What are Cannabinoids?
When we think of cannabis, we usually think of THC. But this is a shame because there are actually hundreds of other cannabinoids in the plant that have their own unique effects on the body and mind. In fact, some estimates suggest that there may be over 200 different compounds found within cannabis plants!
Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that interact with your body's endocannabinoid system, biological machinery composed of cannabinoid receptors.
The most famous cannabinoids in cannabis (and those most commonly consumed by humans) are THC and CBD.
The endocannabinoid system is found throughout the body's tissues and organs, including in its central nervous system (CNS), digestive tract, reproductive tract and immune cells. The system plays an important role in regulating numerous physiological processes like mood, sleep cycles and appetite; it may also contribute to chronic pain management or other conditions such as liver fibrosis or cancer treatment-induced nausea & vomiting (CINV).
There are currently over 200 identified cannabinoids with more being discovered every year.
The endocannabinoid system is one of the most important systems of your body. It’s found in humans, animals and even plants. The main role of the endocannabinoid system is to keep everything running smoothly and efficiently by regulating a variety of bodily functions such as moods, sleep patterns, appetite and pain sensitivity. The two major components that make up this system are cannabinoids – which are chemical compounds produced by our bodies – and receptors on cell membranes where they bind with them to produce their effects. There are currently over 200 identified cannabinoids with more being discovered every year!
Some common and well-known cannabinoids include delta-9 THC, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN) and cannabigerol (CBG).
Delta-9 THC is the main psychoactive component of cannabis. CBN is the primary breakdown product of THC and has sedative effects. CBD is a non-psychoactive component of cannabis with multiple health benefits including pain relief, anti-inflammatory properties, anxiety management and more. CBG can be converted into CBD or THC depending on other conditions like temperature and light exposure.
Conclusion
This was a pretty basic overview of what cannabinoids are and how many there are. In truth, the number of cannabinoids is high and growing as researchers discover new ones every day. There are over 200 known compounds that can be classified as such, but only about a dozen of these have been studied enough for us to understand their effects on the human body.
The endocannabinoid system is a complex interplay between many different chemicals in our bodies—and those chemicals interact with one another in ways that scientists are still learning about today.
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