Did you know within your body you have an network of cellular receptors called the endocannabinoid system, that regulates and controls many of our most critical bodily functions such as learning and memory, emotional processing, sleep, temperature control, pain control, inflammatory and immune responses, and eating. The endocannabinoid system is currently at the centre of renewed international research and drug development.
To stimulate these receptors, our bodies produce molecules called endocannabinoids, which have a structural similarity to molecules in the cannabis plant. The first endocannabinoid that was discovered was named anandamide after the Sanskrit word ananda for bliss. All of us have tiny cannabis-like molecules floating around in our brains.
The cannabis plant, which humans have been using for about 5,000 years, essentially works its effect by hijacking this ancient cellular machinery. Isn't it intriguing how coincidental it seems that our bodies possess an endocannabinoid system complete with cannabinoid receptors, and nature has provided us with a plant abundant in cannabinoids for us to utilize?
The endocannabinoid system comprises of a vast network of chemical signals and cellular receptors that are densely packed throughout our brains and bodies. The "cannabinoid" receptors in the brain — the CB1 receptors — outnumber many of the other receptor types on the brain. They act like traffic cops to control the levels and activity of most of the other neurotransmitters. This is how they regulate things: by immediate feedback, turning up or down the activity of whichever system needs to be adjusted, whether that is hunger, temperature, or alertness.
A second type of cannabinoid receptor, the CB2 receptor, exists mostly in our immune tissues and is critical to helping control our immune functioning, and it plays a role in modulating intestinal inflammation, contraction, and pain in inflammatory bowel conditions. CB2 receptors are particularly exciting targets of drug development because they don't cause the high associated with cannabis that stimulating the CB1 receptors does (which is often an unwanted side effect).
Renowned author Michael Pollan in his acclaimed bestseller The Botany of Desire, explains how cannabis is one of the plants that humans have cultivated, or co-evolved with, for thousands of years. This is in part, Pollan writes, because the act of forgetting plays a valuable role in the ability of our brains to function without being overloaded with data from our senses that we are continually bombarded with.
Pollan puts forth the hypothesis that without the ability to forget, our functioning would be critically compromised, and cannabis helps us do this. Furthermore, the role that the endocannabinoid system plays in forgetting also opens up opportunities for the treatment of PTSD , a condition characterized by the persistence of distressing and intrusive memories that individuals cannot escape, leading to a range of troubling and harmful symptoms associated with pathological memory retention.
Extensive research has demonstrated the pivotal involvement of the endocannabinoid system in the processes of learning and memory. The most obvious observation of this connection is the temporary disruption of short-term memory, which is a prominent side effect of consuming high doses of recreational cannabis. However, it is worth noting that memory function typically returns to baseline levels following a period of abstinence. There have also been some sophisticated studies of how humans acutely respond to the administration of THC (the active ingredient in cannabis) and the ways in which this alters both their ability to memorize things in the short term and the patterns observed on their functional brain imaging.
The cautionary tale of rimonabant, a drug designed to block the CB1 receptor, serves as a compelling example of the pivotal role the endocannabinoid system plays in numerous essential functions. Originally developed as an anti-obesity medication, the rationale behind its creation was based on the belief that the endocannabinoid system regulates appetite. We know this because, among other lines of evidence, cannabis gives you "the munchies," so if you block the CB1 receptor it should cause weight loss. A goal that rimonabant achieved effectively. However, the endocannabinoid system also governs mood, leading to an emergency withdrawal of the drug from the market due to reports of increased suicidal tendencies among users.
The study of the endocannabinoid system initially centered on efforts to understand (and sometimes vilify) an illicit drug. However, recent research has blossomed into a much broader exploration of what has proven to be an astonishingly intricate and far-reaching system governing how our bodies learn, experience emotions, find motivation, and maintain equilibrium. We stand on the cusp of a new era of discovery concerning the endocannabinoid system, along with the development of potential new medicines that could alleviate some of the most relentless diseases afflicting both humans and animals. I am eagerly anticipating the revelations that lie ahead as we continue to unravel the mysteries of the endocannabinoid system.
Some information excerpts used are from Peter Grinspoon, MD
Dr. Peter Grinspoon is a primary care physician, educator, and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital; an instructor at Harvard Medical School; and a certified health and wellness coach.