The psychoactive property of cannabinoids is well known and there has been a continuous controversy regarding the usage of these compounds for therapeutic purposes all over the world. Their use for medical and research purposes are restricted in various countries. However, their utility as medications should not be overshadowed by its negative physiological activities. This review article is focused on the therapeutic potential and applications of phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids. We further highlights their mode of action, overall effects on physiology, various in vitro and in vivo studies that have been done so far and the extent to which these compounds can be useful in different disease conditions such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, pain, inflammation, glaucoma and many others. Thus, this work is an attempt to make the readers understand the positive implications of these compounds and indicates the significant developments of utilizing cannabinoids as therapeutic agents.

大麻素的精神活性特性是众所周知的，并且在全世界范围内，关于将这些化合物用于治疗目的的争议一直存在。在许多国家/地区，将它们用于医学和研究目的受到限制。但是，它们作为药物的用途不应因其负面的生理活动而被掩盖。这篇综述文章集中于植物大麻素和内源性大麻素的治疗潜力和应用。我们进一步强调了它们的作用方式，对生理的整体影响，各种体内和体外的作用迄今为止已进行的研究以及这些化合物可用于不同疾病状况的程度，例如癌症，阿尔茨海默氏病，多发性硬化症，疼痛，炎症，青光眼和许多其他疾病。因此，这项工作是试图使读者理解这些化合物的积极意义，并指出了利用大麻素作为治疗剂的重大进展。