To move like an entourage or conduct like a symphony? That is the question.

Entourage or Ensemble Effect?

Which analogy characterizes the “full-spectrum” meaning behind the effects of consuming diverse cannabinoid profiles?

Let's start with the current definitions for entourage and ensemble:

1. Entourage (noun): “a group of people attending or surrounding an important person.”

   1. Example: “an entourage of bodyguards”

   2. Synonyms: “escort, company, groupies”

   3. Source: Entourage comes from the French word entourer, meaning “to surround,” and also means "the people who surround someone."

2. Ensemble (noun): “a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together.” or “a group of items viewed as a whole rather than individually.”

   1. Example: “a Bulgarian folk ensemble”

   2. Synonyms: “group, band, orchestra” or “whole, entity, unity”

   3. Source: From French ensemblée, meaning "all the parts of a thing considered together,"

Whether the word at hand being used is entourage or ensemble, both choices cast a familiar visual for how compounds like cannabinoids are absorbed, metabolized, and experienced in the body as a group of molecules creating a uniquely potent experience and chain reaction of sensations in one’s mind and body. My intention with writing this post is to question the common use of “Entourage Effect” in the cannabis industry and explore the potential use of “Ensemble Effect” as another phrase that better characterizes this pharmacokinetic phenomena with a more fitting context for future reference.

For the beginning of this article, I want to set the stage for this review by sharing the Oxford definitions for both entourage and ensemble. This way we can share a clear understanding of the root and literal meanings of each word as it relates to the phenomena that we’re exploring together.

Before we get into the definitions for each word at hand, I want to take our first dive into the history behind the phrase “Entourage Effect” and explore the context that surrounds the creation of this word in the cannabis industry. It all started with two scientists: Professors Raphael Mechoulam and Shimon Ben-Shabat. 

In 1998, Mechoulam and Ben-Shabat first coined the phrase “Entourage Effect” and used it as a way to describe their theory, which stated that consuming a variety of exogenous endocannabinoids and closely related “inactive” metabolites increased the activity of primary endogenous cannabinoids: anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol. In their paper, Mechoulam and Ben-Shabat wrote “This effect (entourage effect) may represent a novel route for molecular regulation of endogenous cannabinoid activity.”. In layman's terms, they basically state that the presence of closely-related “inactive” metabolites from cannabis has the ability to drive forward and enhance or mediate the effects of primary cannabinoids (like THC or CBD) on our endocannabinoid system, leading to a more therapeutic and noticeable mind-body experience with cannabis.

With this newfound context in mind, it elucidates some of the reasoning behind Mechoulam and Ben-Shabat’s selection of the word “entourage”.

As the definition implies, an entourage would include a primary surrounded by secondaries (and potentially tertiaries) that serve the primary. With this perspective in mind, one could assume that THC and/or CBD can represent the primary actives, while other cannabinoids represent the secondary actives, and the profile of surrounding terpenes possibly represent the tertiary actives. Seems pretty clear cut and relatively fitting for the phrase "entourage", right? Well, for me, entourage feels a little static and hierarchical of a word choice compared to using a word like ensemble. Now let me share why.

When it comes to pondering the potential use of ensemble as a more fitting word, I feel like the proof is in the pudding. The definition of the word “ensemble” gives hints for how it may serve as a more fitting concept to describe Mechoulam and Ben-Shabat’s theory. First, let’s take a look at the second Oxford definition for ensemble: “a group of items viewed as a whole rather than individually”. This definition in itself emphasizes the inclusion and importance of the whole (a full-spectrum of cannabinoids and “inactive” metabolites) rather than the individual (isolated cannabinoids). Do you only want THC? Or do you want THC, CBD, CBG, and a rich profile of terpenes?

Let's expand on the definition of ensemble further and look at the first Oxford definition for it: “a group of musicians, actors, or dancers who perform together”. I think this definition further paints a more vibrant and living picture for how each of these active and “inactive” compounds work together in creating a harmonious experience for the mind and body. This very analogy assigns each compound their own role and unique function, just like an orchestra, with each instrument playing a unique sound that brings a pleasant experience of their own, and as a collective, these individually-performing instruments create a harmonious symphony of sounds and feelings that further express what happens when a diversity of functional units work together with one goal in mind: harmony. 

Harmony is a word and a feeling that seems to lie at the root of all successful therapeutic experiences. It implies balance between a complex range of forces at play in our own being, like memories, sensations, and emotions.

So I ask you this: Are we seeking power & potency through an entourage of compounds or are we seeking wholeness & harmony through a symphony of compounds?

Is "Entourage Effect" really a more fitting phrase? Or is the industry just comfortable and attached to the unquestioned use of it? Or is it because prominent, famous, and notable figures in the industry continue to use it to this day? Or is it because this phrase was adopted from a figure of scientific authority in the cannabis industry? One could say that it's all of the above. And I think the time has come to question the context surrounding this commonly used phrase and explore the potential use for a more fitting phrase, like "Ensemble Effect".

With all of that said, you're free to decide that for yourself. No answer is inherently wrong. I merely suggest a new perspective, a new meaning, and a new feeling behind the therapeutic phenomena that cannabinoids and terpenes bring to our lives.

Mush love familia,

Sebastian Munevar (Founder of The Mad Mycologists)