Marijuana dispensaries have enabled people to use the federally controlled substance to treat pain, nausea and other illness symptoms. But what do scientists actually know about how marijuana behaves in the body? How is it metabolized? How does it interact with cellular pathways involved in pain perception, appetite and the immune system? Is it biochemically related to other compounds produced in the body?

Jane Ishmael is an associate professor in the Oregon State University College of Pharmacy and a member of a task force authorized in 2015 by the State Legislature to study the medical and public health properties of cannabis. At the June 6 Corvallis Science Pub, she will discuss what scientists know about the effects of marijuana on the body and how it interacts with cells and systems.