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Once THC is introduced into the brain, however, it plugs itself into cannabinoid receptors that are responsible for things like thinking, remembering things, feeling pleasure, coordination, and perception of how much time has passed.
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Effects can also vary because different marijuana strains have different levels of THC. These individuals get better results from smoking or otherwise ingesting marijuana that has its whole range of cannabinoids still in tact, rather than taking a concentration of a single cannabinoid.īecause every person’s brain works differently, THC effects will vary from one person to the next. While some patients can use CBD alone to treat certain symptoms and ailments, others find that they only get relief from whole-plant cannabis. The effect is more than just a theory medical marijuana patients have noticed it when using marijuana to treat their illnesses. He named this phenomenon “the entourage effect.” While the compounds can accomplish a lot individually, Mechoulam noted that they functioned differently – and even better – when they’re not isolated. THC & the Entourage EffectĪlthough they’re tiny, these cannabinoids have some incredibly big benefits. CBN is useful to encourage bone growth and to prevent the muscle convulsions caused by conditions like multiple sclerosis.Ĭannabinoids like THC plug into cannabinoid receptors to cause various effects. THCV, another cannabinoid, helps control neurological issues such as seizures. CBG actually inhibits the CB1 receptor (and can lessen the high caused by THC). While THC plugs into the CB1 receptor to create these effects, CBD plugs into the CB2 receptor, where it reduces anxiety, promotes relaxation, and also acts as a painkiller. THC, for example, mimics the effects of a neurotransmitter called anandamide that creates pleasure, kills pain, and eliminates depression. They do this by mimicking natural brain chemicals and plugging themselves into cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Dozens of these compounds (including THC) are classified as cannabinoids.ĭifferent cannabinoids work in different ways. THC is one of over 480 compounds produced by marijuana plants. These are the active ingredients found in marijuana. To fully understand how THC works, it helps to know about cannabinoids. When THC enters the brain, it interacts with the receptors that create extreme happiness. Like CBD, THC is one of the many compounds found in the resin of marijuana plants. While it has some very interesting effects, CBD doesn’t cause a psychoactive high, so the team kept searching.Ībout a year later, the scientists isolated the ingredient they were looking for: delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (delta-9 THC). The first active ingredient he and his team discovered in cannabis was CBD. People who used cannabis often became euphoric and hungry – but why? Scientists had isolated the active ingredient in opium (morphine) and in cocoa leaves (cocaine), but researchers had no idea why cannabis got people high.
Mechoulam realized that no one knew how the drug actually worked. The first building block in this huge base of knowledge was laid back in the 1960s by an Israeli scientist named Raphael Mechoulam.Īt a time when marijuana use was becoming more popular, Dr. Over the years, researchers have learned a lot about the effects of THC and its potential uses. To understand why marijuana behaves as it does in the body, it’s essential to understand what THC is and how it interacts with the brain – both when used alone and with the other ingredients in cannabis. It’s the main active ingredient in marijuana, but how does THC work?