When you think about the various systems in your body, the cardiovascular system, the immune system, the reproductive system, and the digestive system probably come to mind. The endocannabinoid system? Not so much. In fact, you may not even know that it exists.
The truth is, the endocannabinoid system (ECS, for short) is present in all human beings, as well as in rabbits, mice, dogs, and all other mammals, says Deepak Cyril D’Souza, professor of psychiatry and director of the Yale Center for the Science of Cannabis and Cannabinoids. “It’s a natural communication system in the brain and body. We believe it plays an important role in homeostasis—keeping things in balance.”
The ECS wasn’t discovered until 1990 when researchers were investigating the psychotropic actions of marijuana on the brain and body. That’s when they discovered that the human body has cannabinoid receptors, or binding sites, that respond to various chemicals—including tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, the primary psychoactive compound in marijuana, and cannabidiol, CBD, which isn’t psychoactive—and that it also produces its own endocannabinoids, molecules that are structurally similar to the cannabinoids found in cannabis plants.
(Inside the lab-driven quest for the ultimate high)
Even though it’s named after the plant that led to its discovery, the system doesn’t exist just to respond to cannabis. Rather, the endocannabinoid system (endo- means “within” or “internal”) plays a key role in helping your body function properly. The ECS is found throughout the brain and body, in organs, connective tissues, glands, and certain cells.
