Except that in trying to understand each element separately, we forget that there is strength in numbers. In case of flu, a good soup full of vegetables is more beneficial than a vegetable alone, we agree on that. It is therefore by wondering about the combinations of compounds that cannabis researchers have invented the entourage effect.
The entourage effect refers to the effects and benefits, particularly therapeutic, that are produced by the synergies of cannabis components when they are combined
Let's take a simple example. Your attitude and mood are different when you are in a social environment than when you are alone at home. Your surroundings have an effect on you. Well, it's the same with the components of cannabis. They influence each other and the results are different depending on who is in the meeting or not.
In this article we will describe what the entourage effect involves in detail, and then put it in the context of CBD.
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What is the entourage effect?
To fully understand the entourage effect, one must first understand the composition of cannabis plants. Indeed, cannabis is not just a plant without flavor. Rather, it is a type of plant that offers an unlimited variety of combinations of compounds, and therefore flavours. Each variety (or strain) is different and produces a different effect on its consumer. All of these beautiful and unique blends are made possible by two essential elements: Cannabinoids and terpenes.
Cannabinoids in cannabis
If you know about CBD, you already know about cannabinoids because CBD is part of the long list of over 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis. If we go into detail, we can see that cannabinoids refer to a group of active chemicals found in cannabis. They act on the cells of the body and have varying consequences depending on their nature
Some of them are psychoactive and therefore can make the consumer "high or stoned". THC falls into this category. Then you have others that have no effect on the state of consciousness, like CBD. Other cannabinoids such as CBG, CBC or CBN exist and therefore have different properties
What all the categorized cannabinoid compounds have in common is that they all have therapeutic properties. The therapeutic effect will vary depending on the strength of the concentrate ingested. But these cannabinoids do not work alone, they have equally important colleagues, the terpenes.
Terpenes in cannabis
Terpenes are the sources of aroma and taste in many plants. Their purpose is to protect the plant while giving it a unique aromatic specificity. They can be found everywhere, in lavender, orange, black pepper, eucalyptus etc
It is thanks to these terpenes that we can find a wide variety of cannabis plants, with different tastes and aromas. Some terpenes are very powerful and can have therapeutic functions: anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, analgesic, antimicrobial etc.
But how do cannabinoids and terpenes work together?
The entourage effect explained
A neurologist and pharmacologist by the name of Dr. Ethan Russo has produced an study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology (https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x) regarding the entourage effect and how cannabinoids and terpenes work together.
Dr. Russo studied common cannabis compounds and, based on their pharmacology, described their potential synergistic effects. For example, he has proven the effectiveness of CBD and CBG cannabinoids in inhibiting staphylococcus aureus bacterial infection. He goes even further by proposing to integrate a terpene (pinene) to the synergy. It creates an entourage effect to try to obtain convincing results to medical problems on which science does not advance or little.
In addition, another very recent very recent scientific study (2020) has also done extensive research on the entourage effect to determine if it can be helpful for patients with various diseases. Their results attest that " the use of various cannabis-derived compounds opens up the possibility of avoiding the adverse effects of available antidepressants and mood stabilizers while treating mood disorders. This may be particularly important for patients who do not respond or adhere to conventional treatment. ».
You can imagine that with such a wide variety of useful compounds in cannabis, the possible synergies are endless! We are at the very beginning of the exploration and to date, there are very few studies exploring these synergies in humans, but the research continues in the right direction and could strongly impact medical science.
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The entourage effect and CBD
After understanding the entourage effect, how can CBD users tailor their consumption to get the most out of their experience with cannabis products?
The important thing to remember in all of this is that in a therapeutic context, CBD appears to be more effective in combination with other cannabinoids and terpenes found in the hemp plant than when it stands alone. Full-spectrum CBD products with a full spectrum or broad spectrum CBD products are therefore more interesting to consume. They allow you to obtain advantages of benefits because they are coupled with other components providing complementary properties.
As a reminder: CBD Full Spectrum is an extract of CBD extract that contains all the cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant: CBN, CBC, CBG etc. During the extraction of the product, the whole plant has been used. It can therefore contain residues of THC, but at a maximum level of 0.2% to be sold legally in France. This extract allows you to benefit from all the active ingredients of cannabis CBD Isolate, on the other hand, is an industrial hemp extract that is defined as the purest form of CBD, completely isolated from the other components of cannabis.
CBD Full Spectrum or CBD Isolate?
At this point, you're probably wondering which is better to consume: CBD Full Spectrum or CBD Isolate? Again, it all depends on what you are looking for! More advanced CBD users find that CBD isolate offers limited therapeutic effects. But if you're just starting out, it can be a good subtle introduction. Indeed, Full Spectrum CBD can be a bit of a strong start in substance. We recommend moderation and step-by-step initiation!
To get high quality products, in accordance with French regulations, visit the French e-shop 321 CBD which offers ranges of premium CBDthat it is the CBD Full Spectrum or cBD isolate You will find products suitable for all stages of your discovery.
