Well, I’ll at least admit that I’m not qualified to interpret this, but, seems relatively inconclusive overall. From what I’m understanding, they proved that 6 terpenoids do not modulate CB1/2 interaction with THC, but not completely whether or not they modulate the effects at all.
That seems like a reasonable take on their work.
I don’t see any gaping holes, in the experimental design.
Yep, they were only measuring direct interaction with CB1 & CB2. That seems like a good starting point. Not seeing an interaction does not rule the entourage effect out, but it does bring the question into focus a little better.
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Could it mean that terpenes activate other receptors than cb1/cb2?
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Exactly. It really excites me to think about the implications that terpenes are each individually active, not just playing a part to support cannabinoids.
It makes the term Ensemble Effect rather than Entourage Effect ring true, as the compounds found in the diverse phytochemistry of cannabis may all be of varying importance depending on the application, rather than terpenes being secondary to super star cannabinoids as part of their entourage.
Here are some studies.
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Thank you, going to check these out. I know it’s anecdotal, but, i think terpenes activate their own neural networks and not just cannabinoid stuff.
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In 2011, Russo published a research study entitled “Taming THC: Potential Cannabis Synergy and Phytocannabinoid-terpenoid Entourage Effects” in the British Journal of Pharmacology. He and his team studied the terpenes a-pinene, b-caryophyllene, caryophyllene oxide, limonene, linalool, myrcene, nerolidol, and phytol.
In his pinnacle study, Russo explains how cannabinoids and terpenes intermingle in the human body to modify the effects of one another and, in essence, create an overall different, or “greater,” efficacy based on the exact molecules present and, of equal importance, the ratios in which they appear.
Examples of this intricate mechanism revealed by the study include myrcene’s ability to reduce the selectivity of the blood-brain barrier, allowing molecules like THC and CBD to pass this biological filter more easily and in greater quantities. While myrcene illustrates how a terpene can amplify, or boost, a cannabinoid, the terpene pinene has been shown to buffer THC by reducing the cognition and memory impairment that sometimes accompanies the infamous psychoactive molecule.
Russo’s research also demonstrated that a combination of caryophyllene, myrcene, and pinene is helpful for reducing and treating anxiety (more than 100 million Americans suffer from the most common form, social anxiety).
Likewise, the study revealed that a combination of the terpenes limonene and linalool and the cannabinoid cannabigerol (CBG) is helpful in treating MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus), the most treatment-resistant form of staph infection. CBD, limonene, and linalool have been investigated for their ability to fight acne and treat other skin conditions, including eczema and psoriasis. When combined with THC, the cannabinoid cannabinol (CBN) produces an enhanced sedative effect.
The pioneering Russo study concluded multiple beneficial interactions between myrcene and several major cannabinoids, including THC and CBD.
- CBD + myrcene: Decreases inflammation, fights cancer, reduces pain.
- CBG + myrcene: Anti-cancer.
- THC + myrcene: Analgesic (reduces pain) and muscle relaxant; enhanced sedative and tranquilization benefits.
https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1476-5381.2011.01238.x
Interesting way to put this.
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I believe the fist person to put it that way might have been Dr. Mel Frank
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