You’re tasked to remember the cannabinoid receptors, the endocannabinoids, and how the whole system functions. And then there’s CBD itself. But don’t worry. We’ll explain to you how CBD works the quick and easy way.

What is CBD?

Read: What is CBD (Cannabidiol)? The second most-recognized and studied cannabinoid from the cannabis plant is cannabidiol or CBD. Why CBD became a fast favorite of researchers, scientists, physicians, and people like you and me is easy to understand. After all, CBD has many of the same medicinal properties as THC, but without the psychoactivity. CBD doesn’t get you high, at least not in the traditional sense that’s associated with using marijuana.

How does CBD work?

The endocannabinoid system’s most important function is to maintain balance and homeostasis of almost everything going on in your body. This system is made up of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, and these receptors are activated by anandamide and 2-Arachidonoylglycerol. Anandamide stimulates the CB1 receptors; while 2-AG stimulates both the CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 activation controls several physiological functions like sleeping, appetite, vomiting, mood, pain perception, and memory; CB2 activation controls inflammation since these receptors are predominantly found in the immune system. Now, THC binds to the CB1 receptors. This is how THC produces its therapeutic effects. It is also how THC produces its euphoric, psychoactive effects. CBD, unlike THC, has a low binding affinity with the cannabinoid receptors. This means that CBD cannot directly activate these receptors to produce the therapeutic effects of THC, anandamide, or 2-AG. Instead, CBD binds to different receptors and activates them to produce its therapeutic effects. CBD has the ability to influence ion channels that control the release of chemicals like calcium, sodium, and potassium. This ability of CBD is very important because it plays a role in controlling seizures. CBD also has the ability of delaying the reabsorption of important neurotransmitters or brain chemicals. As a result, CBD gives these chemicals more time to stay in your body so their effects can last longer.

What are the effects of CBD?

CBD has numerous therapeutic effects and can help improve various types of medical conditions.

CBD May Help Relieve Pain (Analgesic Effects)

Read: Using CBD for Chronic Pain  CBD has the ability to control not only acute pain, but chronic and intractable pain as well. It can even control neuropathic pain — a type of pain which is poorly controlled with traditional painkillers like opioids.

• CBD stimulates the vanilloid receptors (or TRPV1 receptor) and enhances their function[ii]. Vanilloid receptors are also called capsaicin receptors because how they modulate pain is similar to the effects of capsaicin, a skin irritant.

Imagine applying a dab of capsaicin over your sore muscles. The immediate effect you feel is a painful, burning sensation, right? But after a while, you should notice that desensitization occurs. You no longer feel pain, but just a pleasant numbness. That is how CBD helps with pain. It stimulates the vanilloid receptors so desensitization occurs faster. CBD makes these receptors numb to pain.

• Anandamide, the endogenous cannabinoid our body produces, has analgesic properties when it activates the CB1 receptor. Unfortunately though, this important endocannabinoid is easily broken down by an enzyme called fatty acid amide hydrolase or FAAH, so its therapeutic effects don’t last long.

CBD helps anandamide stay longer in the body[iii] by hitching a ride with anadamide’s transport protein called fatty acid-binding protein or FABP. The FABP is what “delivers” anandamide to the enzyme that degrades it, and what CBD does is actively compete with anandamide in binding to the FABP. With fewer FABP to bind to, anandamide gets to stay in your body longer without being broken down! Basically, CBD gets in the way of the typical course taken by anadamide — and we get to benefit from it. Go anandamide! And thank you, CBD!

• There are different types of 5-HT or serotonin receptors and they control various physiological responses. The receptor that’s responsible for pain regulation is the 5-HT1A serotonin receptor.

CBD stimulates these receptors, enhances their effects, and produces relief from pain[iv]. So, what are the medical conditions CBD may help? CBD has the potential to help improve painful medical conditions like:

• Cancer and intractable pain

• Cancer and chemotherapy pain

• Multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pain

• Chronic pain, arthritis pain, musculoskeletal pain, acute and persistent pain

• Migraines and fibromyalgia

• Irritable bowel syndrome

CBD Has Anti-Spastic and Muscle Relaxant Effects

CBD is a muscle relaxant and has the ability to decrease muscle spasms and reduce spasticity – a condition in which muscles are continuously contracted.

• Anandamide, when it stimulates the CB1 receptors, produces antispasmodic effects. But CBD has a low binding affinity with the CB1 receptor, so how can it produce its antispasmodic and antispastic effects?

CBD does this by enhancing anandamide levels.

• THC, when it binds to the CB1 receptors, also produces these effects. However, THC’s stimulation of these receptors also produces psychoactive effects.

Now CBD, working together with THC, seems to be the best combination to produce antispasmodic effects. THC stimulates the CB1 receptors, and CBD works to reduce the psychoactive effects of THC. CBD has the potential to reduce spasms and spasticity in the following medical conditions:

• Multiple sclerosis

• Spinal cord injury and spasticity

• Parkinson’s Disease

The Wolfson Medical Center in Israel is also working on a study on THC and CBD and their effects on spasticity associated with cerebral palsy, dystonia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

CBD Has Anticonvulsant and Anti-Epileptic Effects

CBD has the ability to control epileptic seizures and convulsions, and it does so via a number of ways:

• By enhancing anandamide levels so they can stimulate more CB1 receptors to produce their anticonvulsant and anti-epileptic effects.

• Scientists have found that calcium imbalance in the brain cells can trigger epileptic seizures. To promote a balance in the calcium level, the mitochondrion has this “gate” called the NCX that controls the release and reabsorption of calcium back into the mitochondrion.

CBD has the ability to manipulate this gate, and it can influence the gate to increase or decrease the calcium concentration within the cell. Through this CBD effect, epileptic seizures are controlled.

• CBD also influences a certain type of ion channel called the T-type calcium channel which is involved in regulating epilepsy as well as pain.

• Remember the vanilloid receptor and how it’s involved in pain perception? Painful and irritating stimuli, when they stimulate these receptors, can induce seizures. This is because the vanilloid receptor also plays a role in the development of seizures.

CBD can stimulate these receptors, and by quickly desensitizing these receptors, convulsions and epileptic seizures can be reduced. In the same way as CBD does this for pain sensitivity, CBD makes these receptors numb which can decrease seizure activity. CBD, acting on these various channels, may have the ability to control seizures and convulsions in conditions like:

• Epilepsy
• Childhood intractable pediatric epilepsy

CBD Reduces Nausea and Vomiting (Anti-Emetic Effects)

Read: Can THC and CBD Really Help with Nausea and Vomiting? Nausea and vomiting are nasty symptoms of many medical conditions affecting the digestive system. Nausea and vomiting are also some of the worst side effects cancer patients have to deal with when going through chemotherapy. CBD can reduce these symptoms through a number of ways:

• The release of serotonin and its effects on the gastrointestinal tract triggers nausea and vomiting. In the brain, serotonin triggers these symptoms when it stimulates the serotonin receptors in the brain’s nausea and vomiting regulatory center.

CBD stimulates the dorsal raphe nucleus to produce its anti-nausea and anti-vomiting effects by decreasing its release of serotonin.

• Anandamide, when it stimulates the CB1 receptors, produces antiemetic effects. And CBD can enhance the level of anandamide in the brain by helping prevent its degradation. Hopefully, by now you see how important CBD’s prevention of anandamide degradation really is. CBD keeps anandamide in our body longer so that we can reap the many benefits of this endocannabinoid produced by our own body.
• THC also stimulates the CB1 receptors in the brain and digestive system to produce antiemetic effects. But this cannabinoid is psychoactive. For some people, the psychoactive effect of THC is not an issue — it improves their mood and state of well-being. At CBD School, we support the use of THC and the psychoactive effects it produces, especially if it helps you feel better.But some people dislike the psychoactive effects of THC. It just doesn’t work for everybody. What’s really neat about CBD is that it can help tone down the psychoactive effects of THC when the two cannabinoids are used together. CBD, working with THC to control nausea and vomiting, can not only enhance the effects of THC but also control its psychoactive effects as well.

The powerful effects of CBD can help reduce nausea and vomiting symptoms caused by:

• Chemotherapy

• Gastrointestinal diseases

CBD Has Antidiarrheal Effects

CBD also has antidiarrheal effects since it can help slow down intestinal motility — the movements of your digestive system.

• Anandamide, when it activates the CB1 receptors, not only helps reduce gastrointestinal pain and inflammation but also reduces motility as well.

And CBD has the ability to enhance anandamide’s functions by allowing it to stay longer in the body. Seeing a pattern yet?

• THC can also stimulate the CB1 receptors, but with the help of CBD, THC’s psychoactive effects are reduced while improving diarrhea control.

• Acetylcholine is released by the neurons in the gut and facilitates the contractions of the intestinal tract. When gastrointestinal problems cause diarrhea and abdominal cramping, drugs are used to block the effects of acetylcholine. But sometimes, these drugs cause side effects like constipation, dry mouth, and problems with urination.

CBD has demonstrated the ability to inhibit the action of acetylcholine and reduce intestinal motility. CBD’s antidiarrheal effects can benefit medical conditions such as:

• Inflammatory bowel disease

• Crohn’s disease

• Gastroenteritis and other gastrointestinal disorders with symptoms of pain, inflammation, and diarrhea

CBD Has Anti-anxiety and Antidepressant Effects

Read: How to Use CBD for Anxiety CBD, compared to THC, does not produce anxiety. In fact, CBD can help decrease anxiety, depression, and panic attacks.

• CBD stimulates the serotonin receptors to produce anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects, and it also “tells” the raphe nuclei to release more serotonin to activate the receptors.

Stimulating this receptor also helps improve sleep.

• Again, when anandamide binds to the CB1 receptors, it produces a calming, relaxing, and sedative effect and reduces stress, anxiety, and depression. Ever hear of a “Runner’s High”? That’s anandamide at work!

Of course, we all know by now that CBD has the ability to let anandamide stay longer in your system by preventing its transport protein from carrying anandamide to the enzyme that degrades it.

• CBD stimulates the adenosine receptors to produce antianxiety and calming effects.

High levels of dopamine (the feel good neurotransmitter) and glutamate (an excitatory neurotransmitter) in the brain also increase anxiety and stress. Now, adenosine receptors have the ability to modulate the release of these neurotransmitters, and when CBD binds to the adenosine receptors, it tells the receptor to slow down its release of these neurotransmitters. By activating the adenosine receptors, anxiety is reduced.

• CBD also has the ability to indirectly act on the GABA receptors. CBD makes the receptors more sensitive to GABA so that when GABA binds to them, its calming and relaxing effects are amplified.

With these effects, CBD may help improve the following medical conditions:

• Depression

• Depression associated with HIV and AIDS

• Social anxiety disorder

• Generalized social anxiety disorder

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Social phobia

CBD, as seen in a study done on mice, even has the potential to help patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive behaviors and autism.

CBD Has Antipsychotic Effects

CBD also has the ability to control psychosis.

• Anandamide has antipsychotic effects. In a study measuring anandamide levels and its correlation to psychotic symptoms, it was observed that people with psychosis had lower anandamide levels.

CBD produces its antipsychotic effects by allowing anandamide to stay longer in the system and produce its therapeutic effects. Are you sick of hearing about anandamide yet…well sorry! This endocannabinoid is a superstar Psychotic conditions that CBD has the ability to help include:

• Schizophrenia

• Bipolar disorder

• Psychosis in Parkinson’s Disease

CBD May Have Anti-tumor and Anti-Cancer Effects

CBD has the potential to treat cancer. CBD may prevent cancer from growing, spreading, and infiltrating healthy tissues. CBD also possibly has the ability to prevent the formation of blood vessels that supply the cancer with what it needs to grow.

• CBD induces cancer cell death by stimulating the molecules needed in apoptosis (programmed cell death) like caspase and ceramide.

• CBD possibly prevents the growth of blood vessels (angiogenesis) that supply blood to the cancer growth by activating the PPAR and TRP receptors of the cancer cells. These receptors play a role in stopping cancer growth and proliferation.

CBD also inhibits the action of some of the molecules that signal the start of angiogenesis.

• Some cells have key genes responsible for the aggressiveness and metastatic abilities of cancer cells. These genes are “switched on” by the cells, and the genes will then produce proteins, making it easy for the cells to “read the instructions they contain.” This process is called expression.

Now CBD has the ability to influence and down-regulate gene expression. This CBD effect can inhibit the migratory abilities of cancer cells.

• CBD can inhibit the certain type of receptors (called the orphan receptors) that promote the proliferation of cancer cells. CBD produces its anticancer effects by deactivating the orphan receptors.

• Anandamide has anticancer effects, and CBD, as we all know, can enhance anandamide levels and allow anandamide to stay longer in the system. Anandamide can prevent cancer cells from growing and proliferating by inducing their apoptosis. Anandamide can even induce cell death of cancer cells resistant to apoptosis.

• Unlike chemotherapy which can kill not just the cancer cells but healthy ones as well, CBD does not harm the healthy and non-cancerous cells. It only induces apoptosis of the abnormal and cancerous cells. How cool is that?!

While more conclusive research is needed, CBD has shown the potential to help with the following cancers:

• Breast cancer

• Prostate cancer

• Cervical cancer

• Endocrine cancer

• Colorectal cancer

• Brain cancer

• Skin cancer

• Lung cancer

• Leukemia

• Karposi sarcoma

• Bladder cancer

CBD Has Anti-Inflammatory Effects

Read: CBD’s Remarkable Effects on Inflammation Inflammation, although it is protective and needed in the healing process, can sometimes worsen many medical conditions. Instead of helping, inflammation becomes even more harmful. It’s one of the factors why medical conditions become chronic, why pain becomes intractable, and why so many diseases can become very difficult to treat. CBD has anti-inflammatory effects, and it controls inflammation through a number of ways: