The Entourage Effect

Cannabis contains over 400 therapeutic molecules which each have their own medical and curative benefits. Over 100 have been identified as phytocannabinoids (compounds unique to cannabis plants) while many others, such as the terpenes and flavonoids, can be found in other plants—a good example is myrcene, a terpene found in mangos, which is why eating mangos prior to smoking is said to heighten the effects of certain strains. These molecules work together to help treat a variety of symptoms and illnesses from many different angles. This synergistic activity is known as the entourage effect, a term coined by the Israeli researcher, Raphael Mechoulam, who is credited with being the first scientist to discern the molecular structure of THC and discovering the endocannabinoid receptors that it binds to. The entourage effect is the reason why different strains have different nuanced effects. It is also why full spectrum options are often a better choice than products containing just THC and/or CBD.

A good example of the synergistic effect of the various compounds found in THC is the way various molecules work together to treat prostate cancer. THC causes the destruction of cancer cells while CBD, CBDA, THCA, CBN, and CBG all inhibit tumor growth and size, and prevent their spread to other parts of the body. Additionally CBD, CBC, and THC all reduce inflammation and promote immune system functioning—which obviously promote recovery. And not only do these cannabinoids all work to actually treat the cancer, they each have properties that can alleviate symptoms resulting from the cancer and other treatments the patient undergoes—think THC to alleviate chemotherapy induced pain or nausea. A more simplistic example might be how certain cannabinoids and terpenes have various mechanisms for treating inflammation, while others have muscle relaxant qualities or nerve-blocking analgesic effects, and how all of these work together to reduce pain. The science on all of this is still so new that, even though scientists have figured out in a general sense the mechanism of action for many of cannabis’s constituent parts, they haven’t even figured out what all the constituent parts are yet! And more than that, some of the cannabinoids they have identified and are studying only show up in very small amounts in the cannabis currently being sold. But don’t be discouraged, researchers and breeders like are currently working to find ways to isolate and preserve some of those less common molecules (Subcool Seeds, for instance, has been working on breeding plants with higher CBG levels).

Of course, the most popular way of using whole plant medicine is to smoke the buds or find a full spectrum concentrate, but there are many other ways to feel the benefits without inhalation or activating (or making psychoactive) the THC. Juicing, for instance, contains all the curative secondary molecules found in cannabis without decarboxylating—activating—the THC. Another option for those who would rather not feel the effects of psychoactive THC are new broad spectrum products being offered. Broad spectrum products contain all the molecules of full spectrum products with the THC removed. These broad spectrum products provide patients with an option that allows them to feel the synergistic effects of almost all of the plants’ constituent parts without having to worry about a hypersensitivity to any THC content, no matter how miniscule.

If you’re interested in ways to use full spectrum cannabis without the psychoactive effects you can check our earlier blog posts THC: Good for More Than Just Getting You High and Tinctures, Topicals, and Other Ways to Use Cannabis without Getting High!