If you’re not sure what the entourage effect is, then you’ve come to the right place.
Keep reading to learn more!
What Is CBD and How Does it Work?
Before we discuss the entourage effect, let’s start off with the basics.
If you were to examine a hemp bud under a microscope, you would see many fascinating things. All plants within the cannabis family are a collaboration of diverse constituents like terpenes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids. Terpenes and flavonoids, at least on the surface, are responsible for the aroma and distinct flavor notes of the plant. Cannabinoids, like cannabidiol (CBD), are the real stars of the show. They’re primarily responsible for serving up the effects you feel after consuming the plant. THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is yet another well-known cannabinoid, but more than 140 cannabinoids derived from the cannabis family of plants, including hemp, have been identified.
CBD and the Endocannabinoid System
Unlike THC, which is primarily known for inducing euphoria, CBD seems to work in a different way in the body and yields variant outcomes. The reason behind why CBD and other cannabinoids have this power is they are quite similar to endogenous cannabinoids, which the body produces on its own. The body has its own endocannabinoid system (ECS) made up of receptors poised throughout the nervous system and organs, including the brain.
CBD is most noted as a therapeutic compound because it interacts with the ECS differently. Instead of directly affecting the receptors of the ECS like THC, CBD may trigger the body to produce its own endocannabinoids. This explains why CBD is sometimes touted as a “balancing agent” for the ECS. The idea also explains why two people could use CBD for two opposing issues, like lack of energy and lack of sleep, and both people may see positive outcomes.
What the Entourage Effect Is and Why It Matters
While singular cannabinoids like CBD get a lot of deserving attention, all of those identifiable constituents in hemp may support one another in the body. When you consume hemp constituents together, each one interacts with the ECS in its own way. But, more importantly, those constituents may also interact with the ECS in new ways because of the other present compounds. This synergistic reaction is referred to as the entourage effect.
To gain perspective on the entourage effect, consider people in a social situation. Two friends stand in two separate rooms alone. These individuals act and feel a certain way because they’re alone. Stick the two good friends in a room together, they act and feel new ways. Now imagine a group of friends in a room together. What do you have? Conversation between multiple parties, laughter, synergistic feelings and reactions, and the list goes on. If you’re a watchful bystander, you see new personalities emerge with every new person added to the group.
The entourage effect is much the same but on a biological, molecular level. Cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids get into the body like a group of good friends; they play off of one another and may interact with the ECS in better ways. The research into this entourage theory is just getting started but is incredibly enlightening just the same.
For example, in one study, cancer patients were given either THC isolate or a combo with equal parts of CBD and THC. Those given the combination reported better pain relief. Another study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology covers a wealth of information about the potential synergy between cannabinoids and terpenoids, including how CBD could tame the euphoric effects of THC.
Understanding the entourage effect is important because it shows why choosing a full-spectrum product like Fabuleaf Full Spectrum CBD Oil could be important. Full-spectrum CBD is not just the cannabidiol stripped down and alone—it has its other friends along for the party. For you, this may mean a more effective therapeutic experience.
Harness the Entourage Effect with Full Spectrum CBD
Only a true Full Spectrum CBD product will offer you the Entourage Effect, CBD Isolate and Broad Spectrum CBD products will not offer you the Entourage Effect.
Imagine an orchestra’s musical instruments such as the saxophone or drums, they sound great on their own, however, when the saxophone and drums along with other musical instruments in the orchestra play together, it produces a cohesive sound that is more harmonious than any instrument by itself. In short, the Entourage Effect is the Perfect Team!
Discover the fabuleaf™ Difference
At fabuleaf™, we only sell Full Spectrum Hemp Flower CBD products.
All have 3rd party lab testing results showing exactly what’s in the container so you can feel comfortable and confident knowing exactly what you are getting.
Terpenes and the Entourage Effect
Terpenes play an important role in the Entourage Effect, for example,
- The terpene, Linalool which is found in lavender is believed to promote calmness and reaction effects.
- Limonene found in orange rind and juniper is believed to provide stress and anxiety relief.
- The combination of the terpenes Linalool and Limonene combined with the cannabinoid Cannabidiol is being examined as an anti-acne treatment.
- Myrcene is a fairly known terpene found in mangos and lemongrass and it is believed that this terpene promotes calming effects.
- Terpinolene found in lilacs and nutmeg is believed to have uplifting effects.
- Pinene is a terpene found in pine needles, basil and rosemary and it may be useful for inflammation or anxiety.
Clinical Studies on the Entourage Effect
It was previously believed that CBD isolate was more effective than Full Spectrum CBD, however, in 2015 this theory was debunked by a published clinical research study titled “Overcoming the Bell‐Shaped Dose‐Response of Cannabidiol by Using Cannabis Extract Enriched in Cannabidiol“. This study is from The Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology, The Hadassah Medical School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Hebrew University, Department of Medicinal and Natural Products and the Institute for Drug Research.
The research found that test subjects who were administered with Full Spectrum CBD were provided with higher levels of relief compared to subjects administered with CBD Isolate. In addition, the study results showed that Full Spectrum CBD provided enhanced effects with higher dosages, while the effects of CBD Isolate maintained consistent with increased dosages.
Another good study that depicts the benefits of a Full Spectrum CBD product is from a neurologist named Ethan Russo, M.D. In his study titled “Taming THC;potential cannabis synergy and photocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects“.
Dr Russo details how cannabis compounds influence each other’s mechanisms, and he’s not just talking about the relatively well known CBD-THC tag team, even small amounts of terpenes and other cannabinoids can make a big difference versus a CBD isolate.
These examples only scratch the surface of all the possible beneficial synergies Cannabinoids and Terpenes can offer.
There are many, many published clinical research studies on CBD. Published clinical research studies have been conducted all over the world at Medical Schools, Universities and Hospitals. Even the FDA is conducting studies on CBD which is new in 2019 because of the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill also known as The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018.