If ECS seems like a tall order, that’s because it is. But like any internal system, ECS can fail.

The ECS has two main parts: cannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors. They interact like a lock and key system when cannabinoids bind to receptors and cause wide-ranging physiological effects.

Our body naturally produces cannabinoids bind to CB1 and CB21 receptors in ECS. But still sometimes we develop disadvantages 2. Phytocannabinoids (cannabinoids that come from plants like hemp) can compensate somewhat.*

Before thinking that CBD can replace your body’s own cannabinoids, it’s important to understand that this compound has some limitations. Unlike other cannabinoids, CBD does not bind directly to receptors, but can still interact with them.

Although more research is still needed to understand the role of CBD in our ECS, there is an early understanding of this process. As Mignon Walker, MD, director of SLIP Emotional Resistance Building, explains, “CBD’s overall effect is to restore balance and reduce inflammation.”*

Medical cannabis expert and board-certified physician Dave Gordon, MD, agrees that CBD’s ability to affect the ECS is what makes it such a versatile tool. “CBD is an extremely valuable therapy, and we can think differently about its benefits,” he says.

“CBD addresses the root causes of why we get sick,” Gordon continues to explain. “For example, too much inflammation is part of the root cause of almost every single chronic disease, and CBD helps reduce too much inflammation, thus potentially helping many different people and problems. CBD helps balance an overactive nervous system which, again, is at the root of many different problems such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, gastrointestinal issues, and reactions to trauma, to name a few.”*

Now that we’ve established how CBD works in our body, let’s find out what the research says about the possible effects and uses of CBD.