What Is the Entourage Effect? Is It More than Just a Show?

No, the entourage effect isn't the name of a TV show about an A-list celebrity with a quirky gang of bodyguards. The term actually refers to a scientific phenomenon in which cannabinoids work better together as a team. In this article, we'll cover the science behind the entourage effect and why you might want to try a CBD product that incorporates multiple cannabinoids.

What’s So Special About the Cannabis Plant?

Cannabis is famous for having a complex genetic structure of more than 120 cannabinoids, or phytocannabinoids, and terpenes.

Cannabinoids are studied to potentially have positive effects on the mind and body, such as decreased inflammation and pain, improved moods, and anti-seizure capabilities. When cannabinoids enter the body, they interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a regulatory network within every human body.

What's interesting is that cannabinoids may be more likely to have an effect when they enter the body together, hence the term entourage effect.

What Is the Entourage Effect?

Entourage can mean a group of people, like bodyguards, that come in with the VIP. In the case of the entourage effect, the bodyguards that enter are the multiple cannabinoids.

This idea isn't unique to cannabis. Pharmaceutical companies have known for years that certain therapies are better when developed from the whole plant.

For example, medication made from Artemisia annua, a plant native to China, is used to treat and prevent malaria. However, medicine made using the whole plant, rather than a drug of isolated content from the plant, is more effective.

With that information, it’s not implausible that a natural solution like cannabis would be most powerful in its broadest form rather than an isolated version.

That full form includes terpenes, the compounds found in every plant that produce its smell. When cannabis products contain terpenes, the entourage effect is compounded. Phytocannabinoids and terpenes together are said to be the most effective form of cannabis.

Several studies back up the existence of the entourage effect:

• One study found that THC alone had little difference in effect on pain from the placebo, while a whole plant extract with THC and CBD (cannabidiol) was notably more effective.
• Researchers studying behavioral pain reactions in mice concluded that terpenes lowered pain levels and body temperature. But, when the terpenes were used in combination with one cannabinoid, they had an even more significant effect.

What Is the Best Form of CBD to Encourage the Entourage Effect?

There are thousands of CBD products on the market, but they differ in what cannabinoids are included. CBD comes in three unique forms: isolate, Broad-Spectrum, and Full-Spectrum.

If you want to test out the entourage effect in your own life, Broad-Spectrum and Full-Spectrum CBD are the best options, as CBD isolate contains only the cannabidiol compound.

Full-Spectrum has everything - cannabidiol (CBD), THC (less than 0.3%), and other cannabinoids and terpenes, while Broad-Spectrum contains CBD and other cannabinoids and terpenes without the use of THC. Full-Spectrum may not be an option for everyone in that many people have to watch their exposure to THC for fear of its detection in a blood test.

Instead, Broad-Spectrum products are the right choice for many people. You can enjoy the potential benefits of the entourage effect without any THC, which may be beneficial to some customers who have to be tested for THC. Tinctures, edibles, topicals, and more are all a great way to explore the value of cannabis in your life.

Learn more about Nanotechnology and Broad-Spectrum CBD with us here at Science-Rite.

Sources

• American Neurological Association: The Entourage Effect of the Phytocannabinoids
• Frontiers in Plant Science: The Case for the Entourage Effect and Conventional Breeding of Clinical Cannabis: No “Strain,” No Gain
• University of Arizona Health Sciences: Study Shows Cannabis Terpenes Provide Pain Relief, Contribute to ‘Entourage Effect’