The ECS works like the nervous system …. but in reverse. In the nervous system, a “message” (in the form of a type of chemical called a neurotransmitter) is released from the neurons in the brain and attach to specific receptors on a nearby neuron.

The second neuron then kicks into gear and passes the message along. It’s then that these neurotransmitter chemicals are responsible for many activities (mental and physical).

In the Endocannabinoid System, that process is reversed.

Instead of originating in the brain and traveling down through the body, cannabinoids operate in the reverse direction.

Our non-THC cannabinoids move up to the neurons to inform cannabinoid receptors. There the cannabinoids are able to influence what happens when neurons activate by influencing the amount of different neurotransmitters that a neuron can send, causing non-intoxicating changes in the body and mind.

CB1 receptors are abundant in the central nervous system.

CB2 receptors are more often found on immune cells, in the gastrointestinal tract, and in the peripheral nervous system.

The diversity of receptor locations shows just how important endocannabinoids are for day-to-day bodily function.

Endocannabinoids are the chemical messengers that tell your body to get these processes moving and when to stop. They help maintain optimal balance or equilibrium in the body, also known as homeostasis.

When the ECS is disrupted, any one of these things can fall out of balance. Dysregulation in the ECS is thought to contribute to a wide variety of conditions.