Tag: CB1 Receptor

Wide scientific illustration showing dietary linoleic acid progressing through plasma and red blood cell biomarkers to tissue arachidonic acid and downstream endocannabinoid signaling through 2-AG, anandamide and CB1.

Linoleic Acid Is Not One Exposure: Blood Levels, Arachidonic Acid and Tissue Biology

Posted on October 24, 2026October 24, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

A new review argues that higher linoleic acid exposure may be beneficial. But dietary intake, circulating LA and tissue fatty-acid composition are not the same biological exposure. This article explains why that distinction matters for arachidonic acid, membrane biology and the endocannabinoid system.

Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

Scientific illustration showing metabolic dysfunction in visceral adipose tissue increasing 2-AG and anandamide production, while hyperinsulinemia is associated with increased CB1 receptor stability. Both pathways converge on a central CB1 receptor embedded in a cell membrane.

When Metabolic Dysfunction Acts on Both Sides of CB1 Signalling

Posted on October 6, 2026October 6, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

A new Diabetologia study shows that insulin-resistant visceral adipose tissue overproduces 2-AG and anandamide, while recent work suggests insulin can also increase CB1 receptor stability. Together, these findings raise a testable question: can metabolic dysfunction amplify CB1 signalling by increasing both endogenous ligand production and receptor abundance?

Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

Scientific illustration showing THC activation of the CB1 receptor and the Gq/11–PLC–PKC–NEDD4L pathway leading to CB1 ubiquitination, proteasomal degradation and cannabinoid tolerance, with ECS.education branding.

How Repeated THC Exposure Can Reduce CB1 Receptors

Posted on September 14, 2026September 14, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

A new PNAS study identifies a previously underappreciated Gq/11–PLC–PKC–NEDD4L pathway that marks CB1 receptors for proteasomal degradation. The findings help explain how repeated THC exposure can reduce receptor availability and contribute to cannabinoid tolerance.

Commentary

llustration comparing cannabinoid pharmacology with ECS physiology across a translational gap, highlighting the need to measure the functional state of the endocannabinoid system in humans.

The Endocannabinoid System Is No Longer the Limiting Factor? Almost.

Posted on September 14, 2026September 14, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

A new review argues that policy and stigma, rather than lack of ECS science, are now the main barriers to cannabinoid medicine. I agree, but an important gap remains: medicine still lacks a practical clinical physiology of the endocannabinoid system.

Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

A white paracetamol tablet emits glowing signals into an interconnected network of lipid-like molecules, cell membranes and neurons, shifting from warm orange inflammatory activity to cool blue-green signalling against a dark background.

Paracetamol, 2-AG and CB1: The ECS Story Just Got More Complicated

Posted on September 9, 2026September 8, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

New mouse research reveals that paracetamol’s pain-relieving effects depend on CB1 receptors and the enzymes DAGL and MAGL, while reshaping prostaglandin and wider lipid signalling.

Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

Tolerance changes the economics of medical cannabis

Posted on September 7, 2026September 7, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

A New York study found that 49% of surveyed medical cannabis patients could not afford enough cannabis to manage their symptoms. This article examines a missing variable in the affordability debate: whether chronic high-THC exposure, tolerance and CB1 adaptation may increase the amount of cannabis required for sustained therapeutic effect.

Announcements

Scientific illustration showing a CB1 receptor in the cell membrane, with metabolic state influencing receptor stability and lysosomal degradation. Dietary fat composition and carbohydrate-driven insulin responses are shown as upstream factors, with liver, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, brain, and heart representing insulin-sensitive tissues.

Open letter to CB1 researchers

Posted on September 3, 2026September 3, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

An open letter inviting researchers to investigate whether metabolic state influences CB1 receptor stability, trafficking and degradation across insulin-sensitive tissues, and whether this represents a broader principle of endocannabinoid system regulation.

Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

Illustration of endocannabinoid signalling through CB1 receptors in the brain, showing how synaptic adaptation supports learning and behavioural adaptation.

How the Endocannabinoid System Helps the Brain Adapt and Learn

Posted on August 17, 2026August 17, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

The Endocannabinoid System and the Biology of Learning: How Endocannabinoids Help the Brain Adapt Why one-shot learning matters for survival Imagine touching a hot surface for the first time. The experience lasts only a moment, but the lesson can last a lifetime. The brain does not need repeated exposure to…

Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

Split-screen illustration of two doctors, one of whom is ECS-literate. The blog post title is overlaid: 'ECS Literacy in Medicine: Why It Makes Better Doctors'

ECS Literacy in Medicine: Why It Makes Better Doctors

Posted on May 26, 2026May 26, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

What happens to clinical reasoning when a physician understands the endocannabinoid system? Seven conditions, two kinds of doctors, and the reasoning gap that a better curriculum could close.

Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

Jigsaw puzzle of fatty liver disease with a new insulin→CB1 piece connecting insulin spikes to hepatic CB1 and steatosis, leaving some gaps for unknown mechanisms.

How Poor Diet and Insulin Spikes Disrupt the Endocannabinoid System and Drive Fatty Liver

Posted on May 21, 2026May 21, 2026 By Stefan Broselid

Scientists have identified a new mechanism linking everyday diet to endocannabinoid system (ECS) dysfunction: normal post‑meal insulin spikes can increase CB1 receptors in the liver by about 50% by slowing their lysosomal recycling. Together with an omega‑6‑heavy fat intake, this amplifies diet‑driven steatosis and helps explain how common foods drive fatty liver disease.