Abstract: Water- and lipid-soluble cannabinoid compounds that are agonists for CB1 and CB2 receptors are provided. The cannabinoid compounds are useful for the treatment of retinal neurodegenerative disorders such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula: wherein R, R1 and R4 are defined in the specification, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters and tautomers thereof, having activity at peripheral cannabinoid receptors, commonly designated the CB2 receptor class. The compounds are useful for therapy, especially in the treatment of pain, inflammation and autoimmune disease.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula: wherein R, R1 and R4 are defined in the specification, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters and tautomers thereof, having activity at peripheral cannabinoid receptors, commonly designated the CB2 receptor class. The compounds are useful for therapy, especially in the treatment of pain, inflammation and autoimmune disease.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula: wherein R, R1 and R4 are defined in the specification, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts, esters and tautomers thereof, having activity at peripheral cannabinoid receptors, commonly designated the CB2 receptor class. The compounds are useful for therapy, especially in the treatment of pain, inflammation and autoimmune disease.

Abstract: Cannabinoid agonists and antagonists are provided for use in the treatment of disorders such as acute and chronic pain, inflammation, loss of appetite, convulsions, multiple sclerosis, nausea and vomiting. The cannabinoid agonists and antagonists contain a sulfonamide moiety incorporated into the cannabinoid side chain, and the side chain itself may be saturated or unsaturated.

Abstract: Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes the cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotuctants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia. Nonpsychoactive cannabinoids, such as cannabidoil, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses useful in the method of the present invention.