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THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM

13 articles exploring this theme

The endocannabinoid system (ECS) is the most important physiological system you've never heard of. Discovered only in the 1990s, the ECS regulates virtually every aspect of human health—from mood and appetite to immune function and cellular repair. These articles explore this remarkable system and its implications for medicine and human potential.

Dr. Bob Melamede was one of the first scientists to understand the ECS in thermodynamic terms. He saw that endocannabinoids function as the body's primary homeostatic regulators—molecules that help maintain the far-from-equilibrium state that defines life. When the ECS is functioning well, we adapt and thrive. When it's disrupted, disease follows.

These articles cover the science of the ECS: how it works, what disrupts it, and how to support it. We explore the roles of anandamide and 2-AG, the CB1 and CB2 receptors, and the enzymes that regulate cannabinoid signaling. We examine how diet, exercise, stress, and yes, cannabis affect ECS function.

Understanding the endocannabinoid system is essential for anyone interested in health optimization, cannabis medicine, or the biology of adaptation. These articles provide the foundation you need.

The 13% Scandal: Why Doctors Don't Know About the ECS
EP 142
The Endocannabinoid System

The 13% Scandal: Why Doctors Don't Know About the ECS

Only 13% of medical schools teach about the endocannabinoid system. This isn't an oversight—it's a scandal Insights from Dr. Bob Melamede's framework.

The Two Endocannabinoids: 2-AG and Anandamide
EP 139
The Endocannabinoid System

The Two Endocannabinoids: 2-AG and Anandamide

Your body makes two main endocannabinoids with different roles—one is the workhorse, the other is the stress responder Insights from Dr. Bob Melamede's frame...

Retrograde Transmission: The Feedback Loop
EP 138
The Endocannabinoid System

Retrograde Transmission: The Feedback Loop

Endocannabinoids are unique—they signal backwards, from the receiving neuron to the sending one. This changes everything.

The Placebo Effect and the Endocannabinoid System
EP 132
The Endocannabinoid System

The Placebo Effect and the Endocannabinoid System

Dr. Bob believes the cannabinoid system is responsible for the placebo effect. The mind-body connection may work through endocannabinoid modulation.

Postbirth Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Origin of BLPs?
EP 126
The Endocannabinoid System

Postbirth Traumatic Stress Disorder: The Origin of BLPs?

Breastmilk contains psychoactive endocannabinoids that provide neuroprotection after birth trauma. Could lack of breastfeeding create Backward-Looking People?

The Endocannabinoid System and Far-From-Equilibrium Thermodynamics: Why Cannabis Actually Works
EP 16
The Endocannabinoid System

The Endocannabinoid System and Far-From-Equilibrium Thermodynamics: Why Cannabis Actually Works

Let me ask you something. What if I told you that the universe is actively trying to get you high? Not in some woo-woo, Insights from Dr. Bob Melamede's fram...

The Most Important System You've Never Heard Of
EP 15
The Endocannabinoid System

The Most Important System You've Never Heard Of

Let me ask you something. What if I told you the most important system in your body, the one that regulates l Insights from Dr. Bob Melamede's framework.

Homeostasis: The Word That Changes Everything
EP 14
The Endocannabinoid System

Homeostasis: The Word That Changes Everything

_This post is part of the

The Lock and Key You Already Have
EP 13
The Endocannabinoid System

The Lock and Key You Already Have

You’ve been lied to. Cannabis doesn’t get you high. That’s right. You heard me. For decades, maybe your whole life, you’ve

Your Body's Operating System
EP 12
The Endocannabinoid System

Your Body's Operating System

You think you're in control? That's cute. You think that little voice in your head, the one that's reading these words right now,

Why You're Probably Deficient (And Don't Know It)
EP 11
The Endocannabinoid System

Why You're Probably Deficient (And Don't Know It)

Let’s cut the bullshit. You think you’re doing everything right. You’re eating clean, hitting the gym, maybe Insights from Dr. Bob Melamede's framework.

The Wizard Behind the Curtain
EP 10
The Endocannabinoid System

The Wizard Behind the Curtain

Explore The Wizard Behind the Curtain - insights on complexity science, thermodynamics, and human potential from Far From Equilibrium by Justin Hartfield.

The System Inside You That Nobody Told You About
EP 9
The Endocannabinoid System

The System Inside You That Nobody Told You About

You Don't Know Your Own Body Let me ask you something. Do you think you’re in control of your own body? Do Insights from Dr. Bob Melamede's framework.