The hidden system that controls our balance

Written by Euan Keenan

Did you know that the human body was already adapted to cannabis long before we even heard of the plant?

Biologically speaking, we all have a “central regulatory system” known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Although it was discovered surprisingly late (in the 1990s), it is now considered one of the most important physiological systems for maintaining human health.

Its main function is homeostasis.

Whether it’s body temperature, mood, pain perception, or appetite—when something in the body is operating outside the optimal range (the so-called “Goldilocks zone”), meaning it’s too hot, too cold, too fast, or too slow, the ECS kicks in to counteract this and restore balance.

This is made possible by a vast network of receptors that literally extends from head to toe. These receptors can be divided into two main groups:

🧠 CB1 receptors (the “command center”)are primarily found in the central nervous system.

  • Brain: cortex, hippocampus, cerebellum.

  • Spinal cord.

  • Target areas: They primarily regulate motor activity, thinking, appetite, short-term memory, and pain perception.

🛡️ CB2 receptors (the “bodyguard”)are primarily found in the immune system and the peripheral nervous system.

  • Immune cells: White blood cells.

  • Organs: spleen, tonsils, and liver.

  • Gastrointestinal tract: The intestinal mucosa.

  • Target areas: They play a key role in regulating inflammatory processes and the immune response.

Before we talk about CBD or THC, we need to understand the body’s own mechanisms through which these compounds interact. We don’t simply react to these compounds—our bodies are chemically designed to process them.

In our next post: The endocannabinoids that the body naturally produces every day.

Source / Further reading:

Euan Keenan
Back

The "happiness molecule" in the brain