For those who do not believe in cannabis as a medicine, I ask, "Do you know about the endocannabinoid system and what are the medical conditions associated with its dysfunction?"

If you cannot answer this question, you are not knowledgeable enough to have an opinion on cannabis as a medicine. Dr. Bonni Goldstein

In order to understand what the endocannabinoid system is, it is necessary to review a bit of the scientific and research history of cannabis:

1964 Dr. Raphael Mechoulam and his colleagues at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem isolate THC (Tetrohydrocannabinol) and find that it is the main psychoactive compound in the plant.

1984 After 24 years of studies and research, it is fully understood how THC causes its well-known effects.

1988 Dr. Allyn Howlett and colleagues at St. Louis University discover the cannabinoid receptor.

1992 The first of 5 endocannabinoid compounds (cannabinoids produced by the human body itself) are discovered: Anandamide (AEA).

1995 The second compound produced by the human body is discovered: 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG).

Just as mammals have a respiratory system, a digestive system, a circulatory system, etc., we also have a cannabinoid system. We also have a cannabinoid system, which is called endocannabinoid since the prefix endo- etymologically means "Inside", that is to say the endocannabinoid system that we have inside us. 

Since when have we known the endocannabinoid system and how it works?

In 1988 Dr. Allyn Howlett and her colleagues used advanced scientific techniques with radioactive dye put into synthetic THC, allowing them to track where the THC was going. They discovered that the THC reached the brain and observed that it selectively bound to a specific type of receptor located on the membranes of certain cells. The receptor functions as a "lock" on the membrane of that cell, waiting for a specific "key" to fit into it, so that after the two bind, a chemical reaction in the cell occurs and results in a change in the message the cell sends. 

After this discovery it was believed that these "keys" could only be obtained by external means, but as mentioned at the beginning of this reading, it was soon discovered that the body itself had the natural ability to produce these keys.

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How does the endocannabinoid system work? 

The correct explanation of the endocannabinoid system involves some knowledge in chemical and biological terms, so you better have a little patience and desire to understand it correctly.

We have two types of neurons in the brain: presynaptic and postsynaptic, i.e. those that send messages by means of neurotransmitters (the substances that generate sensations in the body), and those that receive those messages.

Now using an analogy, let's imagine that we are dealing with two friends who are working in a team: one is in charge of dictating the information (the dictator) and the other is in charge of transcribing it (the writer).

Now let's imagine the following case:

1. The dictator starts reading too much information and data to the writer. The obvious result is that an imbalance occurs, because the writer cannot write as fast and cannot write correctly because he gets stressed and starts to get overwhelmed…
2. The writer then tells the writer to read slower, as he cannot understand what he is saying (This message is the "key", the endocannabinoid generated by the post-synaptic cell).
3. The dictator receives the message (The message is received, i.e. the "key" is received and inserted into the "lock" of the presynaptic neuron).
4. The dictator understands that it is reading too fast and that the writer is in trouble, so it slows down and starts reading at a slower speed until the writer feels comfortable. (The "key" and the "lock" click and the imbalance is adjusted).
5. A phytocannabinoid (a cannabinoid from a plant, i.e. cannabis), such as THC, can substitute for endocannabinoids and assist in the process that occurs to regain balance.

In other words, if the writer did not have the necessary strength to tell the dictator that he is overwhelmed and stressed by the speed at which the information is being dictated to him, providing him with an external help of cannabis would give him the necessary push to be able to tell the dictator to calm down and take it easier.

That's right, this also explains the reason why mammals have this endocannabinoid system: Its only job is to regulate the flow of signals that are sent between cells, with the sole objective of maintaining the balance, called in scientific jargon: homeostasis. 

That is why we generate these cannabinoids naturally every time we get hurt, sick, feel inflamed or suffer from any other ailment.

The endocannabinoid system is the most widely distributed system in the human body and regulates many of the most important physiological functions of the body, including:

• Gastrointestinal activity
• Cardiovascular activity
• Pain perception
• Modulation of neurotransmitter release
• Maintenance of bone mass
• Neuron protection
• Hormone regulation
• Metabolism control
• Immunological functions
• Inflammatory reactions
• Inhibition of cancer cells

That's right, as you can see, the endocannabinoid system determines a lot of chemical processes in the body. Italian researcher Vincenzo Di Marzo said that "the endocannabinoid system is essential for life" as it affects how we relax, eat, sleep, forget and protect ourselves.

There is scientific evidence that has proven that this system is automatically activated when some diseases attack the body, such as cancer, multiple arteriosclerosis, traumatic brain injuries, septic shock, arterial hypertension and Parkinson's disease. In these cases, the endocannabinoid system reduces the negative effects by working to maintain the balance of the cells.

So how does it work with cannabis?

Although we all have an endocannabinoid system, it does not mean that everyone's system works the same. Just as there are people who have deficits in the functioning of their immune system or their nervous system, etc. There are people whose endocannabinoid system does not work properly, and there is no pharmaceutical drug that fixes the dysfunction of this system, but the cannabis plant is the best natural medicine that can help the body to recover the balance that it cannot generate.

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