At school, our teachers taught that there are 11 organ systems in the body such as circulatory, respiratory, urinary, integumentary (skin), reproductive, skeletal, digestive, endocrine, muscular, nervous, and lymphatic systems. All of them play a significant role in our survival and quality of living. But there is one organ system that is getting prominence these days following the legalization of medical cannabis and CBD: the endocannabinoid system.

What is the Endocannabinoid System?

The knowledge about the endocannabinoid system is often limited to researchers or doctors working with medical marijuana. Scientists have discovered this group of organs while they were finding out how cannabis is doing wonders in the body. Since ancient times, there have been medical records describing the various benefits of marijuana to our ancestors’ health.

The curiosity about the plant’s incredible healing powers has been revived in the modern era, mainly because of the discovery of receptors spread throughout all parts in the body: in the brain, organs, glands, connective tissues, and immune cells. In 1990s Dr. L.A. Matsuda discovered the structure of the cannabinoid receptor, CB-1. During that time, scientists were attempting to understand how THC, the substance in marijuana primarily responsible for intoxication, affected the body. What they discovered was an astonishing network of cannabinoid receptors (CBr) found in cells of parts of the nervous system.

After the discovery of CB-1, they later identified other cannabinoid receptor types, including CB-2, located primarily in the immune system, the gastrointestinal tract, and many of the other major organs in the body. Later on, they found Anandamide, a cannabinoid-like chemical produced by the body  Anandamide communicates with both the CB-1 and CB-2 receptors, regulating the immune system and other bodily functions. More The endocannabinoids and its receptor are later collectively named the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

Many medical experts consider the ECS as the most important physiologic system responsible for establishing and maintaining our health. And why not? It is a system of physiology found in the body of every person that always keeps the internal balance at the cellular level. It is mainly responsible for regulating homeostasis or a stable internal environment despite variations and rapid changes outside our bodies.

The body produces endocannabinoids nearly all the time to achieve homeostasis, especially when it senses that the body is out of balance. The disruption in the internal balance can come from stress, invasion of bacteria or any other outside factors.

Cannabis, Endocannabinoid System, CBD

But as we grow old or when the ECS fails to function well due to diseases, disorders and other reasons, our body needs help from the outside to maintain its function at the optimal level. Here is where medical cannabis gives out its contribution to modern medicine. CBD and other compounds derived from the plant such as CBC and THC has the unique capacity to interact with the ECS. These cannabinoids mimic the functions of endocannabinoids.

Researchers have found many benefits of taking medical cannabis to a person’s health. No less than the WHO has acknowledged the number of benefits medical marijuana can give to our health and wellness, including treatment to chronic pain, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, depression, some types of cancer, and many health conditions. Aside from enhancing our health, marijuana’s communication with the ECS can also help in carrying out our tasks better.

Future of Cannabis and ECS

But while scientists already have a clear idea of the effects of cannabis in our body, they still need more research on the nature and functionality of endocannabinoids and ECS. Likewise, they need to study further the effects of taking cannabinoids to supplement the body’s production of endocannabinoids to find out more medical benefits of this wonder plant in the future.