Discovered in the late 1990s, the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS is a biological system found in all vertebrates; mammals and other species, composed of endocannabinoids and cannabinoid receptors. Initially, research has suggested that these receptors were only present in the brain and nerves but more recently scientist have found that these receptors exist throughout the body, including our skin, immune cells, bone, fat tissue, liver, pancreas, skeletal muscle, heart, blood vessels, kidney, and gastrointestinal tract.
Endocannabinoids are endogenous neurotransmitters that are produced by our bodies. They regulate neurotransmission and allow for feedback loops. Anandamide and 2 Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are the two primary Endocannabinoids.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a biological system composed of lipid-based retrograde neurotransmitters that bind to cannabinoid receptors, and cannabinoid receptor proteins that are expressed throughout the central nervous system.
Research {source} has now shown that Endocannabinoid system is involved in a broad range of processes including:
In the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, March 19, 2018 article titled; Cannabinoid Receptors and the Endocannabinoid System: Signaling and Function in the Cenral Nervous System , the ECS is believed to have more cellular receptor sites than any other receptor system. The widespread distribution of these cannabinoid receptors shows just how important the ECS is to our overall bodily function and health.