to a significant increase in scientific interest in such plants since 1965. The introduction of Cannabis in Western medicine occurred in the midst of the 19th century, reaching the climax in the last decade of that century, with the availability and usage of Cannabis extracts or tinctures. Cannabinoids, a class of meroterpenoids derived from the alkylation of an olivetol- like alkyl resorcinol with a monoterpene unit, are the most typical constituents of Cannabis. Since they exist naturally in the Cannabis plant, they are also known as phytocannabinoids. The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia has published the two-part "Cannabis monograph". The monograph gives doctors who want to prescribe Cannabis therapy a full scientific understanding of the plant, its constituent components, and its biologic effects.
