The Endocannabinoid System
The recent discovery of the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its modulatory role in many physiological functions has been very exciting for science. The three major constituents of the ECS include the endocannabinoid signaling molecules; mainly anandamide and 2-AG, G-protein-coupled cannabinoid receptors, and enzymes involved in ligand on-demand synthesis and inactivation.
As state legislatures continue to legalize medicinal marijuana, both healthcare practitioners and patients alike are beginning to embrace cannabis as a potential treatment for an array of chronic diseases and disorders. Cannabis is rapidly becoming an accepted and even preferred form of treatment, most commonly used for chronic pain management. Patients whose symptoms require highly sedative medications such as opiates are progressively reaching for clinical cannabis in hopes of evading unwanted side effects and returning to normal functioning.
