By Luke Sumpter


2-Arachidonoylglycerol, aka 2-AG, plays a key role in the endocannabinoid system (ECS). This signalling molecule helps to govern a long list of physiological processes, including energy balance, inflammation, and even emotions and cognition[1]. It does so by activating the two major receptor types of the ECS: CB1 and CB2.

You’ve likely heard of the ECS by now; perhaps you’re even familiar with endocannabinoids such as anandamide (the bliss molecule). Now’s your chance to deepen your knowledge of this system and find out everything you need to know about 2-AG, what it does in the body, and how it relates to cannabis.

Who Discovered 2-AG?

If you’ve read anything about cannabis history, you’ve likely come across the name of Dr Raphael Mechoulam. This respected cannabis researcher, still actively working at the age of 91, achieved several breakthroughs during his career at Hebrew University in Israel. Alongside the discovery of THC, Mechoulam has helped to identify components of the ECS. He led the research teams that first isolated anandamide and 2-AG and proved their actions as signalling molecules within the ECS[2]. These ligands (molecules that bind to specific receptors) became known as endocannabinoids—“endo” meaning “within”.

In the case of 2-AG, Mechoulam’s team set out to explore ligands present in animal tissues. They came across 2-AG in 1995 and published their findings in the journal Biochemical Pharmacology[3]. After determining the structure of the new compound, they confirmed its binding affinity with ECS receptors.

What Is 2-AG?

2-AG binds to ECS receptors to create the necessary changes within target cells. Chemically speaking, it’s an ester formed from omega-6-arachidonic acid and glycerol that stems from arachidonic acid (AA).[4] Endocannabinoids like 2-AG are lipids (fats) that serve as chemical messengers within the ECS. Because the body manufactures 2-AG using omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)[5], dietary choices alter endocannabinoid levels and likely change the “tone” of the ECS.[6]

2-AG holds the status as the most abundant endocannabinoid in the brain, and it’s recognised as the only full agonist of the primary ECS receptors. In other words, when it binds to either CB1 or CB2, the endocannabinoid fully activates the site. In contrast, anandamide only acts as a partial agonist of both receptors, with limited efficacy.

What Is 2-AG?

What Is the Function of 2-AG?

As an endocannabinoid, 2-AG works to transmit signals throughout the ECS. The primary ECS receptors show up all over the body, from the skin and bones to the central nervous system and immune system. Because the body needs 2-AG to modulate these sites, the endocannabinoid appears in the same places. Check out the functions of 2-AG in key systems and processes of the body.

  • Central Nervous System

In the central nervous system and brain, 2-AG regulates neurotransmitter release—a pretty big responsibility when you consider these chemicals dictate the way we behave, feel, and perceive reality! So, how does this little chemical achieve such a great feat? First, we need to dive a little deeper into the nature of neurons.

Neurons send signals to each other via chemical impulses that result in the release of neurotransmitters (brain chemicals). When an impulse reaches the end of a presynaptic neuron, it prompts the release of a chemical that crosses the synaptic cleft (the gap between two neurons) and binds to a receptor on the surface of the postsynaptic neuron.

Most neurotransmitters travel in the “anterograde” fashion mentioned above. However, 2-AG turns the norm on its head. This endocannabinoid travels in a retrograde manner, meaning it travels back across the synaptic cleft against the flow.[7] Why? Because this enables postsynaptic cells to control incoming traffic. By latching onto ECS receptors on presynaptic neurons, 2-AG manages to modulate incoming GABA and glutamate signals, helping to control the brain’s state of excitation.

What Is 2-AG?
  • Immune System

The ECS also helps to strike a balance within the immune system. Immune cells possess both CB1 and CB2 receptors, and produce endocannabinoids, including 2-AG, that modulate them.[8] These cell types include:

B cells Produce antibodies to combat bacterial and viral infections
Natural killer cells White blood cells that form part of the innate immune system and detect virus-infected cells
Monocytes Help to deter pathogens and contribute toward both inflammatory and anti-inflammatory processes

Just as 2-AG helps to dampen neurotransmitter firing in the brain when required, it also assists in regulating immunity by preventing reactions from getting out of hand. Immune cells secrete inflammatory substances that help to bolster the body's defences. However, an overly aggressive immune system can lead the body to turn on itself through both acute and chronic autoimmune reactions.

Endocannabinoids such as 2-AG play the role of potent immunomodulators; they help to inhibit antibody formation when necessary, facilitate the self-destruction of unwanted immune cells, and reduce inflammatory molecules that would otherwise cause trouble.

  • Appetite Stimulation

If you’ve ever smoked cannabis, you’ll be familiar with the “munchies”. After a couple of joints and some deep conversation, it doesn’t take long for that ravenous hunger to set in. You see, the ECS also regulates appetite.

2-AG lights up CB1 receptors in areas of the brain responsible for the homeostasis of food intake.[9] Whenever you wake up in the morning or skip a meal during the day, this endocannabinoid starts firing to let you know it’s time to chow down. THC also targets CB1 receptors, hence why you feel the need to raid the fridge every time you smoke a bowl.

  • Sexual Function

The far reaches of the ECS also include regulating sexual arousal. Early research in this area suggests that normal circulating levels of 2-AG and anandamide may put a cap on feelings of sexual desire.

A study published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine found that concentrations of endocannabinoids significantly decrease as feelings of sexual arousal arise.[10] These results suggest that endocannabinoids are the gatekeepers of feelings of sexual arousal, and a cascade that results from these feelings works to temporarily suppress them.

Where Is 2-AG Found?

2-AG occurs all throughout the body, where it helps to maintain homeostasis across myriad physiological systems. Cells produce the endocannabinoid on demand as needed. The metabolic enzyme diacylglycerol (DAG) chiefly synthesises 2-AG, whereas the enzyme monoacylglycerol (MAG) swiftly degrades it.[11]

2-AG and anandamide are related in the sense that they are both endocannabinoids. Both act as signalling molecules within the ECS, and therefore help to keep many bodily processes in balance. While 2-AG works to fully activate both CB1 and CB2, anandamide only partially activates them. However, anandamide also fully activates TRPV1, a proposed CB3 receptor involved in pain signalling.

How Is 2-AG Related to Anandamide?

You won’t find 2-AG in your favourite cannabis strain. As an endogenous cannabinoid, it appears only in the tissues of animal species that possess an ECS. With that said, molecules derived from cannabis have a very similar effect to 2-AG in the body. Cannabinoids such as THC and CBD belong to a chemical family named after their effect on ECS receptors. THC, much like 2-AG, binds with both CB1 and CB2.

  • Why Do Cannabinoid Receptors Have More Than One Endogenous Ligand?

Both 2-AG and anandamide bind to the two primary ECS receptors. But why does the body need both of these molecules? Due to their different binding affinities, each molecule produces a different effect, even though they bind to the same receptor site.

The ECS: A Rapidly Evolving Area of Research

Congratulations, you’re now much more familiar with another important component of the ECS! But this article has barely scratched the surface. Ongoing studies are continually discovering new components of this network and their unique roles in the body. Much of the information currently known about 2-AG will evolve over time, so the key to keeping up to date with the research is: don’t stop learning!

External Resources:
  1. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol: A signaling lipid with manifold actions in the brain - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  2. The 90th Birthday of Professor Raphael Mechoulam, a Top Cannabinoid Scientist and Pioneer - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  3. Identification of an endogenous 2-monoglyceride, present in canine gut, that binds to cannabinoid receptors - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  4. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol | C23H38O4 - PubChem https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  5. Emerging class of omega-3 fatty acid endocannabinoids & their derivatives - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  6. Care and feeding of the endocannabinoid system: a systematic review of potential clinical interventions that upregulate the endocannabinoid system - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  7. Endocannabinoid-mediated retrograde modulation of synaptic transmission - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  8. Endocannabinoids and immune regulation - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  9. Endocannabinoids: an appetite for fat - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  10. Circulating endocannabinoid concentrations and sexual arousal in women - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  11. Biosynthesis and degradation of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol - PubMed https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: