Cannabinoid Clinic: 2-AG
Updated: Mar 24
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Welcome to homework assignment 1.9 of the Core Cannabis Lite Track from Higher Learning LV. When you complete this assignment, simply click the link at the bottom of the article to return to the master page for this training track.
Welcome to Cannabinoid Clinic, an education project powered by Higher Learning LV. This series provides cannabis and hemp industry professionals with easily digested cannabinoid profiles that ask little of your time—but provide plenty of science-based information.
There are two categories of cannabinoids: Phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids are those produced by cannabis/marijuana/hemp, while endocannabinoids are made by the human body. This series covers both.
2-AG molecular structure
What is 2-AG?
The two major endocannabinoids produced by the human endocannabinoid system (ECS) are 2-AG and anandamide. 2-AG is short for 2-arachidonoylglycerol and was discovered in 1994 by Japanese researchers at Teikyo University. Raphael Mechoulam and his student Shimon Ben-Shabat at Hebrew University first isolated 2-AG from the gut of a dog in 1995, three years following the discovery of the endocannabinoid anandamide.
"2-AG has been found to be 170 times more abundant in the brain than anandamide. 2-AG is also found in human breast milk and cow's milk."
This endocannabinoid is intimately involved in a number of bodily processes, including the regulation of appetite, the immune system, and pain.
Levels of both anandamide and 2-AG can be increased via a variety of mechanisms, including regular exercise. 2-AG has been found to be 170 times more abundant in the brain than anandamide. 2-AG is also found in human breast milk and cow's milk (more evidence of the existence of an ECS in creatures other than humans). Both anandamide and 2-AG are synthesized on demand, when needed by the body, instead of being produced and stored, like some other endogenously produced molecules.
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