The Entourage Effect And Cannabinoid Relationships

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When buying cannabis products, most people tend to focus on one cannabinoid or the other, usually THC and/or CBD, but the entourage effect suggests they should be doing otherwise. Even minor cannabinoids like CBN and CBG can play a bigger role than you once might have thought.

Yes, THC enthusiasts usually avoid CBD, and certain CBD users might not want anything but CBD in their products. However, research has started to suggest that not only they work well with each other, but that cannabinoids are enhanced when taken together.

How would that even work, though? How could cannabinoids cooperate and enhance each other when they do different things? We’ll explain all that and more in this walkthrough.

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What Are Cannabinoids? What Can They Do?

To backtrack for a bit, though, we should take some time to explain what cannabinoids actually *are*. In short, cannabinoids like THC or CBD are just two of the hundreds of similar yet varied organic compounds that can be found in cannabis plants. As you’ll soon learn, the entourage effect relies on this diversity.

You already know that THC works with the body in one way, and CBD interacts in another. In turn, other cannabinoids like CBN, CBG, THCV, and CBC have unique relationships with receptors across our body. Some interact with the endocannabinoid system, and others find alternate pathways. As far as the details of those minor cannabinoids, however, all we know is that we don’t know much for sure.

See, we haven’t been able to do much research. That, really, is due to the legal status of cannabis and the amounts of each cannabinoid in plant samples. After all, people have bred cannabis to maximize THC and (only recently) CBD levels over the decades. While there are still minor cannabinoids in modern strains, their presence has been diminished. 

What Is the Entourage Effect?

Thankfully, over the past few decades, we’ve done far more research into all cannabinoids, including the minor ones. In that time, scientists have also begun to discover they may work together in a phenomenon known as the entourage effect. 

In short, supporter propose that while cannabinoids function individually, they can be possibly moderated or enhanced when ingested with others. Experts have pondered it for quite some time now, but the past decade has seen a notable increase in studies. As they’ve started bringing evidence to light, more scientists have taken to supporting the hypothesis.

Potential Benefits of the Entourage Effect

So what potential benefits can the entourage effect offer? Well, it all depends on what combination of cannabinoids you’re enjoying. Even then, while scientists have escalated research, we’re still in the early stages of proving things one way or another. That considered, we’ve noticed quite a few signs pointing in the right direction.

One of the most commonly known potential benefits, interestingly, is one you might have even heard of already. That, of course, is CBD’s possible ability to moderate the effects of THC. In fact, as recently as 2019, scientists observing rodents found THC doses would cause them anxiety and make them easier to scare. Afterward, they noticed that subsequent administration of CBD would dial down the symptoms. 

Of course, it goes beyond the major cannabinoids as well. 

A preclinical breast cancer trial in 2018, for instance, compared the efficacy of a full-spectrum cannabis extract with a THC isolate. In the study, researchers found that extract, rather than isolate, would effectively kill tumors and prevent their growth on tissue samples and test animals. The researchers, unfortunately, didn’t name the specific cannabinoids present, so we can’t know which actually helped. That being said, the fact their presence made a difference is significant enough to warrant further study.

How to Take Advantage of the Entourage Effect

So, science hasn’t proven it outright, but signs point to the entourage effect having some real truth to it. With that in mind, you might want to know how you can try taking advantage of the effect yourself. Luckily for you, we happen to offer a wide variety of CBD flower, full spectrum oil, and a variety of other cannabinoid-loaded products in our online shop.

Amongst those products, we’d also like to highlight our CBN:CBD:CBG oil, in which we combined around 333 milligrams of CBN, CBD, and CBG respectively. Each cannabinoid offers a different range of potential benefits, and they can fit neatly in your wellness routine.

For instance, some experts have studied CBN for its antibacterial and appetite-stimulating properties. Others have connected CBG to the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease & glaucoma. Even more have conducted research on CBD as a treatment for anxiety and seizures, and the FDA has even approved it to be used in treatment of the latter.

Now, researchers haven’t consistently observed these effects (outside of the latter) in clinical settings, but they conduct new studies daily. On top of that, anecdotal evidence suggests the effects of these three go far beyond what’s been discussed. In turn, their synergy is seeming increasingly beneficial, and we developed our CBN:CBD:CBG oil to explore this possibility further.

Conclusion

The science behind the entourage effect is ever-evolving, and the hypotheses we’ve discussed here could be proven or disproven any way. With that being said, the most important thing you can do is stay up-to-date with the science and speak with your doctor before using cannabis products. In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more, check out other posts on our blog!