A complex system in the human body discovered in the 1990s, the endocannabinoid system (ECS) is understood to modulate all physiological processes throughout the brain and body, including the management of appetite, pain, sleep and mood. The purpose of this system is whole-body homeostasis (or balance), the optimal state for maintaining health and natural healing.
Cannabinoids interact with the ECS as ligands, binding directly or indirectly to ECS receptors and acting like chemical messengers to turn on or turn off physiological signaling. Plant-derived phytocannabinoids like THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) are thought to mimic the body’s natural endocannabinoids by temporarily “filling in” on these signaling duties.
So cannabinoids are one piece of a big puzzle that, when operating well, promotes the ideal balanced state in the human body.
