Weed Could Help Prevent Certain Brain Diseases

The fact that humans even have an "endocannabinoid system" sounds like stoner fantasy. (If we hadn't been trying to figure out just what cannabis does to our bodies when it was discovered, it might have received a different name.) But while the research on cannabinoids began in the '90s as a way to help us understand why pot affects so many areas of our health, the endocannabinoid system is now understood to be one of the most important physiological systems in our body.

"It's involved in virtually every aspect of our physical and emotional health," says Jeremy Kossen, clinical research director at the cannabis-focused Zana Medical Group. "It mediates inflammatory response, learning, memory, hunger, and cognitive function."

Put simply, cannabinoids are compounds that are both produced by the body (endocannabinoids) and found outside the body (like in marijuana). Your body contains a variety of cannabinoid receptors that they interact with, and we first thought that they were mostly involved with parts of the brain related to mood, appetite, and pain.

We now know that endocannabinoids and their receptors are also present in organs, connective tissues, glands, immune cells, and many parts of the brain that you wouldn't immediately associate with a plant best-known for making Encino Man seem Oscar-worthy.

Since the endocannabinoid system is so intricately connected with many areas of our health, it makes sense that disruptions in it can be a factor in a variety of common disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and multiple sclerosis. And it's why researchers have found that an increase in certain cannabinoids can treat and maybe even reduce the risk of these diseases.

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"It's involved in virtually every aspect of our physical and emotional health," says Jeremy Kossen, clinical research director at the cannabis-focused Zana Medical Group. "It mediates inflammatory response, learning, memory, hunger, and cognitive function."

Put simply, cannabinoids are compounds that are both produced by the body (endocannabinoids) and found outside the body (like in marijuana). Your body contains a variety of cannabinoid receptors that they interact with, and we first thought that they were mostly involved with parts of the brain related to mood, appetite, and pain.

We now know that endocannabinoids and their receptors are also present in organs, connective tissues, glands, immune cells, and many parts of the brain that you wouldn't immediately associate with a plant best-known for making Encino Man seem Oscar-worthy.