This system is pervasive throughout the body and regulates many important physiologic pathways. It isn’t just humans that have it. All animals, even worms have one as well.
The ECS was discovered in 1992 when researchers injected THC (tetrahydrocannabinol- a compound from cannabis) into human subjects and tracked its influence across the body. Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found in the brain, organs, glands, connective tissues, and immune cells. Even the mitochondria, the powerhouses of our very cells, are influenced by the endocannabinoid system. In each part of our bodies, the ECS has different roles. But the end target is always to bring us back into balance. The ECS serves these primary functions:
- Sleep
- Eat
- Relax
- Protect
- Forget
- Homeostasis (the maintenance of balance).