As you explore the world of medical marijuana, you may become curious why and how the plant has such profound effects on your body and mind. The answer lies within the endocannabinoid system, which scientists are still studying but understand enough to explain how medical marijuana works in the body. Here’s everything you should know about the endocannabinoid system.
What is the endocannabinoid system?
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex network of chemicals and receptors that all mammals have. Although it remains somewhat of a mystery to scientists and researchers, it’s known definitively that the ECS spans the whole human body. It’s also known that, in processing cannabinoids, the ECS modulates your mind, body, and mood. Its goal is to achieve balance across the body, a state also known as homeostasis.
The ECS may play a role in bodily functions and systems, including, but not limited to:
- Appetite, digestion, and metabolism
- Mood and stress
- Pain perception
- The immune system
- The nervous system
- Reproductive health
- Sleep
- Organ function, including skin health
How does the endocannabinoid system work?
The chemicals in the ECS are called endocannabinoids, and your body produces them naturally. Although many endocannabinoids exist, the two that have been studied the most extensively are anandamide (AEA) and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
These endocannabinoids stimulate ECS receptors, of which there are two main types: CB₁ and CB₂. CB₁ receptors are primarily found in the central nervous system (CNS), which comprises your brain and spinal cord. CB₂ receptors, on the other hand, mostly exist in your immune system and peripheral nervous system (PNS), which delivers information to the CNS.
When AEA binds to ECS receptors, there may be effects on the brain’s reward centers (the word “anandamide” is derived from the Sanskrit word for “bliss”). When 2-AG activates CB₁ receptors, it regulates the release of neurotransmitters. 2-AG is also associated with immune responses.
After endocannabinoids impart their effects on the body, enzymes within the ECS break them down. These same enzymes also recycle these endocannabinoids’ constituent parts so that the ECS can reproduce these endocannabinoids whenever necessary. From its enzymes to its receptors and endocannabinoids, the ECS is a highly regulated bodily system.
How does medical marijuana interact with the endocannabinoid system?
Notably, endocannabinoids have similar chemical structures to the phytocannabinoids found in flower. These phytocannabinoids, which are commonly referred to as just “cannabinoids,” include THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, and CBC. They are different from endocannabinoids but affect the ECS in similar ways.
THC, in particular, interacts strongly with CB₁ receptors (and CB₂ receptors, though less so) like AEA does. Just as AEA’s effects on the brain’s reward centers may lead to feelings of bliss, so too is THC associated with cerebral, and often euphoric or relaxing, effects. THC’s effects on the ECS may also explain its correlation with lessened pain perception and changes in stress and anxiety levels.
By comparison, CBD modulates ECS receptors, often toning down the effects of other cannabinoids on the ECS. It’s why medical marijuana products with high or one-to-one ratios of CBD to THC are generally found to be less intoxicating.
What happens when several cannabinoids interact with the ECS?
The simultaneous interaction of several cannabinoids (and terpenes) with your ECS results in the entourage effect. This term is often used to explain why different cultivars of medical marijuana are associated with different effects. For example, medical marijuana flower with high levels of CBD alongside the usual THC content may provide a less potent experience. Additionally, cultivars with high levels of the terpene myrcene may result in strongly sedative effects that might not occur were this terpene present in low amounts.
The entourage effect is even more of a mystery than the ECS, and much research on it remains to be done. As scientists further investigate the marijuana plant, more will become clear about the entourage effect and how it plays out within the ECS.
Exploring the endocannabinoid system with expert help
At Vytal Options, our pharmacists and wellness associates understand the ECS, phytocannabinoids, the entourage effect, and how they all shape your medical marijuana experience. If you have questions about finding products with your desired effects, bring them to Vytal. We’re happy to guide you in discovering which products move you further along your wellness journey.
