Nick Schneider

Senior Project Advisor

Josh Kaplan

Document Type

Project

Publication Date

Fall 2025

Keywords

cannabis, marijuana, cannabidiol, CBD, tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, terpenes, Entourage Effect, Marihuana Tax Act, Controlled Substances Act, hemp, legalization, medical cannabis, cannabinoids, electrophysiology, local field potentials

Abstract

The cannabis plant has been used by humans across the globe for thousands of years. Although the plant is known by many names, humans have found a wide variety of ritualistic, recreational, and medicinal uses for cannabis throughout history. Despite this, various legal and scientific developments over the course of the past century have heavily shifted societal perspectives on cannabis. Cannabis has become an illicit substance in many nations, including the United States, while an incomplete understanding of cannabis’ effects on the human brain has constrained its medicinal utility. The result of these developments is that government regulations and a lack of thorough pharmacological research limit safe cannabis use and access, even in spite of rising use rates across the country. Clearly, our perspective on cannabis must change. Cannabis policy must evolve to align with our scientific knowledge, which itself must be strengthened through further research, in order to provide legal and safety assurances to users. One particular compound in the cannabis plant, known as cannabidiol or CBD, has largely been underrepresented in cannabis research despite lacking the intoxicating effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. This review will outline the steps necessary for CBD, and cannabis as a whole, to be utilized more effectively in therapeutic settings while acknowledging the work that has been done towards this goal so far.

Department

Psychology

Type

Text

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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