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BackThe endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex network that helps control how we think and feel. It affects behavior, mood disorders, and neurological conditions like epilepsy. The ECS is also present throughout the rest of the body, including the reproductive, urinary, and digestive systems.
Understanding the ECS can help us learn how our bodies work and how to treat certain conditions. This blog explores what the ECS is, how it works, and why it’s important for our health.
What is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)?
The ECS, or endocannabinoid system, is a network of chemical signals and cellular receptors found throughout our brains and bodies. Discovered in the early 1990s while studying THC, the ECS helps regulate body functions like sleep and mood.
Many people know about the sympathetic nervous system, which triggers our fight-or-flight response, but fewer know about the ECS, even though it plays a crucial role in daily functioning. The ECS helps manage essential functions like learning and memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, pain control, inflammation, immune responses, and eating. Currently, it is a focus of international research and drug development.
What Are the Functions of the ECS?
Researchers are still learning about all the functions of the ECS, but its primary function is to help maintain homeostasis (the stability of the internal environment) within the body. For example, if pain from an injury or a fever disrupts the body’s balance, the ECS helps restore it.
Current research links the ECS to processes like:
- Appetite and digestion
- Metabolism
- Chronic pain
- Inflammation and immune responses
- Mood
- Learning and memory
- Motor control
- Sleep
- Cardiovascular function
- Muscle formation
- Bone growth and remodeling
- Liver function
- Reproductive system function
- Stress
- Skin and nerve function
How Does the ECS Work?
The ECS uses three main components: endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes. This system is at work even if you don’t use cannabis.
Endocannabinoids
Our bodies naturally produce endocannabinoids that activate CB1 and CB2 receptors. The first discovered endocannabinoid, anandamide, is derived from the Sanskrit word “ananda,” meaning bliss. These endocannabinoids are crucial for maintaining internal balance and can bind to either CB1 or CB2 receptors, with effects varying based on the receptor’s location and the specific endocannabinoid involved. However, defining typical levels for each is challenging, as our bodies produce endocannabinoids as needed.
The two main endocannabinoids are:
- Anandamide (AEA)
- 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)
CB1 & CB2 Receptors
The two main types of endocannabinoid receptors are:
- CB1 Receptors – Primarily located in the central nervous system, these receptors are abundant in the brain, more so than many other receptor types. They function like traffic controllers, managing the levels and activities of most neurotransmitters. CB1 receptors provide immediate feedback to adjust essential functions such as hunger, temperature, and alertness.
- CB2 Receptors – Mostly found in the peripheral nervous system, especially within immune cells. CB2 receptors play a crucial role in regulating the immune system, controlling inflammation, and managing muscle contractions and pain, particularly in conditions like inflammatory bowel disease.
Enzymes
Enzymes break down endocannabinoids after they’ve done their job. The two main enzymes responsible for this are:
- Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) – Breaks down anandamide (AEA)
- Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) – Typically breaks down 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)
The ECS’s Role in Learning and Memory
Research shows that the ECS is important for learning and memory. A clear example is how high doses of cannabis can temporarily disrupt short-term memory, but memory returns to normal once cannabis use stops. Studies also show that THC affects short-term memory and changes brain activity patterns.
In his book The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan mentions that humans have been growing cannabis for thousands of years. Pollan suggests that forgetting is crucial for brain function because it helps prevent overload from too much sensory information. He thinks cannabis helps with this process. The ECS’s role in forgetting could lead to treatments for PTSD, where people have distressing memories that cause severe symptoms.
Research on how long-term cannabis use affects memory is still ongoing. Initially, cannabis was thought to have only negative effects on cognition. However, new studies are exploring how cannabis use might positively impact cognitive function.
Photo by Enis Can Ceyhan on Unsplash
What is Endocannabinoid Deficiency?
Some experts believe that there could be a condition called endocannabinoid deficiency (CECD). This idea suggests that low levels of endocannabinoids or problems with the ECS might cause certain health issues. A 2016 article looked at more than ten years of research and suggested that CECD might be why some people get conditions like migraines, fibromyalgia, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
These conditions don’t have a clear cause, are often hard to treat, and sometimes occur together. If CECD is involved, fixing the ECS or increasing endocannabinoid levels could help treat these conditions. But, more research is needed to prove this theory.
How Do THC and CBD Interact with the ECS?
THC and the ECS
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a primary compound in cannabis responsible for the “high” sensation. When THC enters your body, it interacts with the ECS by binding to its receptors, much like our natural endocannabinoids. THC can bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors, affecting various body and mind functions.
This interaction results in a range of good and bad effects. For example, THC can help reduce pain and stimulate appetite but can also cause paranoia and anxiety in some people. Researchers are exploring ways to create synthetic THC that interacts with the ECS to produce only the good effects without the bad ones.
CBD and the ECS
Cannabidiol (CBD) is another important compound in cannabis. Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t make you feel “high” and usually doesn’t cause side effects. Experts are still learning exactly how CBD interacts with the ECS. What we do know is that CBD doesn’t attach to CB1 or CB2 receptors like THC does.
Many researchers think that CBD works by stopping the breakdown of endocannabinoids, which allows them to have a stronger effect on the body. Some believe that CBD might connect to a receptor that has yet to be discovered. While the exact details are still being studied, research shows that CBD can help with pain, nausea, and symptoms of many different conditions.
Final Thoughts
The ECS is key to keeping our body’s internal balance, though much of it is still a mystery. As scientists learn more about the ECS, it may lead to new treatments for many health issues. Originally, research on the ECS aimed to understand and criticize cannabis, but it has grown into a deep study of a complex system that affects learning, emotions, motivation, and overall bodily balance. We’re at the start of an exciting time in discovering how the ECS functions and how it can help treat some of the toughest diseases. The future breakthroughs in understanding and using the ECS hold great promise and excitement.
(Disclaimer reminder: This article is not medical advice. It is based on anecdotal user experience alone. If you are thinking about incorporating cannabis (delta-8 THC, delta-9 THC, CBD, etc) into your medicinal routine, please consult a healthcare professional. Do not stop taking any prescribed medications without first consulting your doctor.)
Disclaimer: This article reflects the laws of the United States at the time it was written. Because cannabis laws in the United States laws are subject to change at any time, please make sure that you are always staying up to date on your federal, state, and local county’s cannabis laws. Additionally, we are NOT encouraging anyone to break the law––we are simply showing people ways to legally and discreetly bring their cannabis products along with them on their travels so that they may have access to those products when they reach their intended destination.
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