Cannabis and the human receptor system

How does the human receptor system work?

All human cells contain protein molecules that can receive messages or chemical signals from outside of cells, from other cells and from different parts of the brain. Chemical messages are then translated and sent on to the brain for interpretation and action. These protein molecules are called receptors. Our cells use receptors to communicate with other cells as well as with other substances, for example, hormones, drugs and even sunlight. The human receptor system is expressed throughout the entire nervous system. Our Cannabinoid receptors are also part of this system and are expressed everywhere in our body and throughout the nervous system on each and every cell. [8] (Alger 2013)

Dr Thomas Lodi is a world-famous Integrative Oncologist, a philosopher, a certified nutrition specialist and a pioneer in the field of metabolic medicine. [9] (Lodi, 2018) He says that if we humans have a receptor for a particular substance, then that substance, is not only necessary to our health, but we will also have a human version of the substance that is produced by the body. For example, we have opium receptors but everyone knows that heroin is bad for us…but yet we have these receptors.

Our bodies produce substances that mimic the activities of opium, and these are called endorphins derived from ‘endogenous morphine’. In the old days when people experienced pain they were given the milk of the poppy plant which is opium. This is manufactured into heroin, which is three times as potent as morphine.

Likewise we have Cannabinoid receptors because Cannabinoids and in particular THC, produced only by the Cannabis plant, are crucial to our health. Every single one of our cells contains Cannabinoid receptors. There are literally hundreds of thousands of different receptors present throughout the body. We have serotonin receptors, dopamine receptors, pain receptors, stress receptors, temperature receptors, skin receptors and the list goes on. We even have vitamin D receptors. [10] (Gadhvi M et al 2019)

The interesting thing is that the way we perceive the world is largely based on our receptors, starting with our sensory receptors which receive information from a certain external stimulus. Not all cells are affected by the same signals and different types of signalling are used for different functions in the body. Our Cannabinoid receptors are unique because they function in a completely different way to any of our other receptors, and, of course, everyone’s receptors work differently. Receptor expression is a highly subjective characteristic of an individual, which results in a range of different human reactions to different Cannabis medicines.

The human receptor system is as unique as our fingerprints and even the iris of the eye. One patient may over-express receptors, meaning they have more receptors than average, and may be more sensitive to a Cannabinoid like THC. Other patients may show under-expression of their Cannabinoid receptors, meaning they may be less sensitive to the therapeutic effects of Cannabis medicine and may need higher doses. The human receptor system is a complex network of chemical activity where receptor expression changes at different stages of human life.

Receptor expression is not only about variations among individuals, but also about the density of a particular type of receptor within a particular region of the body. There are research results in liver cancer studies, which show that patients with liver damage had a higher expression of Cannabinoid receptors in their liver tissues than healthier liver patients. [11] (Parfieniuk A, 2008) A higher expression of Cannabinoid receptors in a certain region indicates where the healing is required. This natural expression also highlights the protective signalling role of the EC system, and the writer believes that receptor expression is also one of the greatest secrets of Cannabis medicine.

Wherever there is illness or injury in the body, the Cannabinoid receptors will increase their expression in that exact location, as they wait to be activated by Cannabinoids to effect healing, not only systemically but also locally. This is why sick people need the chemicals in the Cannabis plant to supplement their EC systems and ensure healing, and healthy people need these same plant supplements to prevent illness. [12] (Miller et al)

In order for receptors to function they need either to be activated or not be activated. Some Cannabinoids act as activators of receptors and others as inhibitors, while others act as indirect or partial agonists and modulators of the activities of other Cannabinoids.  We must accept that this is a delicate biological system that works completely differently from any other system we have known or might know. This is why scientists struggle to understand how Cannabis heals because it has a dual purpose, which means it can do anything as is required. It’s a bold claim but the results do speak for themselves. This why Cannabis appears to offer healing for almost any condition, and delivers positive results in the shortest space of time with minimal side-effects. [13] (Pacher 2013)