A question I used to wonder often was how Cannabis affects us and why. Sometimes, it can make one feel giddy, energized and focused, and at other times, sleepy, calm, relaxed, and honestly anywhere in between. Why do we have such a broad array of reactions and experiences?
In the 1990s, Scientist Dr. Raphael Mechoulam and his team isolated THC as a compound in Cannabis, followed shortly after by CBD, and then the CB1 and CB2 receptors were located in the body. Along with these discoveries, they found what we now know as the Endocannabinoid System (ECS).
What is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)?
The ECS is a major regulatory system found throughout the body that helps with a host of different body functions.
This system exists in every mammal worldwide, and the Endocannabinoid receptors found throughout the body (CB1 and CB2 receptors) activate the ECS to help the body react or facilitate the necessary response.
But how?
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that are found in Cannabis, THC and CBD being only a few. These compounds directly affect the potency or the outcome of the experience the Cannabis gives you.
Our bodies create a neurochemical very similar to THC, called anandamide, which works with the CB1 and CB2 receptors to create the responses in the body.
The CB1 receptors are predominantly focused in the brain and central nervous system, while the CB2 receptors mostly communicate with organs and the body's immune system.
Cannabinoids and anandamide react with these receptors and can influence and change the neuron binding in these receptors, changing how we react or how the body or immune system may react.
This means cannabinoids can change our "highs" which is why we get so many different effects.
Some scientists believe that the ECS could possibly be connected to our personalities as well as thought patterns. It's been proven that the ECS can have a drastic effect on our overall health and well-being.
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