The first cannabinoid was discovered in 1964 by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, professor of medicinal chemistry & natural products at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel. Fast forward 30 years to 1992, Dr. Mechoulam and his team identified a naturally occurring cannabinoid in the human body. They named it Anandamide after the Sanskrit word ananda , which means "bliss" or "delight". This endogenous cannabinoid (endogenous means its produced within the body) led to the discovery of the Endocannabinoid System.

This widespread systems made up of endogenous cannabinoids and receptor sites throughout the body is found in nearly every system in the body.

To fully understand the importance of the Endocannabinoid System, we need to first understand it's primary purpose of maintaining balance in the body called Homeostasis.

Homeostasis is is the process in which the human body maintains steady levels of temperature and other vital conditions such as the water, salt, sugar, protein, fat, calcium and oxygen contents of the blood. Similar processes dynamically maintain steady-state conditions in the Earth's environment. Your body is in a constant battle to maintain homeostasis whether it's blood sugar levels, maintaining cardiac rhythms, or the delicate processes in pregnancy. Your body absent homeostasis is in real danger. As an example lets look at one of your body's abilities to maintain homeostasis in regulating your temperature. A normal adult body temperature is around 98.6 (some people are a little higher or lower). When your internal temperature rises your body compensates by producing sweat to cool the body, when your internal temperature lowers your body compensates by reducing blood flow from the extremities to protect your vital organs.... This is a perfect example of your body maintaining homeostasis.

The Endocannabinoid System is found in every vertebrate and has been a part of us since the very beginning, we are just starting to fully understand how widespread and vital it is to our functioning. Researchers are now finding out that by modulating the Endocannabinoid System a great number of conditions and diseases may be alleviated. Conditions such as inflammatory disorders, cancer, stroke, metabolic syndrome, Huntington's disease, hypertension, seizure disorders, Parkinson's, auto-immune disorders, and chronic pain is just a small sampling of the diseases helped and there are many many more.

Many systems in the body require supplementation when out of balance. For instance, the nervous system may be firing excessively resulting in chronic or acute pain making a pain medication necessary, or hormonal system dysfunction causing diabetes and requiring the patient to use insulin. Likewise, a person suffering endocannabinoid deficiency (which is proving to be a large portion of the human population) should also be given what they need to relieve their suffering, giving them a chance to find relief and regain function in a healthy way. The cannabis family of plants is the absolute best (and many say only) option for a phytocannabinoid medicinal to bolster your ailing Endocannabinoid System.