We asked Cheryl Myers, Chief of Scientific Affairs and Education for EuroPharma (Green Bay Wisconsin, EuroPharmaUSA.com), the following question: What is science telling us about the body’s endocannabinoid system and the vital part that CBD can play in improving the health of consumers? Here’s her response:
The endocannabinoid system is a set of receptors and signaling compounds in the body. The receptors receive signals and our own fat-soluble, naturally occurring compounds that carry them.
Cannabinoid receptors, frequently abbreviated as CB1 and CB2, are involved with perception of pain, neurological factors, and other physical health concerns, too. The compounds from hemp may interact with these receptors, found on the surfaces of cells, and they prevent the degradation of our own endocannabinoids.
Both CB1 and CB2 are expressed in the hippocampus, a part of the brain associated with memory and emotion and is part of the limbic system. But each also has its own areas of expertise, too. Broadly speaking, CB1 is involved with neurological responses—seizure, fear, and memory – while CB2 is more aligned with the immune system, peripheral structures of the body, and digestion. In an extremely simplified way, you could think of the CB1 receptor as the “mind receptor” and CB2 as the “body receptor.”
Overall, this whole system is involved with a lot: feelings of pain and stress, but also immune health and even bone density. Two of the most studied of our body’s own endocannabinoids are anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
Cannabinoids like CBD from hemp, or cannabinoid-like alkamide from Echinacea angustifolia appear to help preserve our own natural endocannabinoid compounds, including anandamide and 2-AG. These endocannabinoids interact with receptors in the brain and body (like CB1 and CB2) that determine how we experience pain, nervousness, and a whole host of other responses. Bear in mind, too, that our endocannabinoid system uses omega-3 fatty acids as a kind of “scaffold.” So, if a person’s level of omega-3s is low (and that can often be the case with depression, pain, or anxiety), their mind and body is going to have a tough time facing stressors.
So what the research on the endocannabinoid system has been uncovering—and bear in mind that this work has only been going on for about 25 years or so—is that we have ways of strengthening our natural resilience with botanicals that may have been considered “no-go zones” for a long time. The work with non-psychoactive compounds from hemp shows that there are plant components that we shouldn’t ignore. What seems to be the big issue now is sorting through the legal aspects and, honestly, a lot of misconceptions about hemp and the connections of mind-body health.
Part of this nervousness on behalf of agencies may not only be wariness regarding hemp, but also the fears associated with pain-relief and addictive properties. Supplemental hemp phytocannabinoids, by definition, can only have 0.3 percent (or less) of THC. So nobody has to worry about feeling impaired by taking hemp supplements.
But I’m not sure that people are generally aware of that. And frankly, the way that some hemp products are marketed doesn’t add to their credibility, so there’s a lot to unpack here in order to stabilize and add legitimacy to the marketplace.
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