For more than 8,000 years, people from all over the world have used cannabis, including in rituals and as medicine. Over a hundred years ago, it was even the most commonly prescribed medicine for complaints such as sleeplessness, pain and inflammation. Back then, people just didn’t know how cannabis works and why it produces the effects it does.
Fortunately, this has since changed. Indeed, in 1990 the endocannabinoid system (ECS) was discovered since then much research has been done on it. Much is now known about the effects of cannabidiol (CBD) on the endocannabinoid system and the body as a whole. What exactly is the ECS, what role does the ECS play in our body and what does CBD do to the ECS?
What exactly is the endocannabinoid system?
The endocannabinoid system is a type of communication system located throughout our body, particularly in the brain and other organs. It was discovered, as mentioned, in 1990, when people were researching how Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) works in our bodies. Scientists then found that our bodies naturally produce substances almost identical to the THC, CBD and other cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. In other words, body-derived cannabinoids, or endocannabinoids. And as with everything in the body, those endocannabinoids are there for a reason, but are part of a system, scientists soon discovered: the endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The discovery of the ECS initially revealed how THC in particular causes people to feel “high” after smoking cannabis. But in recent decades, research has shown that the ECS plays an important role in regulating and controlling a wide range of bodily functions:
- Memory and learning things
- Processing emotions
- Sleeping and waking up
- Internal thermostat, thus regulating body temperature
- Pain and pain perception
- Motor skills and coordination
- Inflammatory reactions
- Immune response
- Digestion (especially appetite)
What does the ECS consist of?
The ECS consists of a network that is particularly common in the brain, but is also woven into other organs and body tissues. The ECS consists of three elements:
Endocannabinoids
These are molecules that our bodies naturally produce and are structurally similar to substances we also find in cannabis. There are several endocannabinoids, including anandamide, 2-AG and TRPV1. In the ECS, endocannabinoids perform the function of keys, which fit the locks we call receptors.
Receptors
Receptors are not only locks where the keys called endocannabinoids fit, but also perform important regulatory functions. The two best-known cannabinoid receptors are CB1 and CB2.
Enzymes
Enzymes are responsible for the creation and breakdown of cannabinoids and thus, for example, cause anandamide to be broken down or actually created.
Cannabinoid receptors: CB1 and CB2
Thus, the two main receptors of ECS are CB1 and CB2 receptors. By the way, these are not the only receptors of the system, as it was recently discovered that a receptor called GPR55 also plays a role. But we will leave that one aside for now.
CB1 receptors are one of the most abundant receptors in the brain and spinal cord. They are mainly found in the hippocampus, basal ganglia, frontal cortex and cerebeullem, but are also found in the liver, lungs and reproductive organs, among others. Their main function is to regulate the level of neurotransmitters in the nervous system. In this way, for example, they make you feel hungry or raise your body temperature.
CB2 receptors are less common in the brain, but are mainly found in parts of the immune system. However, the skin, bones, liver and pancreas also contain CB2 receptors. The function of CB2 receptors is different from that of CB1 receptors, as CB2 specifically regulates inflammatory responses.
Endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids
Before receptors spring into action and cause your temperature to rise, for example, or inflammation to be counteracted, they must first be activated. And so that’s where cannabinoids come in, because as mentioned, these are the keys that fit the lock on the receptors. Cannabinoids come in two forms:
- Body’s own cannabinoids (endocannabinoids)
- Cannabinoids from cannabis plants (phytocannabinoids)
The interesting thing about endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids is that they are not exactly the same, but these molecules have the same effect on the receptors of the ECS. In other words, the body reacts no differently to the substances from the cannabis plant than it does to the substances our body produces naturally. And so this also largely explains the “magic” of cannabis: it is a plant that seems to be made to help our bodies.
THC, anandamide and the ECS
In particular, if we look at THC from cannabis and the body’s own anandamide (named after the word “Ananda” from Sanskrit which means something like bliss), it becomes quite clear how it is possible for cannabis to have the effects it does. This is because THC and anandamide are completely similar in structure, which means they both have the same effect on the CB1 receptor. As a result, they therefore also have the same effect on our bodies.
And that effect is huge. Because when anandamide or THC binds with all the CB1 receptors that are all over the brain, so all those functions that regulate those parts of the brain are also activated. And this is what gives the compound anandamide its name and THC its psychoactive effects, because it makes you feel euphoric, for example, it makes your short-term memory less active, it makes your temperature rise, it makes you sleepy and it makes you appetite.
For people whose endocannabinoid system is functioning properly, there is always enough anandamide available to, for example, stimulate appetite or make you feel good about yourself. However, due to stress or disorders, your body may not produce enough anandamide, resulting in a lethargic feeling, no desire to eat and increased pain perception.
Taking THC is then a (temporary) solution, as it ensures that your body’s own supply of anandamide is immediately replenished. The only problem is that this way you quickly get too much THC/anandamide in your body, resulting in the well-known negative side effects.
CBD and the endocannabinoid system
Unlike THC , CBD does have a long-lasting effect on the ECS and is not psychoactive. That is why CBD is by far the most interesting substance from cannabis at the moment, why CBD is 100% legal and why CBD oil and other CBD products are so popular. The exact effects of CBD are still unclear in science, but we do know quite a bit about it.
One thing we know is that CBD does not bind to the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the same way as THC and CBG, for example. What CBD does do is change the shape of the CB1 receptor, with the result that THC (and anadamide) cannot bind to it as well. So in this way, it causes THC to have less effect in the brain and counteracts the worst (negative) side effects of THC.
In addition to reducing the effects of THC, CBD also regulates the release of the enzyme FAAH, which is responsible for the breakdown of anadamide. So in this way, CBD causes less anadamide to be broken down, leaving more in the body. And because this endocannabinoid is very important in regulating emotions, appetite and other body processes, those body processes will perform better in the long run.
In other words, you will feel better, experience less pain and gain more appetite, without the risk of overstimulating those vital body processes, as the CB1 receptors become less active. In this way, CBD contributes to a lasting improvement in health.
Other cannabinoids and the ECS
Besides THC and CBD, there are more than 100 known cannabinoids. And of these, CBG, CBN and CBC are currently receiving the most attention. Again, research is still ongoing, but we do know the following, among other things, about how these cannabinoids act on the ECS:
- CBN binds mainly to CB1 receptors, but less than THC. It also has some affinity for CB2 receptors. In this way, it provides mild sedation and anti-inflammation.
- CBC does not bind strongly to CB1 or CB2 receptors, but it does act on the so-called TRPA1 and TRPV1 receptors. It inhibits endocannabinoid reuptake, which can lead to pain relief and anti-inflammation.
- CBG, known as the “mother” of all cannabinoids, binds to both CB1 and CB2 receptors (as well as serotonin and adrenergic receptors). It primarily causes inflammation to be inhibited.
So not only is the action of CBD on the endocannabinoid system incredibly interesting, that of all the other cannabinoids is also very fascinating. But if you then consider that an average CBD oil contains almost all cannabinoids and that they therefore all act together simultaneously on the ECS, you will understand that we are only at the beginning of a long and complex search for the mechanism behind the positive effects of cannabis products.
