15-10-2021 11:00:37 - Updated: 15 October, 2021
Before it was thought that the potency of marijuana came from marked by its THC content, and that’s partly true, but we now know that a strain with a lower THC concentration can be more potent than one with a higher amount, as long as it has a terpene profile more interesting.
It has recently been discovered that all compounds in cannabis are involved in the type of effect or its potency, and this explains some doubts we all had about the chemotype of marijuana, as well as opening the door to very promising new research. Have you heard of the entourage effect? Well, I invite you to read the following article, where we try to explain what it consists of and what its benefits are.
⭐ What is the entourage effect ?
The definition of the entourage effect comes to be something like the advantage of working in a group over doing it alone, or as they say “unity is strength”, which is why it is called the entourage effect. So what does the entourage effect mean in cannabis? The entourage is the group of people who accompany another in some act or event, and the entourage effect refers to the synergy that different compounds in cannabis create when they act together.
The term “Entourage Effect” was introduced in 1998 by Israeli doctors Shimon Ben-Shabat and the great Raphael Mechoulam, the discoverer of THC. At first, it was not considered due to its novelty, but later they saw the potential of combining all parts of cannabis to improve its effectiveness.
Have you noticed that when you eat mangoes and consume marijuana it seems to get you high? This happens because this fruit contains a large amount of myrcene, a terpene that helps to overcome the blood-brain barrier and allows for greater absorption of cannabinoids, i.e. the entourage effect has acted so that the effect of cannabis is more noticeable.
⛳ Is the entourage effect real?
Quite true, it is more than proven that cannabinoids increase their effectiveness when consumed together and more when they act together with terpenes, terpenoids, flavonoids and even lipids and other components of marijuana.
The mixture of the different compounds that cannabis contains makes each of them better than when taken alone or separately, something that had already been guessed, but which has been demonstrated thanks to studies and research carried out in recent years.
In 2019, awas published studying the journal cannabis and cannabinoids research questioning the entourage effect of terpenes and cannabinoids, but it was only done with isolated terpenes, so it cannot be considered an investigation of the entourage effect itself, it is rather an investigation into the effect of some terpenes on CB1 and CB2 receptors.
✨ Entourage effect between THC and CBD
Cannabidiol reduces some of the psychoactive effects of THC, especially the negative ones, those that have to do with panic, paranoia, anxiety or lack of mind control. This might lead us to think that CBD cancels out some of the potency of THC, but in reality it isn’t, because it can enhance its analgesic, relaxing, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and other properties.
In a 2010 study with cancer pain patients, combining THC with CBD was found to be much more effective than administering both cannabinoids separately. Patients who took THC and CBD together experienced greater pain relief than when they received each of these components alone.
👌 Entourage effect of terpenes
Terpenes are molecules that intervene in the aroma and flavor of marijuana varieties. There are many different types of terpenes and terpenoids, some resemble lemon, others pine, others lavender, etc. The combination of the different concentrations of terpenes is what determines the smell or taste of a gem, but beyond that, they also have their own unique medicinal properties.
Research conducted by BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2013 found that lemon has anxiolytic and antidepressant properties. Other terpenes and flavonoids in cannabis also provide us with benefits, so they are used in aromatherapy sessions.
But the best of terpenes is when they are combined with other terpenes, terpenoids, flavonoids and especially cannabinoids. Some terpenes have the ability to increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier and improve the way THC binds to CB1 receptors. This means that there are terpenes that help THC to better penetrate our endocannabinoid system, so its effect can be greater and we notice it sooner than if we just took THC.
🚀 Entourage effect of CBD and Hemp
For a few years, the popularity of cannabidiol continued to increase, and with it the cultivation of industrial hemp took a back seat, which was until the emergence of this miraculous cannabinoid. In this period, many different formats have appeared medicinal CBD, in oil, creams, refills for vaporizers or isolates, among others.
All of these forms of cannabidiol administration have shown benefits in the people or animals that consume them, but has been shown pure or isolated CBDnot to be as effective as when consumed in combination with other marijuana compounds effective., which is why the format is more recommended is still the “Full Spectrum”.
✅ The entourage effect of cannabis could be an excellent ally to cure anxiety
There is a very interesting article entitled “The entourage effect: terpenes together with cannabinoids for the treatment of mood disorders and anxiety disorders” written by Sari Goldstein Ferber, Dvora Namdar, Danielle Hen -Shoval, Gilad Eger, Hinanit Koltai, Gal Shoval, Liat Shiro and Aron Weller, where they talk about the benefits of the entourage effect for treating anxiety disorders among others.
At present, mood disorders are responsible for the low quality of life of many people, who until now were treated with opioids or other drugs that have many negative side effects for our body. At the moment, several studies are underway with different proportions of cannabinoids and terpenes that bode well, we hope that there will soon be news on this.
🔥 Ethan Russo and his studies on the entourage effect
Dr. Ethan Russo is one of the people who has studied the entourage effect of marijuana most thoroughly, and in an interview for the cannabimd.com portal he revealed some of the doubts surrounding this. curious therapeutic phenomenon.
When the first talking studies were published about the entourage effect of weed, their conclusions attracted a lot of Ethan Russo as a researcher, who somehow already imagined this phenomenon to occur. From that point on, he spent a lot of time trying to establish some of those relationships.
This doctor emphasizes the advantages of consuming full-spectrum extracts, which in addition to being more effective due to the entourage effect, also seem to be safer in dosing, because when pure cannabinoids are applied it is more difficult to find a precise dosage. You can also save a lot of product when applied this way, as with only 22% of the amount of full spectrum oil you get the same benefits as consuming isolates and the best part is that you get fewer side effects.
🎯 The pharmaceutical industry and its interest in synthetics
In the past, many natural plant extracts were consumed to treat all kinds of ailments, ailments and diseases. Many were homemade and passed down from generation to generation, and others were bought in drugstores and drugstores.
Well, now it seems they are interested in investigating more about the properties of cannabinoids separately, rather than studying the benefits of taking them together, because that way you can get a greater economic return. So it is possible that in the future we will see more synthetic cannabinoid drugs than full spectrum oils, which have proven better due to the synergy caused by the entourage effect.
🧐 Conclusion
Today we learned what the entourage effect means and how it can help us in the treatment of many diseases, as long as the pharmaceutical lobby clearly allows it. If you’ve read this far and liked it, do us the favor of sharing the article so that it reaches more people, because the more information is disseminated, the better.
