Endocannabinoid System: What Is It & What Role Does Cannabis Play?
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complicated cell-signalling mechanism discovered by researchers studying THC, a well-known cannabinoid, in the early 1990s. Experts are still attempting to fully comprehend the ECS. . Cannabis plants contain chemicals known as cannabinoids. Does it mean by consuming medical cannabis or CBD products will have any effect on our endocannabinoid system? To know more about the correlation, continue to read it.
What exactly does Endocannabinoid do?
The ECS is quite complicated and experts are also trying to understand its functions. According to research, the ECS is involved in the following processes:
- Metabolism
- Appetite and digestion
- Inflammation and other immune system reactions in chronic pain
- Emotion
- Memory and learning
- Motor command
- Cardiovascular system function
- Bone growth and remodelling
- liver performance
All of these functions contribute to homeostasis or the stability of your internal environment. For example, if an outside stimulus disrupts your body’s homeostasis, such as pain from an accident or a fever, the ECS steps in to help your body return to normal operation. Experts now assume that the ECS’s principal function is to preserve homeostasis.
How does it function?
Let’s briefly discuss them
Endocannabinoids: Also known as endogenous cannabinoids, are substances that your body produces. So far, experts have discovered two important endocannabinoids: 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA). They contribute to the smooth operation of internal functions. Since your body creates them as needed, it’s difficult to tell what the average amounts are for each.
Endocannabinoid receptors: These receptors can be located all over your body. Endocannabinoids bind to them to signal the ECS that it needs to act. Endocannabinoid receptors are classified into two types: CB1 receptors are present mostly in the central nervous system and CB2 receptors are primarily prevalent in your peripheral nervous system, particularly in immune cells. Endocannabinoids have the ability to attach to either receptor. The effects are determined by the location of the receptor and the endocannabinoid to which it binds.
Endocannabinoids, for example, could target CB1 receptors in a spinal nerve to reduce pain. Others may attach to a CB2 receptor in your immune cells to communicate that your body is inflamed, which is a typical symptom of autoimmune illnesses.
Enzymes: Enzymes are responsible for breaking down endocannabinoids when they have served their purpose. Two major enzymes are responsible for this: Fatty acid amide hydrolase, which degrades AEA and monoacylglycerol acid lipase, which degrades 2-AG.
What is the relationship between THC & CBD and the ECS?
THC and its correlation with ECS: One of the most common cannabinoids present in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). It is the chemical that causes you to become “high.” THC, like endocannabinoids, interacts with your ECS after it enters your body by attaching to receptors. .
This enables it to have a variety of impacts on your body and mind, some of which are more pleasant than others. THC, for example, may assist to alleviate discomfort and stimulate your appetite. However, it can also trigger paranoia and anxiety in certain people.
CBD and its correlation with ECS: Cannabidiol (CBD) is the other major cannabinoid present in cannabis. CBD, unlike THC, does not get you “high” and usually has no bad side effects. Experts are unsure how CBD products interacts with the ECS. They do know, however, that it does not attach to CB1 or CB2 receptors in the same manner that THC does. This allows them to have a greater impact on your body. Others suggest that CBD binds to a yet-unidentified receptor. While the specifics of how CBD works are still being debated, research indicates that it can assist with pain, nausea, and other symptoms linked with a variety of diseases.
What about a lack of endocannabinoids?
Some scientists believe in the clinical endocannabinoid deficit (CECD) theory. According to this notion, low endocannabinoid levels in the body, or ECS dysfunction, can contribute to the development of certain illnesses. According to a 2016 report that reviewed over ten years of research on the subject, the idea may explain why certain people acquire migraine, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome.
There is no known reason for any of these disorders. They are also frequently resistant to treatment and might develop concurrently. If CECD plays a role in these disorders, targeting the ECS or endocannabinoid synthesis may be the missing piece of the puzzle, but additional research is needed.
In conclusion
The ECS is critical to the stability of your internal processes. But there is still a lot we don’t know. As experts get knowledge of the ECS, it may one day hold the key to treating a variety of diseases. Till then, it is suggested that you take the consultation from Hempstrol, India’s premier hemp company that sells premium quality cbd products and THC oil. They have onboarded certified clinicians who can help you out with the kind of medical cannabis product you should consume.
