Just like your body has a nervous system and circulatory system, you also have an endocannabinoid system (ECS). This system regulates or controls many critical functions within the body, including emotional processing, sleep, pain control, inflammatory response, immune response, appetite and even temperature control. Endocannabinoid receptors are found throughout the body and are stimulated by the cannabinoids our body produces naturally to control these functions.
This means we all have cannabinoids in our bodies already, and the cannabinoids found in plants like marijuana or hemp interact with the receptors too. The endocannabinoid system is being heavily researched along with plant-based cannabinoids to help find treatments for everything from anxiety, PTSD, obesity, sleep disorders, pain relief and more. Many small studies are already showing promise in these areas.