INTRODUCTION In 1964, two Israeli researchers, Drs. Raphael Mechoulam and Yehiel Gaoni, were able to identify and ultimately synthesize the psychoactive component of marijuana at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem....
In 1964, two Israeli researchers, Drs. Raphael Mechoulam and Yehiel Gaoni, were able to identify and ultimately synthesize the psychoactive component of marijuana at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. The substance, named THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) turned out to be just one of an entire family of cannabinoid (“cannabis-like”) compounds.
Raphael Mechoulam a Bulgarian-born Israeli organic chemist and professor of Medicinal Chemistry went on to discover the Endocannabinoid System or ECS. Considered the “Father of Cannabis Research’ Dr. Mechoulam just recently passed away, but his legacy lives on in his research findings and indeed even in our CBD products.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a complex cell-signaling system identified in the early 1990s. Cannabinoids are compounds found in cannabis, like CBD, THC and some 160 plus other identified cannabinoids. Experts are still trying to fully understand the ECS. But so far, we know it plays a role in regulating a huge range of functions and processes, including:
The ECS exists and is active in your body even if you don’t use CBD. The ECS essentially regulates homeostasis or equilibrium through the production of endogenous or internally-produced cannabinoids. When our bodies are not producing sufficient quantities of these, issues arise.
As one research paper posits, “If endocannabinoid function were decreased, it follows that a lowered pain threshold would be operative, along with derangements of digestion, mood, and sleep among the almost universal physiological systems subserved by the endocannabinoid system (ECS).” * In other words, if your internal ECS isn’t producing what it should, health problems can absolutely ensue.
So, if I think I might have Cannabinoid deficiency, what should I do? Good Question! Here are some healthy and natural ways you can boost your endocannabinoid system:
For those of you who’ve followed Imbue Botanicals from the very start, you know how passionate we are about using the terms “whole plant” and “full spectrum” to describe our products. Everything we make, everything we sell can be defined by those terms.
And it’s not by accident. And they aren’t just clever catch phrases we use to market our products. Rather, they are a reference to a very important concept with respect to cannabinoids and CBD. For some time now, researchers and practitioners have believed that a more unrefined extract taken from the plant itself provided more benefits due to what’s called the entourage effect.
First described in 1998 by Israeli scientists Shimon Ben-Shabat and our hero, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, the entourage effect supposes that the multiple cannabinoids and terpenes found within Cannabis Sativa work in unison and harmony to produce a better outcome than if they were employed solo. In other words, “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts” when it comes to cannabis.
You might ask, “That’s interesting, but isn’t all CBD whole plant and full spectrum?” The answer to that question is a resounding “NO”! Actually, much of the CBD in the market today is in the form of what we call ISOLATE, which is a purified, powdered form without the other cannabinoids or terpenes. This isolate is then mixed with carrier oils, etc., to formulate products. And it’s not that they are all bad, or don’t work, they just don’t work near as well.
A presentation given at the International Cannabinoid Research Society Symposium in Montreal seems to leave little room for doubt that this is the case. Dr. Fabricio A. Pamplona, Scientific Director of Entourage Phytolab in Sao Paulo, Brazil compared studies of epileptic patients between 2013-2106 that had used either CBD rich extracts or a purified CBD isolate. What he found was that CBD isolates showed a 43% efficacy in reducing seizures, while CBD rich extracts almost doubled this at 78%. He also discovered that almost 3 times the amount of purified CBD isolate was needed for seizure reduction compared with CBD rich extracts, and that herbal CBD had less than half the amount of reported side effects compared to its isolated alternative. Like I said, CBD isolates just don’t work as well!
But over the years that we’ve been in business, the refinement and extraction process of cannabis extracts has improved dramatically, providing ready access to single profile cannabinoids heretofore unavailable. It's not to be said that isolates or single cannabinoid distillates don’t have a place in the clinical health sphere. They do if properly utilized and prescribed. Boosting certain single profile cannabinoids can increase the overall effectiveness of certain products, and at Imbue, that’s exactly what we’re doing with our proprietary oil by increasing important cannabinoids like CBG and CBN, providing the benefits of Full Spectrum and single isomers in one product.
Endocannabinoid deficiency can wreak havoc with the body’s ability to self-regulate and achieve homeostasis. Many people remain unaware of the effects of cannabinoid deficiency or are even unaware that they have an ECS! But there are things you can do to boost how your ECS performs, and supplementation with exogenous cannabinoids like the ones found in Imbue CBD.
*Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Reconsidered: Current Research Supports the Theory in Migraine, Fibromyalgia, Irritable Bowel, and Other Treatment-Resistant Syndromes
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