How does CBD work?

CBD is the abbreviated name for cannabidiol, a phytocannabinoid produced by the flowers of cannabis plants also know as hemp. These plants have been used medicinally for thousands of years due to their high concentrations of more than a hundred different compounds with therapeutic uses, known as phytocannabinoids, which are unique to the plant.

CBD interacts with the body through a chemical messaging system known as the endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) or endocannabinoid system. Discovered in the 1980’s, this system seems to regulate many functions in the body, including learning and memory, mood and anxiety, drug addiction, feeding behavior, perception, modulation of pain and cardiovascular functions. The endocannabinoid system consists of cannabinoid receptors, endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids), transport proteins and enzymes that synthesize or degrade the endocannabinoids.

The question of how CBD actually "works" is very broad because of its efficacy on many different receptors in the body. A lot of research has focused on two receptors, CB1 and CB2 out of the many that interact with CBD.

Let's unpack some research from the paper Cannabinoids and Pain: New Insights From Old Molecules, published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, November 13, 2018. The full text of the article is available below.

What are these CB1 and CB2 receptors? Cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors are 7-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). They play an important role in peripheral, spinal, and supraspinal nociception, including ascendant and descendent pain pathways (Hill et al., 2017).

Let's break down what this says. First, what are "7-transmembrane G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs)?"

From Essentials of Cell Biology , G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are the largest and most diverse group of membrane receptors in eukaryotes, a type of cell found in animals, plants, fungi, and protozoa — rely on these receptors to receive information from their environment. These cell surface receptors act like an inbox for messages in the form of light energy, peptides, lipids, sugars, and proteins. Such messages inform cells about the presence or absence of life-sustaining light or nutrients in their environment, or they convey information sent by other cells.

GPCRs play a role in an incredible array of functions in the human body, and increased understanding of these receptors has greatly affected modern medicine. In fact, researchers estimate that between one-third and one-half of all marketed drugs act by binding to GPCRs.

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