Because you asked:

• How can my genetics help direct my cannabis and CBD consumption?
• Can your genotype guide you in a direction for consuming CBD and cannabis?
• If someone finds that they have a genetic predisposition towards having an adverse event, should they potentially look at consuming less cannabis or more or less CBD?

Key takeaways: 

• Variations in gene expression, especially of the FAAH and COMT genes, have a strong correlation with your CBD and cannabis experience.
• FAAH controls your absorption of the neurotransmitter anandamide, which affects inflammation.
• COMT regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, which affects things like mood, energy levels, pleasure, and concentration.
• DNA can tell you whether you have a “Warrior” or a “Worrier” phenotype, which can help you better understand your experience with stress.
• Watch the video here.

Warrior, worrier and dopamine: your genetic predispositions give you away.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, many of us are sustaining unusually high levels of stress. Studies show that CBD and cannabinoids can help manage stress and anxiety, but it is also important to look at genetic predispositions and how they influence the personal cannabis experience.

The FAAH gene, for example, controls the enzymes responsible for breaking down anandamide, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate inflammation. CBD and cannabinoids can influence how your FAAH enzymes metabolize anandamide and how long it stays in the body. Understanding how your own genetic variations affect the FAAH gene can help you predict which cannabis formulations are most likely to give you a positive outcome.

COMT is another important gene for regulating neurotransmitters, and it is also affected by CBD and cannabis. COMT enzymes modulate hormones like estrogen and neurotransmitters like epinephrine and dopamine. Dopamine is particularly important, affecting things like mood, pleasure, and concentration.

The COMT gene variation can also tell you whether you have a “Worrier” or a “Warrior” phenotype. When the someone who has a warrior phenotype experiences stress, it gets flushed out of the system quickly and doesn’t linger. The Worrier phenotype is slower to process stress, so it can build up and hang around in the system longer.

According to Dr. Spooner,

“you can use those combinations of those pathways to start to tailor in on some of your strain selection and cannabinoid formulation and also help manage some of that stress.”

Learning your genotype could help figure out where you fall on the warrior-worrier continuum, and whether a stimulating or calming type of cannabinoid-terpene combination might work best for you.

Watch Len May, CEO of Endocanna Health, chat with naturopathic specialist Dr. Chris Spooner about how gene variations affect how we process neurotransmitters, and how our DNA can help us find the most compatible personal CBD or cannabis solutions.

Learn more about Dr. Chris Spooner here.

Learn more about CEO Len May here.
Visit our website to learn more about our breakthrough DNA test that can help match you with the right CBD or cannabis products to enhance your health and wellness.

Endocanna Health is a biotechnology company committed to helping consumers find the right cannabinoid products to enhance their health and wellness. Using our breakthrough DNA test, Endo·dna, we empower you to take control of your health with access to over 55 different health reports that include suggestions for the best CBD and cannabis products that match your unique genetic code. Visit us here to find out more!