Endocannabinoid Receptors – More Than Just CB1 and CB2( Part 1) http:// profofpot. com / endocannabinoid-receptors /
You’ ve heard of the two cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2. Actually, endocannabinoids can bind to at least 8 more receptors.
The simple view of the endocannabinoid system is that there are two receptors, CB1 and CB2. Some may mention rumours of a third. This view of the endocannabinoid system is outdated in many ways. I consider it to be incomplete now that our knowledge has advanced so much. If only interested in the psychoactive effects of cannabis, then you probably don’ t need to go beyond the CB1 receptor. However, if you are interested in the health effects of cannabis, then there is much more to understand.
A Brief History of the Endocannabinoid System In the dark ages of the mid-1980’ s, many thought that THC worked by perturbing cell membranes. This was proved wrong in 1988, when we saw that cannabinoids could bind to specific receptor sites in the rat brain. In 1990, the human CB1 receptor was identified as the primary receptor that mediated the effects of THC. Of course, you wouldn’ t have this receptor if no endogenous ligand exists. Anandamide( AEA) was the first endocannabinoid discovered to activate the CB1 receptor. Unlike many other signalling molecules that are produced ahead of time and stored in vesicles waiting to be released, anandamide was a lipid molecule produced on demand by a set of enzymes.
This ground-breaking research was quickly followed by the discoveries of a second cannabinoid receptor, mostly expressed in immune cells, and a second endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonylglycerol( 2-AG).
important in the history of cannabinoid research. However, research from much of the following decade is largely ignored by most cannabis sites.
There were important insights gained from the mid-90’ s to mid-00’ s that you rarely ever hear about. For example, the list of endocannabinoids has grown to include noladin ether, palmitoyl ethanolamine( PEA), virodhamine and oleoylethanolamide( OEA).
Undoubtedly, this decade of the mid-80’ s to mid-90’ s will remain one of the most
More importantly, research on endocannabinoid receptors has expanded.