ABSTRACT
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is the most widely distributed receptor system in the human body that needs to adjust to constant change within the body and the external environment. The ECS regulates our biology through a homeostasis balance found in all vertebrate species. Cannabis has been important as a botanical herb for millenia, but it has only been in the past 25 years that medical science has unlocked its benefits. Chronic inflammation and autoimmune diseases create over-activated responses that result in constant endocannabinoid intervention. Endocannabinoids are lipophilic, so transport processes—intestinal absorption, membrane permeability, protein-binding and distribution to tissues and organs, including the brain—need fatty acids for functioning. The endocannabinoid system has significant implications in mammalian reproduction when it signals implantation of a fertilized egg onto the uterine wall. Cannabis plants vary significantly based on species, cultivation, and processing. A cannabis plant can have more than 700 different chemical compounds including about 120 phytocannabinoids and more than 200 terpenes.
