Discovery

Endocannabinoids

Hemp and marijuana come from the same cannabis species, but are grown for different purposes. Hemp – also called industrial hemp- is one of the oldest plants known to man, dating back to 8000 BC. The plant itself is typically tall and thin and cultivated to produce food, oils, paper, other textiles, and CBD extractions. Marijuana plants, on the other hand, are bred for their psychotropic properties.

The cannabis plant species, which includes industrial hemp, contains 60 known cannabinoid compounds. The levels of THC9 in cannabis are what legally distinguish which plants are considered industrial hemp and which are considered marijuana. High levels of THC9 (3 -15%) the cannabinoid commonly associated with the plant’s psychoactive properties.

Similarly, hemp is a cannabis strain with typically higher concentrations of CBD, CBG, CBC and sometimes THCV but will always have low levels of THC9.

Endocannabinoids are the molecules that act as chemical messengers that bind to cannabinoid cell receptors and tell the body to do certain things. The human body naturally produces endocannabinoids with the help of consuming foods like fatty acids found in nuts and fish.

The two primary receptors are called CB1 and CB2, which are found in nearly every system of the human body. CB1 receptors are primarily in the brain and nervous system while CB2 receptors are more prevalent in the immune system.

The 60 cannabinoid molecules found in cannabis also can bind to cannabinoid receptors. Although different cannabinoids (like CBD, CBG, CBC and THC) cause different effects, it is all through the same system that similar molecular messages are sent throughout the body. Put more simply, the molecules found in cannabis plants aid in the human body’s endocannabinoid system, which is responsible for many vital functions.