About Cannabinoids or what is CBD?

Canabinoids are substances that are found in nature exclusively in cannabis. The system that living organisms use to process them is called the canabinoid system.

It has existed for over 600 million years, it developed even before the appearance of dinosaurs. It is constantly transforming and is present in all higher species. The canabinoid system has a key impact on many vital functions, including reproduction and food intake.

Scientific work carried out in recent years indicates that cannabinoid receptors are found in the central nervous system and many peripheral tissues, including the immune, reproductive and digestive systems, in the sympathetic nerve ganglia, hormonal glands, blood vessels, lungs and heart, eyes and bones, and in the skin. It is believed that this list will grow in the coming years and thus open the way for therapeutic research related to the effects of cannabinoids in other diseases.

In the past, emphasis has been placed on clinical trials on the effectiveness of cannabinoids in the treatment of chronic pain and nervous disorders. Today, research has been expanded to include the treatment of cancer and diseases associated with disorders of the immune system, such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, etc.

CBD Oil

The potential for canabinoids has also been recognised in the treatment of alcohol and drug dependence, Parkinson's disease, memory impairment and Alzheimer's disease.

Features of the endocannabinoid system

The human body produces substances called endocannabinoids, which bind to cannabinoid receptors and affect the body through them. Receptors are found in various organs and skin, but above all in the brain, but outside those parts of the brain that are responsible for the functions of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Therefore, with cannabinoid-based drugs, there is no risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which in many other drugs can occur as side effects.

In our body, this is an extremely important system. The human body produces endocannabinoids naturally, a process that can also be aided by the ingredients contained in cannabis.

One of the substances that binds to the above-mentioned receptors is the endocannabinoid anandamide. Anandamide was first isolated by Prof. Dr. Lumír Ondřej Hanus, MD. (B. 1947) from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in 1992.

Why is the endocannabinoid system so important?

Looking at the results of cannabinoid receptor studies, there are many therapeutic benefits. They include analgesic effects, muscle relaxation, immunosuppressive, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic effects. They improve mood, stimulate appetite, have antiemetic effects, change intraocular pressure, affect bronchodilation, have a neuroprotective effect and manifest anti-cancer effects.

Endocannabinoids were compared with phytocannabinoids obtained from cannabis. Although their chemical composition is different, they work in a similar way. Therefore, it is possible to compensate for the lack of these substances produced naturally in the body by providing those contained in hemp. This clearly shows the effects of cannabis in a wide range of diseases.

Endocannabinoids

Endocannabinoids have a beneficial effect on the immune system, they are also useful in regulating food intake. They help the body to cope with the physiological, biochemical and psychological stress to which a person is exposed every day. They have a positive effect on a person's ability to acquire new knowledge and deal with it. Endocannabinoids act as an immune system – they protect the body from attacks.

Thus, their main function is to protect against the negative reaction of the body, caused by the accumulation of free radicals during our lives, which are the cause of many so-called civilization diseases, mainly involving the aging of the population. The level of endocannabinoids in the body can stimulate an increased intake of fatty acids (omega-3 and 6 acids), which are in an ideal ratio for the human body in hemp oil, for example. If the deficiency is already too large, it is possible to try to replace the missing endocannabinoids with similar ones, that is, natural ones, contained in cannabis. Synthetic cannabinoids have too weak an effect, because in the body they occur in synergy (together), and only in the plant they occur in a natural combination suitable for taking advantage of their full therapeutic effect.

by Bushka Bryndová