CBD
CBD, or cannabidiol, is the main cannabinoid produced by hemp. CBD was removed from the controlled substances list by the 2018 Hemp Bill, making it federally legal and leading many curious consumers to explore CBD for daily use in supporting their health & wellness.
CBD is non-intoxicating and does not produce a “high”, but it does have impacts on our nervous system and can produce noticeable body relaxation, especially at higher doses. Some even find high doses of CBD to have effects similar to muscle relaxers without any intoxicating effects common to such pharmaceuticals, which may make CBD useful for active recovery.
CBD first rose to national prominence as a treatment for intractable seizures, and is now available in the approved pharmaceutical Epidiolex for this use. CBD is currently being investigated by scientific researchers for its ability to protect our brains from oxidative damage as we grow older, suggesting CBD may be a useful supplement for healthy aging. CBD may also be able to dull perceptions of pain and inflammation in certain cases to help improve daily quality of life for those with chronic conditions.
CBD seems to work in concert with other cannabinoids discussed here to produce more robust, medically beneficial effects from full spectrum hemp products. In fact, CBD may even be able to prevent the degradation of our natural endocannabinoid molecules to provide gentle, natural mood elevation and wellness support through healthy balance of our body’s Endocannabinoid System.
Delta-9-THC
When you hear people discuss “THC”, they are most often referring to the activated Delta-9-THC molecule. This form of THC is the main psychoactive cannabinoid, which is limited to 0.3% by weight in legal hemp flower and CBD products. THC percentage limits are designed to allow full spectrum benefits of hemp CBD products to be utilized without any “high” effects from the noticeable THC percentages found in non-compliant hemp.
While THC gets a bad rap as a purely intoxicating agent, it has potential to be a truly remarkable compound when used at the right doses with other hemp compounds. Delta-9-THC has been found to increase appetite while reducing nausea & vomiting that lead to dangerous weight loss in some patients with cancer and AIDS.
Small doses of THC and mixed ratios of THC:CBD are being explored for application in pain management through ingested, inhaled, and topical hemp products. Higher doses of THC tend to produce sedating effects, leading many to experiment with its use in supporting sleep cycles and addressing insomnia issues.
Like CBD, THC seems to work together with the full matrix of hemp compounds as well as our own natural Endocannabinoids to promote ECS homeostasis, or healthy balance, in response to daily stressors.
CBD & THC are considered the main or “major cannabinoids” of hemp - but they are only 2 of over 100 cannabinoids found naturally in hemp! The “minor cannabinoids” are now being explored for their own unique effects and medical benefits.
Delta-8-THC
You may have heard of another form of THC called Delta-8-THC - this version of THC is only a few molecular bonds different from the main Delta-9-THC inhaled when smoking. Delta-8-THC is reported to be less psychoactive than its more abundant cousin, with a more clear-headed effect that is usually characterized by body relaxation.
Delta-8-THC has been shown to have several medicinal benefits that are similar to those of the more psychoactive Delta-9-THC. Study suggests that Delta-8-THC can reduce vomiting urges, counteract anxiety and stress, relieve pain, and protect the brain from degenerative damage.
Delta-8-THC stimulates the appetite and leads to increased sensations of hunger - a medical benefit for those struggling with maintaining a healthy minimum weight or reduced feeding urges associated with other conditions and medical treatments like chemotherapy.
Delta-8-THC has also been found to relieve corneal pain in study, which may lead to effectiveness as a soothing eye drop ingredient in the future.
CBC
CBC, or cannabichromene, is especially mysterious even among a class of relatively unknown compounds. This is mostly due to the scarcity of CBC, as it is produced as the result of a recessive gene that is only expressed under specific conditions. Like CBG and CBD, CBC interacts with the Endocannabinoid System indirectly, and therefore does not cause intoxication on consumption - though it may naturally support mood elevation by encouraging the action of our natural endocannabinoids anandamide and 2-AG. This cannabinoid has also been shown to support the action of other cannabinoids through the Entourage Effect, allowing more medicinal benefit from major cannabinoids at lower doses.
CBC has been of most interest for its potentially powerful anti-inflammatory and immune-supporting functions, made possible through its interaction with CB2 receptors throughout our body - this mechanism supports bone growth & healing as well. CBC has also been shown to function well as an antidepressant in rat studies, and is able to increase the pain-relieving abilities of THC through the Entourage Effect. CBC even supports the function of our own natural endocannabinoids - by inhibiting the uptake of anandamide, CBC allows this chemical to remain in the bloodstream for longer than it would otherwise, which can elevate mood - and more importantly, might allow anandamide to more effectively fight cancer cells.
Like other minor cannabinoids, CBC seems to be potentially involved in protecting the brain from the degenerative effects of diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, MS, and other neurological disorders. One of the most interesting potential applications for CBC is as a treatment for acne - a recent study found that several cannabinoids, including CBD, CBC, and THCV are effective for targeting the bacteria that causes acne and reducing skin inflammation that causes reddened pimples and painful swelling.
CBG
CBG, or cannabigerol, is sometimes called the “Stem cell cannabinoid” or the “mother of cannabinoids”, because it is the single original cannabinoid produced early in the hemp plant’s growth cycle, from which all other cannabinoids are then produced. CBG is non-intoxicating much like CBD, and may offer a slew of exciting potential medical benefits without mind-altering side-effects.
CBG has anti-microbial benefits in lab studies, including anti-fungal action and bacteria-killing qualities, particularly against the antibiotic-resistant Staph infection MRSA. CBG has also been found to work as a neuroprotectant, or a compound that prevents the degeneration of brain and nerve tissue, leading scientists to test it for effectiveness against the horribly debilitating Huntington’s Disease and several other neurodegenerative diseases. Through chemical pathways similar to CBD, CBG seems able to dull perceptions of pain and heat to provide both anti-inflammatory and pain relieving benefits.
CBG is also able to boost the action of our natural “bliss molecule” endocannabinoid called anandamide, which provides a range of benefits including mood elevation, anxiety relief, muscle relaxation, seizure relief, and more. Like other cannabinoids, there is some early science suggesting that CBG might possibly have anti-cancer potential by destroying the cells of several aggressive cancer types, including colon cancer, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.
CBN
CBN, or cannabinol, has the distinction of often being associated with the freshness (or lack thereof) of hemp flower, as CBN is produced through the degradation of cannabinoids over time. This cannabinoid has a reputation for causing extreme couch-lock and drowsiness, though the exact mechanism of this effect is not yet clear and is somewhat debated among cannabinoid researchers. More research will be needed to fully understand the effects of this late-stage cannabinoid in isolation and as part of the Entourage Effect, but that hasn’t stopped some interested consumers from trying CBN’s medicinal applications.
If CBN does indeed produce strong sedative effects in isolation or when working together with other cannabinoids, then it could possibly have great medical potential for treating sleep disorders in the future. CBN may also be helpful for treating dermatitis and other skin irritating conditions, making it a good choice for topical cannabis product formulations. This effectiveness for treating skin disorders is further supported by CBN’s ability to fight bacterial infections, including the dreaded MRSA.
As with other cannabinoids, there is some suggestion that CBN is useful for protecting brain tissue from stress and degradation, making it of potential use for brain wellness and treatment of degenerative diseases. Finally, a 1984 study found that CBN relieved ocular pressure in animal trials, which may be promising for those with eye conditions.
THCV
THCV, or tetrahydrocannabivarin, was one of the first minor cannabinoids to gain widespread interest because of its unique effects among phytocannabinoids. THCV is biphasic, which means it produces a certain effect at low doses, but a near-opposite effect at higher doses. At low doses, THCV is non-intoxicating like CBG and CBD. However, high doses of THCV do induce a euphoric high by activating the CB1 receptors in the brain. THCV’s activation of the CB1 receptor is indirect (rather than the direct binding activation of Delta-9-THC) so the high-inducing effects of THCV only last about half as long as Delta-9-THC, and the tone of the experience is often described as more consistently high-energy and less foggy than that of traditional THC.
The most talked-about potential medical benefit of THCV stems from its reported ability to suppress the appetite. Scientific study has demonstrated that THCV is able to reduce feeding urges in rat studies, leading some scientists to consider it as a future tool for fighting the obesity epidemic without the negative side effects of other appetite-suppressing drugs. THCV has also been shown to help reduce glucose levels in the plasma while simultaneously improving the function of natural blood sugar-regulating mechanisms - making it a potential future source of treatment for Type 2 Diabetes.
Like CBD’s most famous medical application, research has shown that THCV can exert anticonvulsant and anti-epileptic actions, marking it as a possible tool for fighting chronic seizures and similar over-excitement conditions of the nervous system. Study also suggests that THCV is able to combat addiction urges by reducing nicotine-seeking impulses in rat studies, which could potentially indicate future use in fighting many types of addiction such as the American opioid crisis. Finally, THCV was found to be effective at fighting the causes of acne, which when combined with the anti-inflammatory effects of THCV and other cannabinoids, may one day lead to the development of acne medications with these cannabinoids as active ingredients.
CBD-A & THC-A
2 inactivated cannabinoids found in raw hemp flower are also starting to gain some popularity, especially among health & wellness channels - THC-A and CBD-A, which are the acidic forms of THC and CBD. These acidic cannabinoids are of particular interest to those who juice whole plant hemp or consume the hemp plant orally without applying any heat.
THC-A and CBD-A have some distinct medical benefits from their decarboxylated counterparts. Both THC-A and CBD-A have been shown to reduce vomiting and nausea in rat trials, particularly the type of vomiting impulse associated with chemotherapy treatment. Studies suggest that THC-A is even more effective at reducing nausea than Delta-9-THC, and without the often unwanted euphoric side effects. THC-A has also been noted to produce antispasmodic benefits to fight seizures and painful muscle spasms.
Like CBG, THC-A is able to increase the Entourage Effect and allow more medical benefit from whole-plant hemp medicine. CBD-A has also demonstrated effects that mimic the inflammatory pain relief of common NSAID pain relievers like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin - however, it does not also degrade the stomach lining like NSAIDS do, making CBD-A a potentially safer treatment for pain than these traditional pharmaceuticals. Finally, studies suggest that CBD-A may also help slow the spread of cancer cells through the body.