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A Complete Guide To Cannabinoids
Cannabis is one of the most infamous drugs worldwide. It is known for its psychoactive properties and calming effects and consists of multiple different compounds known as cannabinoids.
However, what exactly are cannabinoids? How many cannabinoids are there in the cannabis plant? What Are the names of the most critical cannabinoids?
To find all the answers to these questions and more, continue reading our cannabinoid guide.
What Are Cannabinoids?
Cannabis contains different compounds called cannabinoids. CBD and THC are a couple of the most abundant and well-researched cannabinoids. The cannabis flower on the female cannabis plant has multiple resin glands where cannabinoids such as THC and CBD are. The cannabis resin is a dark to light brown substance that scrapes off the surface of the cannabis plant and presses into a solid lump, sometimes referred to as hashish.
How Many Cannabinoids Are There?
The cannabis sativa plant produces many different chemicals and compounds. Around a hundred of these compounds are cannabinoids. Some of the main cannabinoids in the cannabis sativa plant include:
- Cannabidiol (CBD)
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
- CBGA (Cannabigerolic acid)
- CBDA (Cannabidiolic acid)
- CBCA (Cannabichromenenic acid)
- THCA (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid)
- THCVA (Tetrahydrocanabivarinic acid)
- CBGVA (Cannabigerovarinic acid)
- CBDVA (Cannabidivarinic acid)
- CBCVA (Cannabichromevarinic acid)
There are also hundreds (around three hundred approximately) of other chemicals in the cannabis plant.
How Do They Extract Cannabinoids From The Cannabis Sativa Plant?
Extracting any cannabinoid from a cannabis plant can be a complicated process. To precisely remove a particular cannabinoid, you need to isolate it from the rest of the chemicals and compounds in the cannabis plant. You then need to distil the cannabinoid at a high concentration.
For example, the most effective way to extract CBD from the cannabis sativa plant is to use a closed-loop extractor to remove most of it. After that, it’s put into a chamber and pumped full of CO2 (this is the CO2 extraction method).
What Do Cannabinoids Do To The Cannabinoid Receptors?
When you take a product with cannabinoids, the cannabinoids will interact with your cannabinoid receptors in multiple ways.
First, the cannabinoids will bind and fuse themselves to the cannabinoid receptors, which is why the effect of cannabinoids are so strong.
When the cannabinoid binds to your cannabinoid receptors, it will activate neurons in your brain.
For example, THC activates multiple neurons in the brain, stimulating the brain and providing a calming effect.
Cannabidiol (CBD)
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the most abundant cannabinoid that accounts for approximately 40% of the cannabis resin and is often in the form of an oil. CBD first gained serious media exposure when it it’s effects reduced symptoms epileptic seizures live on television. CBD can affect multiple pathways in the body at once, making it very difficult to isolate effects and interactions, yet all results tend to be a move to homeostasis.
It is non-psychoactive because of its lack of attraction to CB1 receptors (the ones that cause the high). However, it does play a role on CB2 receptors found through the rest of the body.
Cannabidiol has a strong gene transcription: the ability to upregulate and downregulate a massive range of genes in favour of a healthy outcome. With the endocannabinoid system spreading through almost every organ of the human body and CBD having the ability to influence it, it is easy to understand how it can be so beneficial as it mimics our bodies own endocannabinoids.
As well as engaging cannabinoid receptors, CBD can affect receptors for pain modulation, sleep, mood and stress management.
What Are The Applications Of CBD?
You can use CBD for numerous different purposes. For example, it can help with physical and mental illnesses and weight loss.
One of the most effective uses of CBD is treating chronic pain. Chronic pain is pain that lasts over an extended period. You can get chronic pain from numerous illnesses, diseases, and physical injuries.
Some of the primary types of chronic pain include:
- Cancer pain: There are multiple painful side effects of cancer, such as vomiting, chemotherapy induced nausea, and a lack of appetite.
- Neuropathic pain: Neuropathic pain stems from severe pain in the nerves. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an example that can heavily damage your nervous system. Multiple sclerosis symptoms include blurry vision, fatigue, muscle spasms, and more.
- Arthritis pain: Arthritis causes still and painful joints.
- Back and neck pain: Pain of the back or neck that lingers over time. It can lead to aching and restlessness.
CBD can help with these pains by numbing the cannabinoid receptors, which will relieve some of the pain and lessen the chance of side effects.
CBD can also be useful for anxiety disorders. The calming effects of CBD oil will lessen the symptoms of various anxiety disorders like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, depression and more.
CBD can also cause a reduction in appetite, so it can be very effective for weight loss. However, you need to make sure you have the correct dose of CBD because too large an amount could make you lose too much weight over a more extended period.
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the most well-known cannabinoid, famous for its psychoactive properties. It focuses on the CB1 receptors found in the brain, giving its ability to cause a high. THC will only become psychoactive when heated, which means full plant extracts will not cause a high when consumed as oil
Taking pure THC will create a significant psychoactive effect and possibly result in a loss of control and anxiety. However, when coupled with CBD, the high is reduced, and the absorption and benefits of CBD are greater.
Cannabinoid Synergy and Whole Plant Medicine
The many compounds present in the cannabis plant work synergistically to enhance the benefits and decrease any adverse side effects. However, when singled out, individual molecules can create side effects and will not work as well as the entire plant intended.
Unfortunately, due to most regulations worldwide, most cannabis oils have the THC wholly removed. However, even at low doses, it can improve the CBD oil quality and offer benefits in its own right.
other Cannabinoids
The two most famous cannabinoids found in cannabis are THC and CBD, but there are over 100 more that are best used together in their natural state than pulled apart and offered as single molecules.
However, the cannabis plant doesn’t directly make THC and CBD. Instead, it makes the acids THCA and CBDA, where A is for acid. These acids then convert through a catalyst such as heat to THC (for example) and only then does the THC part of cannabis become psychoactive. So basically, just raw consumption of the plant should not create any psychoactive effects.
Other than CBD and THC, there are multiple other cannabinoids that have multiple helpful properties.
CBGA (Cannabigerolic acid)
Cannabigerolic acid is a cannabinoid that is most useful for diseases related to blood sugar and the heart. Specifically, it is a brilliant solution for any issues that cause a patient oxidative stress (an imbalance between a persons ability to generate reactive oxygen and their antioxidant defences).
CBGA can also help to regulate metabolism. It does this by limiting the number of excess lipids that the body generates.
CBDA (Cannabidiolic acid)
Cannabidiolic acid can benefit cancer patients because it can treat and reduce numerous symptoms, including nausea. CBDA can also help with inflammatory pain, seizures and anxiety.
CBCA (Cannabichromenenic acid)
Cannabichromenic acid needs more research and clinical trials before we can understand its full effects. Still, if we compare it to CBC (which is similar), it should have therapeutic effects and help relieve inflammatory pain.
THCA (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid)
THCA is essentially the precursor cannabinoid to THC. It isn’t as refined as THC, and as a result, doesn’t interact with the necessary cannabinoid receptors to give you the high effect (CB1 receptors). However, it does have some anti-inflammatory properties, so it’s closer to a therapeutic cannabinoid than a psychoactive one.
THCVA (Tetrahydrocanabivarinic acid)
Unlike many other cannabinoids, the uses for THCVA are minimal due to the lack of research and clinical trials on it. THCVA is essentially a lesser form of THCV and is only useful when researching its potential benefits.
CBGVA (Cannabigerovarinic acid)
CBGVA is a precursor cannabinoid that is very rare in cannabis products because it isn’t a complete cannabinoid and has very little research behind it.
CBGVA is a precursor cannabinoid that is very rare in cannabis products because it isn’t a complete cannabinoid and has very little research behind it.
CBDVA (Cannabidivarinic acid)
Cannabidivarinic Acid (CBDVA). While it isn’t helpful to use, it is beneficial for researching and synthesising CBDV. CBDV cannot form with CBDVA synthesising first. Other than that application, it isn’t the most helpful cannabinoid.
What Are The Differences Between The Cannabinoids?
Cannabichromevarinic acid is one of the primary compounds in the cannabis sativa plant and has several therapeutic benefits. Some of the significant benefits of CBCVA include:
- It can reduce appetite, resulting in weight loss.
- It can treat several disorders like borderline personality disorder.
- Its anti-inflammatory properties can help to relieve chronic pain.
- It can regulate your immune system.
CBCVA (Cannabichromevarinic acid)
CBDA and THCA are the most abundant cannabinoids in most cannabis strains, but CBGA is the starting acid that enzymes in the cannabis plant used to make CBDA, THCA and CBCA.
Scientists determine the significant differences between the cannabinoids by the extent to which they are psychologically active. Three classes of cannabinoids, CBG, CBC and CBD, are not known to have such an effect. THC, CBN, CBDL and some other cannabinoids, on the other hand, are known to be psychologically active to varying degrees.
Cannabinoid acids do not have any psychoactive effects, but they do have antibiotic and insecticidal properties that helps protect themselves.
What Are Synthetic Cannabinoids?
Essentially, synthetic cannabinoids are chemicals that mimic the psychoactive effects of the cannabinoids in the cannabis plant. Synthetic cannabinoids are usually in an oil form and mix with a selection of dried herbs to resemble cannabis-based products. The most infamous synthetic cannabinoid available at the moment is spice.
People can smoke them like a regular cannabis-based product, and they have similar effects and side effects. However, it can be hazardous to mix with alcohol or other drugs. Also, many synthetic cannabinoids are new, and their properties are unknown, so some of the side effects may still be unknown.
It is inadvisable to take Synthetic cannabinoids for any purpose because there are dangerous risks and potentially numerous unknown side effects. If you want to use synthetic cannabinoids for therapeutic purposes, you shouldn’t because they will likely worsen your problems.
Conclusion: A Complete Guide To Cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are the crux of any medical marijuana, CBD or cannabis-based product. They’re chemical compounds that contain therapeutic or psychoactive properties.
CBD is the cannabinoid with the most therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties, while THC has the most psychoactive properties (provides the high effect).
Other than CBD and THC, there are around a hundred different cannabinoids with uses ranging from anti-inflammatory benefits to research purposes. Some of the other cannabinoids include CBGA (Cannabigerolic acid), CBCA (Cannabichromenenic acid), THCVA (Tetrahydrocanabivarinic acid), CBCVA (Cannabichromevarinic acid).
There are also numerous synthetic cannabinoids (chemicals similar to cannabinoids that mix with dried herbs to mimic a cannabis product). However, these products have multiple risks and are unsuitable for pain management or therapeutic treatment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Precisely Are Cannabinoids?
Cannabinoids are essentially the base ingredient of any marijuana product (CBD dietary supplements, edible medical cannabis products, etc.) Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that contain therapeutic or psychoactive properties. They fuse to the cannabinoid receptors to provide the high effect or therapeutic effects.
There are two major cannabinoids. CBD is the cannabinoid that contains the most therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties, while THC contains the most psychoactive properties (provides the high effect).
What Exactly Do Cannabinoids Do To The Body?
The effect a cannabinoid will have on your body will depend on what type you take.
For example, psychoactive cannabinoids can have multiple effects on you, like making you euphoric, making you paranoid, making you lose some of your memory, and more.
Therapeutic cannabis is excellent for relieving pain, reducing anxiety effects and reducing appetite for weight loss.
How Many Cannabinoids Are In The Cannabis Plant?
The cannabis sativa plant produces many different chemicals and compounds. Around a hundred of these compounds are cannabinoids (all have useful applications like health benefits and research).
Some of the main cannabinoids in the cannabis sativa plant are Cannabidiol (CBD), CBDA (Cannabidiolic acid), CBGVA (Cannabigerovarinic acid), CBCVA (Cannabichromevarinic acid), Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and THCA (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid).
There are also around three hundred other chemicals in the cannabis sativa plant.
What Are The Major Cannabinoids?
There are two major cannabinoids that manufacturers extract from the cannabis plant.
CBD is the cannabinoid that contains the most therapeutic and anti-inflammatory properties. As a result, it’s excellent for pain management and reducing symptoms of anxiety disorders.
THC is the cannabinoid that contains the most psychoactive properties and provides the signature high effect.
These cannabinoids make up several cannabis products like medicinal cannabis products and CBD products.
Are Cannabinoids Legal In New Zealand?
Whether cannabinoids are illegal or not in New Zealand entirely depends on what form of cannabis you take.
If you take medical cannabis or CBD, they are legal if you have a prescription for them.
Suppose you want to take recreational cannabis or nonprescription cannabis. In that case, they are illegal to purchase without approval from the NZ Ministry Of Health (only specific approved products are eligible for this).
Dr Ron Goedeke, specialises in alternative and functional medicine. He is a foundation member of the New Zealand college of Appearance medicine and has been a member of the American Academy of Anti-aging medicine since 1999. With over 20 years of experience in the anti-aging field, Dr Ron Goedeke is recognized as one of New Zealand’s leaders in this new and growing field of medicine.
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