What is the Entourage Effect?
Originally, the entourage effect came from the medical field, which was concerned with the study of the hemp plant. In short, the entourage effect is about the following: The interaction of cannabinoids, terpenes and other components in the hemp plant. It can be assumed that these substances have a greater effect in combination with each other than if they are taken separately.
The number of studies about the effect of CBD and other components of the cannabis plant on the human body is small. Therefore, no clear conclusions about the entourage effect can be drawn at this stage. There are currently two interesting studies on this topic:
- A study from 1998 by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Lautenberg Center for General and Tumour Immunology states that the isolated components of the hemp plant, especially isolated CBD, should not have the same effect as all cannabinoids and terpenes together.
- Also in 2011, the US physician Dr. Ethan Russo of the University of Massachusetts published another study reporting on the synergies of the terpenes and plant cannabinoids in the hemp plant. The focus was particularly on the terpenes. In general, Dr. Russo assumes that the entourage effect, which is caused by the terpenes and cannabinoids, should have a higher effectiveness.
However, this is only a very small number of studies, so that no conclusive statement can yet be made about the entourage effect.
So far, little research has been done on other terpenes and cannabinoids that are supposed to lead to the entourage effect. So little is known about the organic compounds found in the hemp plant. Recently, there has been more and more about terpenes, the small chemical compounds responsible for smell and taste. They are thought to cause a terpene entourage effect.
How does the entourage effect work?
The best known cannabinoids of the hemp plant are CBD and THC. Their properties are the focus of hemp research. However, more and more studies show that all components of the hemp plant could be important for the entourage effect.
The effects of cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the body's endocannabinoid system are already being researched. While THC has psychoactive properties, CBD has been found to have no psychoactive properties and can even attenuate the docking of THC to the endocannabinoid receptors. The other components are now also coming more and more to the forefront of hemp research. The interaction of cannabinoids and terpenes is said to have an entourage effect.
Scientists are in the process of finding out how exactly this entourage effect can affect the body. However, it is certain that different cannabinoids and terpenes are needed for this, which react differently with the body's endocannabinoid system.
So far, more than 600 components of the hemp plant are known, 200 of which are assigned to the terpenes alone and 100 to the cannabinoids. While cannabinoids can interact with endocannabinoid receptors, it is becoming increasingly clear that terpenes can also have an effect on the endocannabinoid system and are thought to lead to a terpene entourage effect.
The entourage effect in ALPINOLS
In order to be able to achieve a possible entourage effect at all, CBD oils should contain the full spectrum of the hemp plant. Full spectrum organic CBD oils are therefore so suitable because they contain not only isolated CBD, but also other important terpenes and cannabinoids.
At ALPINOLS, we draw the full power from the hemp plant for our organic CBD oils. The natural terpene profile and other cannabinoids create a CBD oil with an entourage effect. Through a gentle CO2 extraction, all components of the hemp plant end up in the final product and can thus form the natural environment for the CBD.
With this special extraction method and through our hemp cultivation according to Bio-Suisse guidelines, we are able to offer a pure and natural organic CBD oil that also retains the important and fragile terpenes! The basis for a terpene entourage effect is thus made possible.
