What Are Endocannabinoids? AEA, 2-AG and How Your Body Makes Its Own Cannabinoids

Endocannabinoids are cannabis-like compounds your own body makes, and they're the messengers of the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a complex cell-signaling network that fine-tunes the central nervous system and helps keep you in homeostasis. Homeostasis is the body's state of balance, where every organ works at its best and you stay physically, mentally and emotionally steady. The two big ones are anandamide (AEA) and 2-AG.

The endocannabinoid system has three key parts:

Endocannabinoids: chemical compounds that carry signals between nerve cells (neurotransmitters). The two main endocannabinoids identified so far are:

Anandamide (AEA)

2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)

Cannabinoid receptors: proteins embedded in the cell membrane that bind to endocannabinoids and react, kicking off nerve activity. The two main receptors identified are:

CB1-R

CB2-R

Endocannabinoid recycling: enzymes in nerve cells break endocannabinoids down into their building blocks so they can be reused the next time a signal needs to go out. The two main enzymes in the endocannabinoid system are:

Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), which breaks down AEA

Monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL), which breaks down 2-AG

What are endocannabinoids?

“Endocannabinoid” takes its name from phytocannabinoids — “phyto” meaning “plant-based” — a class of compounds first discovered in the cannabis sativa plant (weed). Endocannabinoids are cannabis-like compounds that the body produces naturally in its nerve cells.

Two endocannabinoids, AEA and 2-AG, and what they do, have been studied extensively. Several more have been discovered, but scientists still haven't pinned down their functions and roles in the endocannabinoid system.

How are endocannabinoids released?

Unlike other neurotransmitters, endocannabinoids aren't stored in nerve cells. Their precursors sit in the fat molecules of the cell membrane, and the body makes and releases them on demand, right when the signal is needed.

What are the therapeutic uses of cannabinoids?

The cannabis sativa plant contains hundreds of compounds. Two of them, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), interact with the human cannabinoid receptors CB1-R and CB2-R — THC binds to them directly, while CBD works on them in more indirect ways. Both are being studied for medical benefits, but only THC gets you high.

The cannabis plant also contains other minor cannabinoids that interact with the human endocannabinoid system, but their effects are much weaker and they show up in lower concentrations.

Medications can target the ECS in two ways:

Cannabinoid receptor agonists: these drugs bind to CB1-R and CB2-R and switch on their activity (THC, for example).

Cannabinoid receptor antagonists: these drugs are used to dial down the activity of cannabinoid receptors.

Potential therapeutic uses of cannabinoids being researched include: pain management, nausea, cough, glaucoma, neurological disorders, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and seizures, among others.

What do endocannabinoids do in the body?

Cannabinoid receptors are concentrated in the brain, but they're also found in nerve tissue throughout the body. When something like an injury, fever or infection throws off the body's homeostasis, the endocannabinoid system helps bring it back into balance.

The endocannabinoid system plays an important role in the normal functioning of body systems including:

Central nervous system

Cardiovascular system

Gastrointestinal system

Reproductive system

Skeletal system

Immune system

Metabolic processes

The endocannabinoid system is a key player in regulating:

Memory and learning

Appetite

Stress response

Pain perception

Mood

Sleep

Inflammation

That said, scientists still don't fully understand everything the endocannabinoid system does. Research keeps digging into the range of roles endocannabinoids play and their possible therapeutic uses. What we can say is that endocannabinoids and the endocannabinoid system are central to how the body self-regulates many of its functions and responses.

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