Psychoactive THC side-effects are experienced, however, and long-term use of cannabis sativa has been shown to increase risk of developing psychosis and schizophrenia ( Berman et al., 2004 Malone et al., 2010). At present THC and CBD are available combined in the oral spray Sativex ® (GW Pharmaceuticals plc, Cambridge, UK) which is prescribed to adult patients for neuropathic pain. These compounds are chemically similar to endogenous endocannabinoid lipid derivatives including anandamide (arachidonoylethanolamide) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. Cannabis sativa contains approximately 80 different cannabinoids of which Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are primary ( Mechoulam and Shvo, 1963 Mechoulam, 1970 Turner et al., 1980). Neurogenic drive also contributes to severity of arthritic inflammation ( Sluka et al., 1994), and may contribute to its reoccurrence.Ĭannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors are potential targets for reducing pain and inflammation ( Clayton et al., 2002 Richardson et al., 2008 Zuardi, 2008). These chimeric antibodies may halt progression of the disease, but side-effects include immune suppression ( Crawford and Curtis, 2008 Furst, 2010 Hastings et al., 2010).

The most effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis is injectable fusion-proteins which sequester the most prominent proinflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα). A projected increase to 67 million is anticipated by 2030 ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2010). Almost 50 million (22.2%) adult Americans over 18 were diagnosed with arthritis in 2007–2009, most prominently osteoarthritis and the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis.

Digital sentry 4.1