The endocannabinoid system is a system within the human nervous and peripheral nervous system that affects and controls physiological functions and the immune system. The system contains molecules that resemble cannabinoids found in the cannabis plants. Hence the name: endocannabinoid system. “Endo” means from human. So the endocannabinoid system is similar to that in the cannabis plant. The only difference is that it is in the human body. Cannabinoids obtained from the cannabis plants are called phyto-cannabinoids. “Phyto” means from plants.
The endocannabinoid system, also called the ECS system was discovered in the 1990s. It was discovered that this system contained protein molecules that interacted with cannabinoids to create a homeostatic function. That is, the ECS system serves to regulate various neural and immune conditions and processes by providing and helping to maintain the right balance in the body.
Through tests conducted over time, it has been seen that the endocannabinoid system affects a lot of systems within the body. It affects sleep, pain, inflammation, mood, neural function, metabolism and appetite, reproductive health & fertility, mobility, memory, and more. These health benefits are expressed whenever cannabinoids enter the human system. And that is how taking CBD oil or even hemp oil extract brings about all these wonderful health benefits such improving mood, improving sleep, improving appetite, healing glaucoma, stopping cancer cell growth, and fighting inflammation such as arthritis and multiple sclerosis.
It is important to note that the ECS system works even when one does not take cannabis extracts. The human body produces its own cannabinoid molecules in a bid to self-regulate and self-heal itself. However, taking cannabinoids from the hemp or cannabis plants enhances the ECS functions and its benefits
The ECS system is made of various components. There are the endocannabinoid molecules that trigger homeostatic function. There are endo/cannabinoid receptors that interpret the functions of the endocannabinoids, namely cannabinoid receptor one (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor two (CB2). And there are enzymes that break down the endocannabinoid molecules.
When the body system is not balanced, cannabinoid molecules work to correct the imbalance. That imbalance could be mood, sleep, appetite or some other physiological or immune dysfunction. The molecules interact with either CB1 or CB2 neural receptors and express the changes they would like the body and the nervous system to make. That change could be improving appetite, increasing metabolism, inducing sleep, improving memory, etc.
When one takes cannabis, the chemical compounds ingested react with the endocannabinoid receptors. THC, for example binds with both CB1 and CB2 receptors and creates the psychoactive effects of getting one ‘high’. CBD reacts with the endocannabinoid receptors to provide homeostatic functions that affect many physiological processes such as mood, pain, and sleep. The same applies for CBG and most other cannabinoids.
It is suspected that while everyone has an endocannabinoid system, some are dormant. And it is thought that dormant ECS systems are the reason why some people lack proper homeostatic abilities thereby leading to nervous and auto-immune system diseases such as depression, neuropathy, seizures, fibromyalgia, and more.