The endocannabinoid system explained: how CBD works in the body
A plain-language tour of the biological network CBD interacts with, and why CBD does not get you high the way THC does.
Key takeaways
- ✓The endocannabinoid system is a signalling network that helps keep the body in balance.
- ✓It has two main receptors, CB1 and CB2, plus natural messengers your body makes, such as anandamide.
- ✓CBD barely binds CB1, which is why it is non-intoxicating, and instead nudges several other targets.
To understand CBD, it helps to meet the system it talks to. The endocannabinoid system, or ECS, is a network your body already runs, whether or not you ever take a cannabinoid. It was discovered while researchers were studying how cannabis affects us, and it turns out to be one of the body key balancing systems.
A system for staying in balance
The ECS helps regulate everyday processes such as mood, sleep, appetite, and how you respond to stress. Its job is broadly to keep things steady, a state biologists call homeostasis. It does this with three parts: receptors on cells, signalling molecules that activate them, and enzymes that build and break down those molecules.
CB1 and CB2 receptors
- CB1 receptors sit mostly in the brain and nervous system. They are the receptors THC binds strongly, which is what produces its intoxicating effect.
- CB2 receptors are found more in immune and peripheral tissues.
- Your body makes its own cannabinoids, notably anandamide and 2-AG, that act on these receptors and are then cleared by enzymes such as FAAH.
Where CBD fits in
Here is the key point: CBD does not bind strongly to CB1, so it does not switch on the intoxication that THC does. Instead, research suggests CBD works more indirectly. It appears to influence the enzyme that breaks down anandamide, which may let more of that natural messenger stay active, and it interacts with other targets outside the classic cannabinoid receptors, including serotonin 5-HT1A receptors and TRPV1 channels involved in sensation.
CBD versus THC in one line
THC fits the CB1 receptor like a key in a lock and produces a high. CBD mostly stays off that lock and works around the edges of the system, which is why a compliant, lab-tested CBD product is non-intoxicating.
Frequently asked
- Does CBD get you high?
- No. CBD does not strongly activate the CB1 receptor that produces intoxication, so a compliant, lab-tested CBD product is non-intoxicating.
- What is the endocannabinoid system?
- It is a signalling network of receptors, natural messenger molecules, and enzymes that helps regulate everyday functions such as mood, sleep, appetite, and stress response to keep the body in balance.
- How does CBD interact with it?
- CBD barely binds the main cannabinoid receptors. Research suggests it acts more indirectly, including by influencing the enzyme that breaks down the natural cannabinoid anandamide and by touching other targets such as serotonin receptors.
This article is general educational information and not medical advice. CBD is a food supplement and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any condition. Consult a healthcare professional if you take other medication.
