The Endocannabinoid System & CBD: What You Need to Know

As cannabidiol (CBD) grows in popularity, more people are wondering how it works in the body. But to understand CBD, first, we need to take a look at the endocannabinoid system.

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a regulatory network that extends throughout our bodies.

It’s responsible for the homeostasis, or stability, of multiple essential parts of the body. Researchers have found that the ECS regulates sleep, mood, appetite, immunity, memory, reproduction, pain, inflammation, and more.

In other words, the function of the system is to keep our bodies stable and healthy.

There are three parts to the ECS:

• Cannabinoid receptors
• Endocannabinoids (or endogenous cannabinoids)
• Enzymes

Within our bodies, cells receive messages from other cells. Receptors let a cell know when that message is sent.

The ECS receives this feedback - or message - because our bodies produce endocannabinoids, molecules similar to those in a cannabis plant.

Endocannabinoids are in charge of making sure all our internal processes are stable and working correctly, and they do that by interacting with cannabinoid receptors. These receptors exist everywhere in our bodies, waiting for endocannabinoids to let them know they need to signal the ECS.

To make that signal happen, endocannabinoids bind to receptors. Then, the ECS can take action - relieving pain, indicating an immune response, or even letting you know you need to eat.

After the endocannabinoids finish their job, they need to be broken down - that’s where enzymes come into play.

So, how does CBD interact with the endocannabinoid system?

Currently, there are two theories. First, scientists believe CBD encourages the endocannabinoids to have a longer, more powerful effect by blocking enzymes from breaking them down.

When endocannabinoids bind to receptors so the ECS can regulate, they are then decomposed by enzymes. But if cannabidiol blocks those enzymes, the endocannabinoids can extend their action.

The second theory is that CBD may interact with an undiscovered receptor.

Other cannabis compounds like THC interact with two cannabinoid receptors in the body called CB1 and CB2. Researchers have discovered that CBD does not interact with those same receptors. But, that could mean there are other receptors we just haven’t detected yet.

Regardless of the method of interaction, studies have shown that CBD can be absorbed into the human body like other compounds.

For now, scientists have not identified how CBD reacts. However, as research progresses, we will learn more and more about this and other incredible cannabis compounds and how they communicate with our bodies.

Sources

• Journal: Philosophical Reactions of the Royal Society B: Endocannabinoids in Nervous System Health and Disease: The Big Picture in a Nutshell
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: Endocannabinoid System Acts as a Regulator of Immune Homeostasis in the Gut
• National Library of Medicine: The Role of the Endocannabinoid System in the Regulation of Endocrine Function and in the Control of Energy Balance in Humans
• Rambam Maimonides Medical Journal: The Endocannabinoid System, Cannabinoids, and Pain
• Biological Psychiatry Journal: An Introduction to the Endogenous Cannabinoid System
• Harvard: The endocannabinoid system: Essential and mysterious
• Medline Plus: Cannabidiol (CBD)