Hemp (cannabis) was already cultivated as a useful and medicinal plant in China around 8,000 BC and their first use for medicinal purposes about 5000 years ago. Active compounds are found in all cannabis plants, but not always in the same quantity or even in the same composition. There are three major groups of compounds in cannabis. These are cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids. In the late 1990s, research into the interplay between cannabinoids and terpenes presented another interesting aspect in this context.
The “entourage effect” was first characterized by Dr. Ben-Shabat in 1998 and has been explained and expanded upon, particularly by Dr. Ethan Russo. Dr. Ethan Russo, M.D., a neurologist who has long been significantly involved with cannabis compounds and their role in the body, published the following study “Taming THC: potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects” in 2011.
Entourage-Effect
The expression of “Entourage Effect” comes from cannabis research and describes a therapeutic interaction between cannabinoids and terpenes. This defines that a combination of plant substances has a higher biological activity than the isolated pure substance itself.
Cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are a collective term for all substances that act via the cannabinoid receptors. Until today, there are more than 100 cannabinoids that have been detected and extracted from the cannabis plant. It is interesting to note that cannabinoids are not only found in the cannabis plant, but also in some fungi and bacteria. The most well-known of the more than 100 different cannabinoids are THC, CBD, CBC and CBG.
Terpenes
Terpenes are a grouping of chemical compounds and are found in a variety of plants, foods and essential oils. Essential oils, for example, are rich in terpenes, which are also produced by plants. The terpenes they contain influence the smell, taste and sometimes also the effect of the respective plant. In the plant family “Cannabis” more than 200 different terpenes are found and depending on the variety and effect, different terpenes are present in different quantities. The terpenes are produced, just like the cannabinoids, mainly in the trichomes, the resin glands of the cannabis plant.
Flavonoids
The flavonoids in the cannabis plant are responsible for the smell, colour as well as the taste and primarily serve to protect the plants from UV radiation. The flavonoids are mainly absorbed through food, i.e. fruit and vegetables. So far, researchers know about 8,000 flavonoids, but not all flavonoids have been researched in detail.
