CBD can deactivate or block a receptor to diminish an undesirable process. It functions, in other words, as an antagonist with certain receptors. One such receptor that CBD blocks is called GPR55.
GPR55 is known as an “orphan receptor” because scientists are still not sure if it belongs to a larger family of receptors. It’s widely expressed in the brain and is involved in modulating and effecting various physiological processes such as blood pressure and bone density. If GPR55 is overactive, it can turn on a process of bone reabsorption. This may result in osteoporosis. Another nasty result of GPR55 over activation is the promotion of cancer cell proliferation as the receptor is expressed in various types of cancer.
CBD is a GPR55 antagonist. By blocking GPR55 signaling, CBD may act to decrease both bone reabsorption and cancer cell proliferation. To be clear, most of the published studies I’ve seen are pre-clinical or animal studies, and almost all the science journal articles conclude with calls for larger, controlled studies. But the prospect of slowing bone thinning and slowing tumor growth is too compelling a goal for researchers to overlook. And untold benefits could emerge.