Blockers and receivers, defense and offense. Let me explain to you what our endocannabinoid system is, how it works and why it’s a lot like a game of football.
In the mid 1960s scientists in Israel led by Raphael Mechoulam discovered, isolated, and synthesized delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, aka THC, in Cannabis. (Incidentally, this research was brought to you in part by the United States own National Institute of Health, through subsidies.) THC is a cannabinoid and soon it was also discovered that cannabis had many more cannabinoids, (at least 100). Poor Mechoulham, because his benefactor, the U.S.Government’s NIH, was destined to NOT be a friend of this old herb, cannabis, even though he and his peers recognized and understood its therapeutic value and promise it held. In fact, in 1975 Mechoulam predicted that medicine derived from this herb could possibly replace up to 20% of the current pharmaceuticals on the market. What an optimistic fellow! That kind of thinking was ignored by people with the power to take the ball and run with it. The War on Drugs, especially cannabis, was on.
But how do these cannabinoids work in humans. They sound suspiciously like “opioids”, so they must be bad drugs that we must control, right? No, not really. The opioid receptors in the body are located in the brain, and since their discovery in 1973, (I would have guessed it was well before that considering how long opiates have been in use), the hunt was on to find the cannabinoid receptors. Correctly assuming they had to be there the diligent hunt was fruitful. In 1988 the first cannabinoid receptor was found, this time in the good old USA. Prof. Allyn Howlett & William Devane at St. Louis University School of Medicine, identified cannabinoid receptors in the brain.These are called CB-1 receptors, and they are mainly concentrated in areas of the brain that control memory, movement, appetite, emotion and cognitive function, but are very scarce in the brain stem, which controls breathing and heartbeat, and this is the reason you can’t die from an overdose of cannabis. 
The identification of the CB-2 receptors came next and they exist throughout the central nervous system as well as the immune system, digestive tract, liver, heart, kidneys, glands, circulatory system and – well, pretty much all over the body. Since these CB receptors are in such abundance in our bodies, it was pretty much assumed they are there for a reason. Just like with opioid receptors having in-body naturally occurring chemicals to stimulate them as needed, (endorphins), there had to be the same kind of in-body thing existing for the CB receptors, right? It turns out there was, and with the discovery of these very cool body things in 1992, came the name of this new body system, the endocannabinoid system.
The first endocannabinoid discovered residing quite naturally in our bodies was named after the Sanskrit word for bliss – anandamide, and it attached to the very same CB1 receptors in our brains as does THC. Ah…bliss! To me it also sounds suspiciously like the Latin/Greek origin word “anodyne” – a cure for pain! The next endocannabinoid identified has a much harder name, 2-arachidonoylglycerol, so it is thankfully just called 2-AG, and it binds itself to the CB-1 AND CB-2 receptors. This is all happening in our bodies naturally to help every system as needed. Cannabinoids kick it into overdrive, also as needed. Here’s how they work.
When cannabinoid molecules bind to receptors they can bind and block, (called antagonists), or bind and receive, (called agonists). This scenario is the reason why CBD is known to counteract psychoactivity of THC. Some of the THC is being received by the CB-1 receptors, but the CBDs block some too. THC also stimulates the CB-2 receptors, but since these are located throughout the body and not in the brain, this action don’t result in a “high” as is obtained by stimulation the CB-1 receptors in the brain. This isn’t to say that THC only stimulate binding and CBD only blocks it. The research is ongoing and revealing more and more benefits everyday. As of yet nothing bad about cannabinoids has been discovered.
These days everyone’s immune system needs help, and for those who have auto immune diseases this is even more critical. Cannabis boosts the immune system, both blocking and regulating it to work as it should in defense of what havoc may be going on. Cannabinoids are also known neuroprotectants, helping to protect and even correct whatever is out of balance. Americans for Safe Access has some useful books on cannabis and individual ailments under puplications on their web site so be sure to check them out because I’m not going to get really disease specific here.
See… it’s as easy as football. Blockers and receivers, defense and offense. Can you ever watch football again and not think of this cannabinoid scenario? The cannabinoids in whole plant marijuana play both defensively and offensively as a team, depending on what our body needs. And this gives new meaning to the words, Super Bowl. Game On, Prohibitionists!