Cannabinoids produced by the body from omega-3 fight inflammation

"Cannabis is a Schedule I drug with no medical benefits."

ScienceDaily:

Chemical compounds called cannabinoids are found in marijuana and also are produced naturally in the body from omega-3 fatty acids. A well-known cannabinoid in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, is  responsible for some of its euphoric effects, but it also has anti-inflammatory benefits. A new study in animal tissue reveals the cascade of chemical reactions that convert omega-3 fatty acids into cannabinoids that have anti-inflammatory benefits - but without the  psychotropic high.  

The findings are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

Foods such as meat, eggs, fish and nuts contain omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which the body converts into endocannabinoids -- cannabinoids that the body produces naturally, said Aditi Das, a University of Illinois professor of comparative biosciences and biochemistry, who led the study. Cannabinoids in marijuana and endocannabinoids produced in the body can support the body's immune system and therefore are attractive targets for the development of anti-inflammatory therapeutics, she said. 

[...]

"Our team discovered an enzymatic pathway that converts omega-3-derived endocannabinoids into more potent anti-inflammatory molecules that predominantly bind to the receptors found in the immune system," Das said. "This finding demonstrates how omega-3 fatty acids can produce some of the same medicinal qualities as marijuana, but without a  psychotropic effect." 

Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Omega-3 fatty acids fight inflammation via cannabinoids." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 18 July  2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170718142909.htm>