CBD, like other hemp cannabinoids, acts on the human body through the endocannabinoid system—activating it and, through it, regulating processes occurring in other bodily systems. Endocannabinoid system receptors are scattered throughout the body, and its purpose is to maintain balance (homeostasis) in the body.

What are cannabinoids?

Cannabinoids are a group of organic chemical compounds with specific properties that allow them to regulate the functioning of cannabinoid receptors found in the body of humans and other mammals. Cannabinoid receptors are part of a network called the endocannabinoid system (ECS)., Endocannabinoid system).

Cannabinoids are divided into 3 groups based on their origin:

endocannabinoids: cannabinoids that are produced in the human body,
phytocannabinoids: plant cannabinoids, e.g. hemp cannabinoids,
synthetic cannabinoids: Chemical compounds with a similar structure and action to endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids are synthesized by humans.

How do cannabinoids work on the human body?

The endocannabinoid system, despite its crucial role in the body, was only recently discovered. It wasn't until 1988 that Israeli scientist Professor Raphael Mechoulam, while studying cannabis phytocannabinoids, noticed that mammals had a network of receptors to which they bind.

Professor Mechoulam has dedicated his scientific career to exploring the secrets that cannabis still holds. He was the first to isolate it in the 1960s. THC and CBD and mapped them. Raphael Mechoulam died in March 2023 at the age of 92.

The role of the endocannabinoid system in the body

An Israeli scientist's research team has discovered that the ECS plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis in the body. It regulates, among other things, the immune, secretory, and nervous systems. When the endocannabinoid system is functioning properly, it can influence numerous other processes in the body. For example, it can regulate the strength and adequacy of the immune system's response and, depending on the situation, increase resistance to pathogens or alleviate the symptoms of autoimmune diseases.

Therefore, by influencing the ECS system by taking CBD or other hemp cannabinoids, we are able to influence other processes, e.g. inhibit the development of diseases.

Structure of the endocannabinoid system:

Cannabinoid receptors:

The best-studied and best-described cannabinoid receptors are CB1 and CB2. The former are most abundant in the brain, while the latter are found in the immune and nervous systems.

Endocannabinoids:

Cannabinoids produced by the human body are responsible for activating or inhibiting CB1 and CB2 receptors. The most important endocannabinoids are AEA and 2AG.

Enzymes:

Metabolic enzymes that are responsible for the synthesis and degradation of cannabinoids.

Hemp phytocannabinoids

Phytocannabinoids, or plant cannabinoids, are fat-soluble chemical compounds produced by plants, especially those of the genus Cannabis. In cannabis, most cannabinoids are found in the female flowers, in the characteristic resin-secreting hairs.

Currently, researchers have identified approximately 100 cannabis phytocannabinoids. The best-known cannabinoids are:

9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),
cannabidiol (CBD),
cannabigerol (CBG),
cannabichromene (CBC),
cannabinol (CBN),
cannabidiolic acid (CBDA),
tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV),
tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA).

What diseases can CBD and other hemp cannabinoids be used for?

Above, we discussed how CBD affects the body through the endocannabinoid system. Understanding that cannabinoids regulate the ECS, which in turn regulates other processes in the body, it's easy to see that cannabis can provide valuable support in the treatment of a wide variety of conditions.

Currently, cannabis-based drugs are approved in various parts of the world as a form of therapy for the following diseases:

severe epilepsy in children and adults (Lennox-Gastaut syndrome),
other forms of epilepsy,
side effects chemotherapy (including nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, body wasting, weight loss),
eating disorders, anorexia,
neuropathic pain,
other types of pain,
spasticity,
inflammatory bowel diseases,
mood disorders,
memory disorders,
arthritis,
PTSD.

Scientific research is still ongoing on mechanism of action Cannabinoids in various processes occurring in the body, such as inflammation, decreased immunity, and various diseases, such as endometriosis, Alzheimer's disease, depression, alcohol addiction, skin diseases, and autoimmune diseases. Knowledge about cannabinoids is growing year by year, and research is increasingly entering the clinical phase, allowing for observation. effects of cannabis-based drugs on patients and determining the most effective dosage of cannabinoids and the method of their administration.