How does CBD work?
How does CBD work?
The thing about CBD is how it interacts with the Endocannabinoid system. Unlike traditional marijuana (THC), consuming CBD is non-psychoactive and does not get you high. All animals vertebrate and invertebrate have this Endocannabinoid system. Humans, dogs, fish, cats, snakes whales and leeches, to name but a few.
What is the Endocannabinoid system?
Discovered it in the 1990s, experts know that it impacts several major bodily processes, including appetite, sleep, mood, and memory, but there is still much to uncover about how it really works and its interactions.
The endocannabinoid system has three components: receptors, enzymes, and endocannabinoids.
+Receptors - Found throughout the body they are a substance to which endocannabinoids will bind;
+Enzymes - Two types of enzymes, within the body, are used to break down endocannabinoids;
+Endocannabinoids - These complement the body by keeping internal operations running smoothly.
To understand the effects of CBD we have to examine the relationship between the receptors and endocannabinoids.
There are two different types of receptors: CB1 and CB2.
The CB1 receptors are mainly found in the central nervous system, (the brain and spinal cord), and are in charge of overseeing movement, coordination, pain, memory, mood and appetite, as well as some other functions.
CB2 receptors are in the peripheral nervous system, (outside the brain and spinal cord), and believed to affect pain and inflammation.
After the cannabinoids have been broken down by the enzymes, the endocannabinoids look to find receptors to bind with.
It is believed that CBD does not directly attach itself to the receptor, but instead it has some power to influence it and activating these receptors is what allows for many of the health benefits that people associate with the compound.
It is thought that CBD can also influence non-cannabinoid receptors, affecting both the 5ht serotonin receptor (responsible for the regulation of mood, appetite, sleep and others) and the TRPV1 receptor (pain and inflammation).