Mental/Emotional System Research Dashboard
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To see a full dashboard with study details and filtering, go to our DEMO page.
As a subscriber, you will be able to access dashboard insights including chemotype overviews and dosing summaries for medical conditions and organ system and receptor breakdowns for cannabinoid and terpene searches. Study lists present important guidance including dosing and chemotype information with the ability to drill down to the published material. And all outputs are fully filterable, to help find just the information you need. Stay up-to-date with the science of cannabis and the endocannabinoid system with CannaKeys.
CannaKeys has 2646 studies associated with Mental/Emotional System.
Here is a small sampling of Mental/Emotional System studies by title:
- Psychosocial interventions for people with both severe mental illness and substance misuse
- Prenatal Cannabis Use and Neonatal Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Increased Prevalence of Childhood Complex Trauma in Comorbid Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorders Compared to Either Disorder Alone: A Systematic Review
- Synaptic Density in Early Stages of Psychosis and Clinical High Risk
- Clinical manifestation and laboratory data of illicit drugs versus other substances intoxication in children
Components of the Mental/Emotional System Research Dashboard
- Medical conditions associated with Mental/Emotional System
- Synopsis of cannabis research for Mental/Emotional System
- Chemotype guidance for Mental/Emotional System
- Individual study details for Mental/Emotional System
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Overview - Mental/Emotional System
Description of Mental/Emotional System
If the nervous system is lightning and the endocrine system the slow echo after the flash, the mental–emotional system is the weather they create together—the shifting climate of thoughts, feelings, moods, and perceptions that shapes how we experience both the outer world and our inner life. It has no single anatomical structure, yet its influence is everywhere, permeating every organ system and guiding countless physiological decisions.
In classical anatomy, organ systems are grouped by physical structure—nervous, immune, respiratory, endocrine, cardiovascular—a practical framework for diagnosis and research. But the body’s reality is more fluid. Some systems, like the mental–emotional system, are defined not by anatomy but by function: the coordination of neural circuits, hormonal rhythms, immune signals, and sensory feedback into states of mind and patterns of response.
Emerging research—especially in endocannabinoid and integrative medicine—shows that mental–emotional states are not simply outcomes of health, but active regulators of it. Emotional processing, resilience to stress, and capacity for self-regulation directly affect inflammation, immunity, cardiovascular tone, metabolic balance, and pain perception. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) sits at the heart of this interplay, fine-tuning the brain’s emotional circuits, modulating stress responses, and linking subjective experience with physiological change.
At CannaKeys, we recognize this as more than a side note—it is a missing category in many medical frameworks. By naming the Mental–Emotional System as a distinct domain, we acknowledge its neurobiological foundations, its measurable clinical relevance, and its growing therapeutic importance.
To tend this system is to cultivate the inner climate in which all other systems live—because health is shaped not only by the body’s structure, but by the stories and states of mind it inhabits.
Mental/Emotional System and ECS-Based Interactions
Harnessing the Therapeutic Power of Mental-Emotional Shifts
One of the most profound—and often underappreciated—reasons cannabis supports such a wide range of patients is its ability to influence both body and mind. When well-matched to an individual’s unique profile (chemotype, dosage, setting), cannabinoid-based therapeutics can reliably produce two critical effects:
A deep state of physical and emotional relaxation, supporting the shift out of chronic sympathetic overdrive;
A recalibration of multiple regulatory systems—nervous, endocrine, immune—toward homeostasis.
This opening can serve as a therapeutic window for self-reflection, emotional processing, and healing insight. Patients frequently describe emerging clarity, connection to unresolved emotions, or new perspectives on illness. When approached with intention, in a supportive and calm environment, these experiences can catalyze meaningful shifts toward integration and well-being.
Clinical Considerations for Practitioners:
Clarify intention: Help patients articulate what they hope to explore or release.
Curate the setting: Encourage safe, calming, and private spaces that foster introspection.
Reframe symptoms: View them not just as dysfunction, but as intelligent signals from a self-regulating system.
Tailor the medicine: Use personalized cannabinoid profiles (e.g., THC:CBD ratios, terpene choices) to support emotional as well as physical outcomes.
Recommend integrative tools: Encourage mind-body modalities (meditation, breathwork, trauma-informed therapy) to integrate experiences and deepen healing.
A New Model for Healing
Recognizing the Mental/Emotional System as an organ system within the CannaKeys platform represents a step forward in whole-person care. It aligns cannabinoid medicine with principles of mind-body integration, offering a framework where emotional resilience, neurobiology, and insight-based healing converge.
Clinical research in this area reflects growing excitement: as of mid-2025, more than 450 clinical trials have explored the ECS’s role in addressing stress, trauma, anxiety, and mood disorders—second only to nervous system research in volume and scope.
Importantly, while cannabis can catalyze powerful healing experiences, it is not the only path. A therapeutic cannabis experience may illuminate an inner map of regulation and insight—but that territory can be revisited through practices such as meditation, somatic therapy, or conscious breathwork. In this sense, cannabis becomes a map-maker, not the destination—a guide, not a gatekeeper. The capacity for transformation remains rooted in the agency of the individual.
Relevant Blog Article: Expanding the Map of Endocannabinoid Medicine
Mental/Emotional System Medical Specialists
Orthodox practitioners: Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Neurologists, Primary Care Physicians, Pediatricians, Geriatricians, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners, Licensed Clinical Social Workers (LCSWs), Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs), Marriage and Family Therapists (MFTs), Addiction Medicine Specialists, Behavioral Medicine Specialists, Sleep Medicine Specialists, Neuropsychologists, Occupational Therapists (mental health focus) Alternative and integrative practitioners: Naturopathic Doctors (NDs), Functional Medicine Practitioners, Integrative Medicine Physicians, Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners, Acupuncturists, Ayurvedic Practitioners, Herbalists, Somatic Therapists, Breathwork Practitioners, Meditation and Mindfulness Teachers, Yoga Therapists, Energy Healers (e.g., Reiki, Healing Touch), Art Therapists, Music Therapists, Spiritual Counselors or Guides, Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Facilitators, Cannabis-Assisted Therapy Practitioners, Biofeedback and Neurofeedback Specialists, Hypnotherapists, Trauma-Informed Coaches, Integrative Mental Health CoachesAlso Known As:
Clinical / Scientific Terms: Psychological system, Neuropsychological system, Behavioral-emotional system, Affective-cognitive system, Neurocognitive-emotional network, Central affective network Integrative / Mind-Body Terms: Mind-body system, Psycho-emotional system, Emotional regulatory system, Mental wellness system, Self-regulation system, Psycho-spiritual system Lay / Patient-Friendly Terms: Mental and emotional health system, Inner emotional life, Emotional well-being system, Mind-heart connection, Emotional resilience system, Mind-body balance systemDrug Interactions
THC Interaction with Pharmaceutical Drugs
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can enhance the effects of drugs that cause sedation and depress the central nervous system, such as benzodiazepines, barbiturates, and alcohol.
- THC is metabolized by an inhibitor of several enzymatic liver pathways referred to as cytochrome P450 (aka CYP450). There are more than 50 enzymes belonging to this enzyme family, several of which are responsible for the breakdown of common drugs such as antidepressants (e.g., amitriptyline, doxepin, fluvoxamine), antipsychotics (haloperidol, clozapine, Stelazine), beta-blockers (e.g., propranolol), bronchodilators (e.g., theophylline), or blood thinners (e.g., warfarin). Thus, patients taking these medication classes may find that THC increases the concentration and effects of these drugs and the impact duration.
- Clinical observation (not yet confirmed by clinical trials) suggests no likely interactions with other pharmaceuticals at a total daily dose of up to 20mg THC.
If you are interested in the interaction potential of specific pharmaceuticals with THC, consider visiting these free drug interaction checkers: Drugs.com or DrugBank Online.
CBD Interaction with Pharmaceutical Drugs
- Cannabidiol (CBD) may alter the action of metabolic enzymes (specific drug-transport mechanisms) and alter interactions with other drugs, some of which may produce therapeutic or adverse effects. For instance, CBD interacts with the enzyme cytochrome P450 3A4 and cytochrome P450 2C19, increasing the bioavailability of anti-epileptic drugs such as clobazam (a benzodiazepine). This makes it possible to achieve the same results at significantly lower dosages, reducing treatment costs and risks of adverse effects.
- Groups of drugs affected include anti-epileptics, psychiatric drugs, and drugs affecting metabolic enzymes.
- Clinical observations (not yet confirmed by clinical trials) suggest no likely interactions with other pharmaceuticals at a total daily dose of up to 100mg CBD.
If you are interested in the interaction potential of specific pharmaceuticals with CBD, consider visiting these free drug interaction checkers: Drugs.com or DrugBank Online.
THC/CBD Interaction with Pharmaceutical Drugs
In general, when using cannabinoid-based therapeutics that contain both THC and CBD consider the ratio between them and weigh the relevant information displayed in the individual THC and CBD Drug Interaction windows accordingly.
If you are interested in the interaction potential of specific pharmaceuticals with both primary cannabinoids and THC/CBD, consider visiting these free drug interaction checkers: Drugs.com or DrugBank Online.
Concerns about Cannabis and Cancer-related Immunotherapies:
Some recent clinical observational studies have suggested that the co-administration of cannabinoid-based therapeutics and immunotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of certain types of cancer has been associated with worse overall survival rates (T. Taha et al., 2019; A. Biedny et al., 2020; G. Bar-Sela et al., 2020).
However, other studies have suggested that the co-commitment use of immune checkpoint inhibitors and cannabis-induced no such deleterious effects. More specifically, one trial was conducted on animals resulting in data suggesting that cannabis did not negatively affect the properties of immune checkpoint inhibitors (B. Waissengrin et al., 2023). The same authors compared the previous study results with findings from a cohort of 201 patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer who received treatment with monotherapy pembrolizumab as a first-line treatment and adjunct cannabis to treat mainly pain and loss of appetite. Their time to tumor progression was 6.1 versus 5.6 months, and overall survival differed between 54.9 versus 23.6 months in cannabis-naïve patients and cannabis-using patients, respectively. However, while numerically different, the authors write that these differences were not statistically significant, leading them to suggest that “These data provide reassurance regarding the absence of a deleterious effect of cannabis in this clinical setting.”
Dosing Considerations
THC Dosage Considerations
- THC micro dose: 0.1 mg to 0.4 mg
- THC low dose: 0.5 mg to 5 mg
- THC medium dose: 6 mg to 20 mg
- THC high dose: 21 mg to 50+ mg
CBD Dosage Considerations
- CBD low dose: 0.4 mg to 19 mg
- CBD medium dose: 20 mg to 99 mg
- CBD high dose: 100 mg to 800+ mg (upper limits tested ~1,500mg)
Disclaimer
Information on this site is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the advice provided by your own licensed physician or other medical professional. You
should not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease. If using a product, you should read carefully all product packaging. If you have or suspect that you have a
medical problem, promptly contact your health care provider.
Information on this site is based on scientific studies (human, animal, or in vitro), clinical experience, or traditional usage as cited in each article. The results reported may not necessarily occur in all individuals. For many of the conditions discussed, treatment with prescription or over-the-counter medication is also available. Consult your physician, nutritionally oriented health care practitioner, and/or pharmacist for any health problem and before using any supplements or before making any changes in prescribed medications.
