What Is CBD

To understand how CBD works, you’ll need to dive into a little science. This oil is able to produce medicinal effects because it engages with a unique cell signaling network within the human body. That network is called the endocannabinoid system (ECS), and it was named after the cannabis plant. As a cell signaling system, the ECS can be compared to a traffic cop that coordinates movement at a busy intersection. Specifically, the ECS coordinates communication between the central nervous system and the body’s peripheral and visceral organs. The ECS also plays a role in immune function, assisting in response to injury and infection.

The ECS itself contains a number of different parts, including cell receptors, chemical messengers, and the enzymes that create and break down these chemical messengers. Cell receptors, called cannabinoid receptors, sit on the surface of nerve cells, organs, and immune cells. These receptors are “activated” by chemical messengers called endocannabinoids. The prefix endo meaning inside. In contrast, the cannabinoids produced by the cannabis plant are phytocannabinoids, the prefix phyto referring to plants.

Endocannabinoids fit into cannabinoid receptors much like the way keys fit into locks. Once these chemical messengers make contact with their receptors, their interaction triggers a cascade of physiological changes inside of the cell. These changes cause the cell to respond differently, potentially altering the messages the cell sends into its surroundings. These changes could be alterations in electrical current, a halted inflammatory response, and much more. When endocannabinoids are no longer needed, enzymes can break down these chemical messengers so that they stop producing active effects.

Above all else, the ECS is thought to be a stress response network. By “stress,” we’re talking about more than simply a bad day at work. Rather, in this instance, stress refers to any activity that threatens homeostasis. Homeostasis is the scientific term for optimal balance, or equilibrium, in a system. Exercise, for example, can be considered a stress. After exercise, the body responds by increasing the level of endocannabinoids in circulation. This promotes feelings of bliss, pain relief, and perhaps even inspires hunger.

Similarly, after inflammation caused by injury or disease, immune cells increase the number of cannabinoid receptors expressed on their surface. It’s almost as if these cells are calling out for more endocannabinoids to activate them. In this case, inflammation is the stressor and immune cells try to return to a balanced state by priming themselves to receive endocannabinoids.

Researchers are still exploring the precise ways CBD engages the endocannabinoid system. Based on the science so far, however, CBD works by blocking the enzymatic breakdown of endocannabinoid molecules. By preventing them from being broken apart and recycled by the body, more endocannabinoids are available for your body to use. As it turns out, these endocannabinoids play some big roles in human health and behavior. Overall, the ECS is thought to play a part in:

• Bone growth
• Emotion
• Fetal growth
• Memory
• Metabolism
• Movement
• Pleasure
• Pain perception
• Reproduction
• Sleep
• Stress response
• Temperature regulation
• Thought

Increasing the level of endocannabinoids in circulation, however, is not the only way that CBD works. Research suggests that the cannabis compound may improve mood by engaging serotonin receptors, the same receptors targeted by antidepressant drugs. The molecule may also reduce pain by engaging with special heat and pain-sensing receptors called capsaicin receptors. Capsaicin receptors were named after the molecule that causes hot peppers to be spicy.