The endocannabinoid system: a recent discovery

It was while seeking to understand how THC acted on the body that researchers, notably the team of Professor Raphael Mechoulam in Israel, identified in the 1990s the specific receptors to which this molecule bound. That discovery led to the identification of compounds produced naturally by the human body, the endocannabinoids, of which anandamide and 2-AG are the most studied. The system's name pays tribute to that origin: it was named after the plant that led to its discovery, not the other way round.

CB1 receptors, mostly present in the central nervous system, and CB2 receptors, more present in the immune system and peripheral tissues, form the known backbone of the endocannabinoid system. THC binds directly and strongly to CB1 receptors, which largely explains its psychoactive effects. CBD, by contrast, does not act as a direct agonist of these receptors: its mechanism of action remains more indirect and less well characterised by current research.

The concept of homeostasis, the dynamic balance the body seeks to maintain, is often associated with the endocannabinoid system in the scientific literature. This system is thought to take part in regulating several functions — sleep, appetite, the inflammatory response — without that meaning that an external input of cannabinoids corrects a specific imbalance. No French health authority, neither the ANSM nor ANSES, has validated a therapeutic claim based on this mechanism for CBD wellness products.

The majority of work on the endocannabinoid system remains preclinical, conducted on animal models or in the laboratory, with a smaller number of robust clinical trials in humans. This difference explains why the discourse of the health authorities remains cautious: an identified biological mechanism does not automatically amount to a clinical effect demonstrated in human beings at a given dosage.

Understanding the existence of this system partly explains why CBD is of interest to research, without thereby justifying the commercial promises some brands may be tempted to make. In France, all communication about a CBD product must stay in a wellness register, with no asserted link to this biological mechanism as proof of efficacy. Our article on misconceptions about hemp and CBD revisits the limits of what the regulations allow to be communicated.

CBD is not a medicine. This information is given on a scientific and informational basis, and does not constitute medical advice.

Was the endocannabinoid system discovered recently?

Yes, its identification dates mainly from the 1990s, following research into how THC acts in the body.

Does CBD act directly on the CB1 and CB2 receptors?

Not in the direct, strong way THC does. Its mechanism of action remains more indirect and less fully characterised by current research.

Does this system exist in all human beings?

Yes, it is present in all mammals studied to date, with individual variations that are still poorly understood in the precise way it works.

Does this discovery justify the promises made by some CBD brands?

No. The existence of a biological mechanism does not constitute proof of clinical efficacy, and no therapeutic claim is authorised on that basis in France.