Our microbiome, a vast universe of beneficial bacteria within our intestines, is at the center of our ability to process nutrition and energy, ensuring proper and dynamic function of our metabolic systems. In the cases of chronic dysfunction, metabolic disorders, inflammation and a variety of maladies occur.

Maintaining homeostasis, the physiological balancing act our bodies perform in relation to internal and external flux, is the overlying function of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). Its role has been discovered to be crucial in regulating immune function, mood and adaptation to stress. Endocannabinoids, cannabis-like molecules produced within the body, as well as phytocannabinoids like the ones found in cannabis, regulate many systems found within the brain and body. There are two distinct endocannabinoid receptor systems: CB1, found in the brain and central nervous system; and CB2, found in organs, immune-system cells and peripheral parts of the body.

Recently, University of Conneticut researchers illuminated a crucial link between the ECS and gut immune-system function. They discovered that capsaicin, the molecule that makes hot peppers hot, stimulates the TRPV1 receptor in the gut. (The TRPV1 receptor system is responsible for the mediation of inflammation, body temperature and the perception of pain.)

The result of this stimulation is the production of anandamide, dubbed the “bliss molecule,” an endocannabinoid that functions similarly to its phytocannabinoid counterparts. Anandamide also controls appetite and energy balance. When it’s produced due to TRPV1 stimulation from capsaicin, anandamide subsequently mediates immune-system function, thus providing a crucial homeostatic role.

Why is this important? Homeostasis of the immune system in the gut assures that pathogens are responded to accordingly, while nutrients are tolerated and assimilated. A healthy gut can correspond to proper metabolism, immune-system function and overall well-being. Anandamide also stimulates the CB1 receptor in the brain, and, as researchers found, the “results uncover a major conversation between the immune and nervous system.”

In short, the ECS is responsible for maintaining homeostasis within the gut, “one of the most fundamental properties of the immune system.”

Additionally, cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis, helps anandamide stick around longer in our bellies. More anandamide translates into greater ECS health, conveying a greater therapeutic effect upon gut-immune health.

Hot pepper starts can be found at nurseries throughout Sonoma County.

Patrick Anderson is a lead educator at Project CBD.

One of the big questions facing those who wish to participate in the emerging cannabis industry is whether to focus on the medical market or the adult-use market. The medical market in California is relatively mature, with existing infrastructure and patients used to going to the dispensary. However, it remains to be seen how that system survives the adult-use market which comes online Jan. 1, 2018.

Right now, in order to go to a dispensary and buy medical cannabis, one must get a recommendation from a doctor. Though this is a not a particularly difficult process, it still takes time and money—usually less than $100. When the adult-use market opens, one will be able to buy medical cannabis with a driver’s license. So who will go to a medical dispensary? Customer loyalty will only go so far if the adult-use market is more convenient.

I see two scenarios in which the medical-market survives. First, I expect a difference in how medical and adult-use cannabis is taxed. If the tax difference is significant, people may still find value in getting a recommendation and buying medical cannabis. Second, it is possible that the medical system obtains higher grades of cannabis, at least initially. While many Californians use cannabis, the adult-use market remains in its infancy, and it’s unclear how the industry will respond to this new system.

One concern is that, in either system, it is possible that the cost of cannabis will increase—or plummet. I think that this is a real tension in the system. There is no question that the cost of growing and producing is about to go way up. The draft of state regulations is out, and it is estimated that compliance will be hundreds of dollars per pound. Will growers operate on a much thinner margin, or will they try to pass those increases on to consumers? Will the average consumer be willing to pay $20 a gram, as has happened in other states? Given the availability of cannabis, and the right to grow six plants, I think consumers will push back. This may lead to a race to the bottom in pricing.

I think all of these problems are solvable. The market will mature and many of these questions will be answered. My fear is not that some people won’t be successful; my fear is that most of the people I know in the cannabis industry now will not be in it within a few years. To me the system seems to favor wealth and capital. Most small producers, unless they can find a niche market quickly or are doing it as a hobby, will soon find the cost of production too high to make a living. Again, I think this is a short-term problem, but by the time it gets sorted out, most of the small producers will have been driven out.

Ben Adams is a local attorney who specializes in cannabis law and compliance.