Medical cannabis interacts with the body’s own “cannabis” system, called cannabinoid receptors. These are located throughout the body and we produce chemicals, called endocannabinoids, which lock on to those receptors and perform important functions for the body. These include, but are not limited to, pain, mood, inflammation, hunger and bodily movement. The phytocannabinoids contained in the plant cannabis affect the same system, locking on to those same receptors and either triggering or blocking them, depending on how the medication is formulated.