Entourage effect
The theory that cannabis compounds work better together than any one of them does alone.
The entourage effect is the idea that the compounds in cannabis act more effectively in combination than in isolation. It was developed by Dr Ethan Russo, a board-certified neurologist and psychopharmacologist.
In laboratory models, combining CBD with THC increased anti-inflammatory and anti-tumour activity compared with either compound used alone. Terpenes — the aromatic compounds that give each cultivar its smell — are thought to take part in the same interaction.
The theory is influential and plausible, and it is still being tested. Most of the supporting work is preclinical.