Humans as emotional beings go through various emotions of joy, happiness, stress, excitement and many more. We always associate emotions as a psychological thing. But, do you know that the emotions we feel are a complex play of the endocannabinoid system as well as hormones?
This article is an attempt to detail more about the endocannabinoid system, hormones and emotions and how a balance/ imbalance of these three affect the human body.
What is the Endocannabinoid system (ECS)?
The ECS is a self regulating system responsible for establishing and supporting our health. It regulates various physiological and cognitive processes including appetite, mood, fertility, pain, and memory. Its receptors are located throughout the body. Read more about how ECS works here.
The given image shows that the ECS has receptors CB1 and CB2, which are present in different areas of the body.
(Image source: CBDschool.com)
Hormones, Emotions and the Endocannabinoid System
Hormones are chemical messengers released by the body. These messengers relay messages to specific receptors in the body, which in turn triggers emotions. There are many receptors for hormones in the body including CB1 and CB2. Specific hormones act on the ECS receptors and trigger emotions. Detailed below are the actions of some of the hormones.
Acetylcholine - This hormone is produced by the neurons within the body and is the natural neurotransmitter of the nervous system. It’s job is to produce contraction of skeletal muscles and inhibit the contractions of the heart. This hormone affects the CB1 receptor and triggers the emotion of “I remember.”
Anandamide- Produced in the cell membranes, this hormone reduces hypertension, depression, fear and anxiety. It inhibits the movement of cancer cells and prevents metastasis without negative effects on the immune system. It acts on both CB1 and CB2 receptors and triggers the emotion of “I am at ease”.
Serotonin- This hormone is made in the digestive tract and the central nervous system. It is a neurotransmitter that helps in appetite regulation and bowel movements. This hormone acts on the CB2 receptor and triggers the emotion of “happiness”.
Epinephrine- Produced by adrenal glands the main job of this hormone is to create the fight or flight response. However, if the levels of epinephrine are high in the body it can raise blood pressure, heart rate, and also cause weight loss. This hormone also acts on the CB1 receptor and triggers the emotion of “fright”.
Oxytocin- This hormone is produced in the hypothalamus. Its main job is to stimulate uterine contraction during delivery and stop post-partum bleeding. Research says that lack of oxytocin can also be responsible for autism, eating disorders, social anxiety, schizophrenia and depression. It acts on the CB1 receptor and causes the emotion “I feel for you.”
These are just a few that have been detailed. Conditions like parkinson's, ADHD, autism, depression, insomnia, anxiety, schizophrenia and many more have also been linked to emotions and hormones. Well, it is obvious that our emotional condition not only determines our mental state but also the physical state.
How can this knowledge help us ?
Understanding the interplay of emotions, hormones, and illnesses can be a beacon of light for many (especially the layman). When we experience too many negative or stressful emotions, one need not panic. It helps us interpret that the negative emotion that we are facing is indicative of something not being right.
What is important is that we do not ignore our emotions when they linger for long especially the negative ones. It is best to deal with them and seek help at the right time.
Can Cannabis Help ?
The logical mind will question if cannabis can help treat any of the above-mentioned health problems. The answer is yes! Cannabis can help.
Depression, anxiety, insomnia, Parkinson's are some of the conditions where research has proven that Cannabis can make a difference and reduce the symptoms. Read more about how cannabis can help treat depression.
Conclusion
Unraveling the endocannabinoid system will help us interpret the changes in our body and mind and deal with it appropriately.
Always take Cannabis under guidance from a medical practitioner. For prescription, support from an Ayurvedic doctor and understanding more about Cannabis visit here.
Source : Vedi Herbals ; Shop : Infused Cannabis Products
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The time has come, actually it has always been coming ... lol :P ... The time to unite as one earth tribe ... finding others like yourself and getting off the grid ... stop feeding a system which is going to crash any day now ... instead create your own village ... free from this insane world chasing illusions ... the time for big change is here now and its time for wisdom in action ... time for the renewal of spirit ... awakening as children of the great mother who speaks through all our words all our deeds ... we are the ones we have been waiting for and its of utmost importance to find the others you resonate with .... hence, this is an effort to galvanize this quest for paradise ... reaching out to our tribe out there to find a way to co-create a better reality for ourselves and generations to come ... In Lak'ech Ala K'in ... _/\_
Why is the Psychedelic Sector Attracting the Attention of Investors?
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The popularity of microdosing in Canada has been growing for some time. Across the country, more people than ever before are experimenting with psychedelics as an alternative to conventional pharmaceuticals.
Coupled with the huge sums of money being pumped into studies exploring the potential benefits of psychedelics, it’s hardly surprising the whole thing is also attracting the attention of investors.
It’s been a long time coming, but Canada seems well on its way to becoming the first major western nation to embrace psychedelics for their renowned therapeutic properties.
“It’s important to remember that we have evidence pertaining to decades of human consumption have psychedelics to go on, along with the efficacy of countless different psychedelics,” commented a spokesperson from Microcybin Canada.
“This is all likely to boost the speed of the clinical trials taking place right now, while at the same time making them so much less expensive to conduct.”
But what is it about psychedelics in particular that holds such widespread appeal for potential investors?
While are more investors than ever before setting their sights on the psychedelics sector as the one to watch over the coming years?
Extensive Evidence and Ongoing Research
While psychedelics may have only recently found their way onto the radars of investors, it is a sector that is already backed by generations of extensive research.
Trials into the potential benefits of psychedelics have been conducted for decades, pointing in many instances for products with huge therapeutic potential.
Over the last 10 years or so in particular, the most extensive clinical trials to date have been conducted across Canada and the United States alike.
As the world continues to search for more effective treatments for a long list of mental health disorders, psychedelics are being researched as a potential treatment for PTSD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other common conditions.
While all this is going on, countless companies spanning the United States and Canada are fighting ferociously to get in at ground level and claim the biggest possible piece of the pie in advance.
Should the widespread international legalization of prescription psychedelics go ahead - which many believe it will soon enough - it will create an incredibly lucrative pharmaceuticals sub-sector for investors to take advantage of.
“There is a smaller subset of investing verticals in the psychedelic space as it is more of an intellectual property race to develop drugs,” says Michael Sobeck, managing partner at Ambria Capital, a San Juan, Puerto Rico-based asset manager.
Regulatory Obstacles
Legalization of prescription psychedelics has so far faced the same hurdles as those the medical marijuana sector encountered during its inception.
For the time being, psychedelics remain illegal across much of the world, raising questions as to their safety and viability as an investment opportunity.
Slowly but surely, however, attitudes among investors are changing. Attitudes towards therapeutic psychedelics have shifted - both among the medical community and with regulators.
Prescription psychedelics are already legal across much of Canada, and more countries are expected to follow suit soon enough.
Microcybin Canada – a leading supplier of premium prescription psilocybin – believes that retail investors are looking at a golden opportunity to take full advantage of something that could turn out to be huge.
Prescription drugs are incredibly difficult to develop and introduce legally to a market. It is a process that costs billions of dollars and takes at least 10 years, during which those investing in the product are forced to shoulder the costs.
With therapeutic psychedelics, generations of research conducted into their effects and benefits is already accelerating the process. Something that could help the sector negotiate the usual regulatory obstacles quicker and with fewer complications.
A Therapeutic Product Bursting with Potential
Importantly, most of those who have expressed an interest in the prescription therapeutics sector have distanced themselves from the prospect of all-out legalization.
Few (if any) major players have their sights set on commercial sales of psychedelics in the near or distant future.
“We’re not planning on selling micro doses out of a dispensary,” says JR Rahn, the founder and chief executive of MindMed.
“These are going to be picked up from your local pharmacy. They’re going to be prescribed by a doctor. We’re not trying to build cannabis 2.0.”
Should the legalization of prescription psychedelics go ahead, it could result in the creation of a market with a total combined value of more than $100 billion per year.
Though in order for this to happen, efforts will need to be stepped up to educate the public in general as to the potential uses and effects of psychedelics.
“We don’t want to see psychedelic culture or history become sterilized the way that cannabis has,” says Shelby Hartman, co-founder of a psychedelics-based publication in New York.
“We don’t think there’s a right way to do psychedelics; we believe doing them at a festival can be deeply therapeutic, and doing them in a clinical trial with researchers can, too,”
“We do believe that more people should learn about psychedelics and their therapeutic potential—and that accessible, entertaining content will help with that.”
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