The Endogenous Cannabinoid System

By Franjo Grotenhermen and M.D.
Published on January 21, 2021
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by AdobeStock/lovelyday12

The natural cannabinoids of cannabis, in particular THC, act on the human organism in a way that is similar to the endocannabinoids, endogenous substances that carry out a multitude of functions in the human body. These endocannabinoids (from the Greek endo, which means “inner”), or endogenous cannabinoids, are found not only in human beings but also another vertebrates (mammals and birds) and in a great number of primitive animals. THC, like the endocannabinoids, connects to specific sites present on the surface of numerous cells, which then sets in motion its effects. These sites are called cannabinoid receptors. Together, the endocannabinoids, the enzymes, and the cannabinoid receptors form the endogenous cannabinoid systems, which plays an important role in the regulation of appetite and in the perception of sensory information or information relating to pain, as well as movement coordination.

Other natural cannabinoids present various action mechanisms.

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Cannabinoid Receptors

It was demonstrated for the first time in 1987 that most of the effects attributed to the cannabinoids get conducted through their connection to specific receptors. These cannabinoid receptors are mainly located on the membranes of brain cells and in the spinal marrow. They are also present in cells of the heart, the intestines, the lungs, the skin, the urinary tract, the uterus, the testicles, the internal glands, the spleen, and the white blood cells. Depending on where these receptors are located, their activation will induce very different effects–for example, an inhibition of nociceptive pathways, an inhibition of inflammatory processes, a modification in the perception of time, or a feeling of euphoria or other effects in the mind.

Endocannabinoids

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