The endogenous cannabinoid system, named after the plant that led to its discovery, is perhaps the most important physiologic system involved in establishing and maintaining human health.
Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body: in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells. In each tissue, the cannabinoid system performs different tasks, but the goal is always the same: homeostasis, the maintenance of a stable internal environment despite fluctuations in the external environment.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐂𝐒 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝?
In the mid-1990s, an Israeli researcher Dr. Raphael Mechoulam discovered two main receptors that connect to both the endocannabinoids that our bodies naturally produce and plant-based cannabinoids like THC and CBD. These two receptors are known as cannabinoid 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid 2 (CB2) receptors.
The breakthrough of these receptors required working backward, tracing the metabolic pathways of THC that led scientists to discover the unknown molecular signaling system that exists inside thousands of biological lifeforms.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) plays a very important role in the human body for our survival and is the largest receptor system and the master regulator of homeostasis in the human body
The presence of the ECS and the way phytocannabinoids(phyto meaning of plant origin)like THC and CBD interact with the cannabinoid receptors suggest strong potential for the efficacy of cannabis as a medicine. Also, the diverse range of bodily functions governed by the ECS, indicates the potential disorders and illnesses that may be treated by cannabinoid medicines.
Along with this, ongoing research continues to support the efficacy of medical cannabis and points to the potential for cannabis to become an effective medicine 💚
