CANNABIS
MEDICAL
22 MEDICAL CANNABIS
The Cannabinoid Receptors
Tuneable Functions with Evolution Inside™
The Evolution
Our human endocannabinoid system is defined the ability of small chemical molecules, from endogenous anandamide to THC, to bind to and activate the cannabinoid receptors. The consequences of this tuning this system via receptor activity have broad effects, from mitochondrial activity and cellular growth to whole body homeostasis. The receptors and this system began to evolve roughly 500 million years ago with the emergence of vertebrates, probably looking something like this:
By Dr. Adam D. Richardson
A hagfish protruding from a sponge1