Perhaps you have heard of the endocannabinoid system, or ECS for short. The term is particularly often used in connection with CBD and cannabis.
What many do not know: The endocannabinoid system is not a system that we only get through cannabis. Our body has it naturally.
It is an endogenous communication system consisting of neurotransmitters, receptors, and enzymes. Researchers are intensely involved with it because the endocannabinoid system is involved in numerous processes in the human body.
But how does it actually work? And what does CBD have to do with it?
What is the endocannabinoid system?
The endocannabinoid system is an endogenous signaling system.
It was discovered relatively late. Researchers first investigated how components of the cannabis plant work in the body. They found certain docking sites – the so-called cannabinoid receptors.
The exciting realization followed later:
Our body does not have these receptors because cannabis exists. It produces substances itself that interact with them.
These endogenous substances are called endocannabinoids.
Today, three important components of the endocannabinoid system are distinguished:
Endocannabinoids as endogenous messengers
Cannabinoid receptors as a type of reception site
Enzymes that form and break down endocannabinoids
The most well-known endocannabinoids include anandamide and 2-AG. The most thoroughly researched receptors include CB1 and CB2.
What are endocannabinoids?
Endocannabinoids are substances that our body can produce itself.
The two most well-known are called:
Anandamide (AEA)
and
2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
The name anandamide is derived from the Sanskrit term "Ananda", which is translated as joy or bliss, among other things. Therefore, anandamide is occasionally referred to as the "bliss molecule."
That sounds nice, but it's a bit too simplistic scientifically.
Anandamide does not have just one single task and is not an endogenous "happiness switch." Rather, endocannabinoids are part of a complex communication system.
They are formed as needed and then broken down again.
What are CB1 and CB2 receptors?
For messenger substances to transmit information, they need suitable receivers.
In the endocannabinoid system, these mainly include CB1 and CB2 receptors.
CB1 receptors
CB1 receptors are particularly common in the central nervous system, but are also found in other areas of the body.
They play an important role in signal transmission between nerve cells.
CB2 receptors
CB2 receptors are found, among other places, on various cells of the immune system. However, they are not exclusively found there.
The simplistic idea that "CB1 is only in the brain and CB2 only in the immune system" would therefore not be entirely correct.
How does the endocannabinoid system work?
Simply put, one can imagine the system as communication between different parts of the body.
The body produces endocannabinoids as needed. These can interact with receptors and thus be involved in the transmission of signals.
Afterward, the endocannabinoids are broken down again.
For this, the body has various enzymes. For anandamide, for example, the enzyme FAAH plays an important role. For the breakdown of 2-AG, among others, an enzyme called MAGL is responsible.
So the whole thing is not a permanently switched on system.
The body can form endocannabinoids, transmit signals, and then break down the messenger substances again.
What does the endocannabinoid system do in the body?
The ECS is being researched in connection with numerous bodily processes.
These include, for example, areas such as:
-
Nervous system
-
Metabolism
-
Appetite
-
Memory
-
Stress responses
-
Immune processes
-
Sleep-wake processes
The formulation "is involved" is important here.
For example, the endocannabinoid system is not simply our "sleep system" or "relaxation system." Many processes in the body result from the interaction of numerous messenger substances, hormones, nerve cells, and organs.
The ECS is part of this complex network.
Why is it called the endocannabinoid system at all?
The name can be confusing at first.
"Endo" figuratively means "from within" or "endogenous".
Cannabinoids from the cannabis plant, on the other hand, are called phytocannabinoids. "Phyto" stands for plant.
So we can distinguish:
Endocannabinoids: are produced by the body itself.
Phytocannabinoids: occur naturally in the cannabis plant.
Phytocannabinoids include, for example, THC and CBD.
However, this does not mean that endogenous endocannabinoids and plant-based cannabinoids are identical.
What does THC have to do with the endocannabinoid system?
THC can bind to cannabinoid receptors and activate CB1 receptors in particular.
It is precisely this interaction that is essential for the intoxicating effect of THC.
Our endogenous anandamide can also interact with CB1 receptors. However, this does not mean that anandamide and THC are the same thing.
And what does CBD have to do with the endocannabinoid system?
With CBD, the matter is more complicated.
CBD does not simply work like THC and does not activate the classic cannabinoid receptors in the same way.
Instead, research is being conducted into how CBD can influence various receptors, enzymes, and other signaling pathways. This includes mechanisms associated with the endocannabinoid system. However, the pharmacology of CBD is complex and remains a subject of ongoing research.
Therefore, the statement:
"CBD activates the endocannabinoid system"
is too simplistic.
More accurately:
CBD can interact with various biological signaling pathways, which also include components of the endocannabinoid system.
Furthermore, this does not automatically imply that commercially available CBD products have specific health effects. The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment also points out that many of the health-promoting effects attributed to CBD have not yet been scientifically proven.
What does anandamide have to do with CBD?
This is where two of our topics meet.
Anandamide is broken down after use. CBD is being investigated, among other things, to see whether it can influence processes that play a role in the availability and processing of anandamide.
Therefore, one occasionally reads:
"CBD increases anandamide levels."
However, this should not be formulated so generally.
There is scientific evidence of interactions between CBD and the anandamide system. However, how these actually occur in humans and what practical significance they have is more complex.
We explain more about this in detail in our article "CBD and Anandamide: What do they have to do with each other?"
Why was the endocannabinoid system discovered so late?
The ECS is a good example of how much we still have to learn about our own bodies.
Research into cannabis first led scientists to cannabinoid receptors. Anandamide was then identified in the early 1990s.
Gradually, this led to the current understanding of an entire endogenous signaling system.
The research is by no means complete.
Today, we know significantly more about the endocannabinoid system than we did a few decades ago. At the same time, new connections and mechanisms are continuously being investigated.
Conclusion: An endogenous communication system
The endocannabinoid system is a naturally occurring signaling system in our body.
Its most important components include:
Endocannabinoids like anandamide and 2-AG,
receptors like CB1 and CB2
as well as enzymes that form and break down endocannabinoids.
The system is involved in various processes in the body and is therefore being intensively researched.
CBD and THC can interact with components of this system – but in different ways. Especially with CBD, the connections are more complex than simple statements like "CBD activates the endocannabinoid system" suggest.
Anyone who wants to understand CBD should therefore first understand the endocannabinoid system. Because this is precisely where it becomes clear: Cannabinoids encounter a communication system in our body that existed long before the first contact with the hemp plant.
Frequent questions about the Endocannabinoid System
Does every person have an endocannabinoid system?
Yes. The endocannabinoid system is an endogenous biological signaling system and does not depend on whether someone uses cannabis or CBD.
What are the most important endocannabinoids?
The most thoroughly researched endocannabinoids include anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
What do CB1 and CB2 mean?
CB1 and CB2 are cannabinoid receptors. They are located in different areas of the body and can receive signals from endocannabinoids.
Does CBD activate the endocannabinoid system?
This statement would be too simplistic. CBD is associated with various receptors, enzymes, and signaling pathways. This includes components of the endocannabinoid system. The exact relationships are complex and are still being researched.
Is the endocannabinoid system only important for CBD?
No. The ECS is an endogenous system and functions regardless of whether a person uses CBD or cannabis.
