Discovering the Endocannabinoid System

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is made up of neurotransmitters, endocannabinoids, enzymes and receptors that enable our bodies to benefit from cannabis. The roll of the ECS is to create homeostasis (balance) in our bodies. The ECS regulates a variety of bodily functions including sleep, mood, memory, appetite, reproduction, and pain sensation. The discovery of the ECS is less than forty years old and researchers still have much to discover about how the ECS affects the health and well being of humanity. What lead to its discovery?

In 1964, two Israeli scientists, Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni, isolated and identified tetrahyrdocannabinol (THC) as the agent responsible for the "high" associated with cannabis. Dr. Mechoulam also clarified the chemical structure of several other cannabis components, including cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxication molecule. He named these unique plant compounds "cannabinoids."

In 1988 at the University of St. Louis, Professor Allyn Howlett and William Devane discovered that a rat's brain contains specialized protein molecules in the cell membranes that are activated by THC. They named this cannabinoid receptor CB1 and found them to be abundant in the brain and spinal cord. In fact, all animals with a spinal cord have CB1 receptors. Next, enter N-arachidonoylethanolamine, the first endogenous cannabinoid neurotransmitter identified by scientists. (A neurotransmitter is a chemical that nerve cells use to send signals to other neurons.)

In 1992, a trio of researchers at Hebrew University in Jerusalem – Raphael Mechoulam, William Devane, and Lumir Hanus – isolated a novel lipid neurotransmitter that binds with the CB1 receptor in pig brain tissue. They called it “anandamide,” Sanskrit for bliss, a word suggestive of its mood-altering effects. Fun fact: Anandamide is also found in chocolate.

In 1993, a second cannabinoid named CB2 was discovered. CB2 resides throughout the immune system, the peripheral nervous system, metabolic tissue, and in many internal organs. This discovery shed new light on the powerful relationship between cannabis and inflammation. It also showed that cannabis can be a viable treatment for a host of autoimmune diseases.