In 1998, a group of researchers proposed a hypothesis known as the Entourage Effect, in which a multitude of the compounds found in cannabis can synergistically work together based on the fact that these effects were also seen in the synergism properties associated with our own endocannabinoids. However, after 26 years, this hypothesis has never been supported clinically, meaning that while we have a lot of proposals and a lot of research suggesting interactions, we've never actually applied it to a patient population...
In 1998, a group of researchers proposed a hypothesis known as the Entourage Effect, in which a multitude of the compounds found in cannabis can synergistically work together based on the fact that these effects were also seen in the synergism properties associated with our own endocannabinoids. However, after 26 years, this hypothesis has never been supported clinically, meaning that while we have a lot of proposals and a lot of research suggesting interactions, we've never actually applied it to a patient population in a real-life setting.
In this episode of Cannabis Nurse Truths, we examine this hypothesis known as the Entourage Effect, because while there is a lot of research suggesting this phenomenon is occurring, meaning that something is happening - we just don't know what it is - critics state that there is not enough evidence to support this in science. Their claim is that it is really just a marketing tool to help promote cannabis products. So which is it - an actual phenomenon that explains why cannabis compounds work together to heal the body, or is it just a gimmick to sell more weed? Bottom line; cannabis contains over 500 compounds that all have beneficial physiological effects, so does it really matter which is true?
EPISODE RESOURCES
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Simei, J.L.Q., Souza, J.D.R., Lisboa, J.R., Campos, A.C., Guimarães, F.S., Zuardi, A., & Crippa, J.A.S. (2024). Does the “entourage effect” in cannabinoids exist? A narrative scoping review. Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, 9(5), 1202–1216. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2023.0052
Spindle, T.R., Zamarripa, C.A., Russo, E., Pollak, L., Bigelow, G., Ward, A.M., Tompson, B., Sempio, C., Shokati, T., Klawitter, J., Christians, U., & Vandrey, R. (2024). Vaporized D-limonene selectively mitigates the acute anxiogenic effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in healthy adults who intermittently use cannabis. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 257, 111267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111267
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