Cannabinoids and Endothelial Dysfunction

Over the past 50 years, the recreational use of Cannabis sativa increased enormously, especially in the young population. The main psychoactive and euphoric effects of Cannabis sativa is due to ?-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The discovery of the cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, widely distributed in the cardiovascular system, allowed to assess the effects of these substances on vascular endothelium. It's just demonstrated that endothelial dysfunction plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis. In particular, the CB1 receptor seems to have a pro-atherogenic profile, on the other hand, the CB2 receptor seems to counteract the onset of atherosclerosis. Numerous studies in the literature correlated marijuana smoking to a worsening of angina pectoris and the onset of acute coronary syndromes. The purpose of this review is to focus attention on the role of cannabinoids in endothelial dysfunction.