The Endocannabinoid System & CBD: What Does the Research Show?
The Endocannabinoid System & CBD: What Does the Research Show?
The endocannabinoid system, usually shortened to ECS, is a signalling system found throughout the human body.
It became an important area of scientific research following the discovery of cannabinoid receptors and naturally produced cannabinoid-like signalling molecules during the late twentieth century.
You will often see the ECS used to explain how CBD works. Unfortunately, online explanations can make the system sound much simpler than it really is.
CBD does not simply “switch on” the endocannabinoid system, nor has it been proven to “rebalance” the body in the straightforward way sometimes claimed in CBD marketing.
So what actually is the ECS, and what do scientists know about CBD's interaction with it?
What Is the Endocannabinoid System?
The endocannabinoid system is a network of signalling molecules, receptors and enzymes involved in communication between cells.
Its three commonly discussed components are:
- endocannabinoids — signalling molecules produced naturally by the body;
- cannabinoid receptors — including CB1 and CB2;
- enzymes involved in producing and breaking down endocannabinoids.
The word endocannabinoid means a cannabinoid-like substance produced within the body.
Two of the best-known endocannabinoids are anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
These are different from phytocannabinoids, which are compounds produced by plants. CBD, or cannabidiol, is a phytocannabinoid.
What Are CB1 and CB2 Receptors?
CB1 and CB2 are the two classical cannabinoid receptors most commonly discussed in ECS research.
CB1 receptors
CB1 receptors are particularly abundant in the central nervous system, although they are also found elsewhere in the body. They are involved in a wide range of signalling processes.
CB2 receptors
CB2 receptors are strongly associated with cells and tissues involved in immune function, although they are not restricted exclusively to the immune system.
The distribution and functions of both receptors are considerably more complex than the simple diagrams often used to explain CBD online.
What Does the Endocannabinoid System Do?
Research suggests that endocannabinoid signalling participates in the regulation of numerous physiological processes, including nervous-system signalling, appetite and metabolism, memory and learning, immune signalling, responses to stress, sleep and wakefulness, pain signalling, reproduction and other physiological functions.
That does not mean the ECS independently controls all of these processes. The body contains many interacting signalling systems, and the ECS works alongside them.
For that reason, descriptions such as “the body's master regulator” can give an overly simplified impression of what is actually a very complicated biological network.
What Does Homeostasis Mean?
The ECS is frequently discussed in relation to homeostasis.
Homeostasis describes the processes through which biological systems maintain conditions within ranges compatible with normal function despite changes inside or outside the body.
Endocannabinoid signalling can participate in these regulatory processes. However, this does not mean that taking CBD automatically “restores homeostasis” or corrects an imbalance. That is a much bigger claim and has not been established for ordinary retail CBD food supplements.
How Does CBD Interact With the Endocannabinoid System?
This is where the science becomes particularly interesting.
CBD behaves very differently from THC. THC can interact strongly with cannabinoid receptors, particularly CB1.
CBD has relatively low direct affinity for CB1 and CB2 receptors. Researchers therefore do not generally describe CBD as simply activating these receptors in the way THC does.
Instead, CBD has been investigated for interactions with numerous molecular targets and signalling pathways. These include cannabinoid-related pathways as well as receptors, ion channels, enzymes and transport systems outside the classical CB1/CB2 model.
This is one reason statements such as “CBD binds to your cannabinoid receptors and restores balance” are misleadingly simple.
Does CBD Increase Anandamide?
You may have read that CBD raises levels of anandamide — one of the body's own endocannabinoids.
There is research suggesting CBD can influence mechanisms involved in anandamide signalling and metabolism. One proposed mechanism involves fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), an enzyme involved in breaking down anandamide.
However, research into CBD's effects on FAAH and related pathways has produced differing findings depending on the experimental system used.
It is therefore more accurate to say that CBD may influence endocannabinoid signalling through indirect mechanisms that remain under investigation than to promise that CBD simply “increases your natural cannabinoids”.
Does CBD “Boost” the Endocannabinoid System?
There isn't good evidence for describing it that way.
The ECS isn't like a vitamin level that simply needs topping up. Likewise, there is no standard consumer test showing that somebody's endocannabinoid system is “low” and therefore needs CBD.
CBD researchers are investigating interactions with the ECS and many other signalling systems, but that is different from proving that taking a CBD supplement generally “boosts” or “repairs” the ECS.
Can Your Endocannabinoid System Become Deficient?
You may encounter the phrase clinical endocannabinoid deficiency online.
This is a hypothesis proposing that alterations in endocannabinoid signalling could be associated with certain conditions. It is an area of scientific interest, but it should not be presented as though “ECS deficiency” were a routine diagnosis that can be identified at home or corrected by buying CBD oil.
Research into endocannabinoid signalling in health and disease continues.
Does Everyone Have an Endocannabinoid System?
Humans naturally possess an endocannabinoid system.
We were not born with cannabinoid receptors because cannabis exists. Rather, cannabis-derived cannabinoids such as THC and CBD happen to interact — directly or indirectly — with biological signalling systems that already exist within us.
The body's own endocannabinoids and their signalling pathways perform physiological roles independently of whether somebody ever consumes cannabis or CBD.
Is the ECS the Reason CBD Has Effects?
It is part of the story, but not the whole story.
CBD is often introduced as though it works exclusively through the endocannabinoid system. Modern pharmacological research paints a more complicated picture.
Researchers have investigated CBD's interactions with numerous molecular targets beyond CB1 and CB2. Exactly which mechanisms are most relevant can also depend on factors including concentration, formulation, route of administration, tissue involved and the particular effect being studied.
So there is no single sentence such as “CBD works by doing X to the ECS” that accurately explains everything CBD does.
What About the Entourage Effect?
The endocannabinoid system and the entourage effect are different concepts.
The ECS is a biological signalling system found in the body. The entourage effect is a hypothesis concerning possible interactions between different compounds found in cannabis.
We examine that separately in our guide to the entourage effect and what current research actually shows.
Keeping the subjects separate is important because one does not prove the other.
Does Understanding the ECS Prove CBD Has Health Benefits?
No.
Understanding a biological mechanism can help scientists form hypotheses and investigate possible effects. But identifying a receptor, enzyme or signalling pathway does not by itself prove that an ordinary CBD product treats a particular condition.
Clinical outcomes require appropriate human research. That distinction is particularly important when reading CBD marketing.
Statements may sound highly scientific because they mention receptors, endocannabinoids or homeostasis, while still making claims that go beyond the available evidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ECS stand for?
ECS stands for endocannabinoid system, a signalling network involving naturally produced endocannabinoids, receptors and enzymes.
What are the main endocannabinoids?
Two of the best studied are anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG).
What are CB1 and CB2?
CB1 and CB2 are the two classical cannabinoid receptors. They are found in different tissues throughout the body and participate in numerous signalling processes.
Does CBD bind directly to CB1 receptors?
CBD has relatively low direct affinity for CB1 and CB2 compared with THC. Its pharmacology is much more complex and includes a range of indirect mechanisms and other molecular targets.
Does CBD increase anandamide?
Research suggests CBD may influence mechanisms involved in anandamide signalling and metabolism, but the mechanism is complex and findings vary between experimental systems. It should not be presented as a guaranteed effect of taking a CBD food supplement.
Does CBD restore balance to the endocannabinoid system?
There isn't sufficient evidence to make that general claim. The ECS participates in biological regulation, but that does not mean consuming CBD automatically restores “balance” or corrects an ECS deficiency.
Do you need CBD for a healthy endocannabinoid system?
No. The human body naturally produces endocannabinoids and operates its ECS whether or not somebody uses CBD.
The Bottom Line
The endocannabinoid system is a genuine and fascinating part of human biology.
It includes naturally produced signalling molecules such as anandamide and 2-AG, cannabinoid receptors including CB1 and CB2, and enzymes involved in endocannabinoid production and breakdown.
CBD can interact with endocannabinoid-related signalling, but its pharmacology is considerably more complex than the familiar claim that it simply “activates the ECS and restores balance.”
CBD has relatively low direct affinity for the classical cannabinoid receptors and has been investigated across numerous other molecular pathways. Scientists continue to investigate exactly how these mechanisms contribute to CBD's effects.
Understanding that uncertainty doesn't make the ECS less interesting. It makes the science considerably more accurate.
This article is for general educational information only and is not medical advice. CBD food supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.