Better Understanding Cannabinoids

Blogs

Dec 2

As cannabis gains legalization momentum state by state, there is an increased need for consumers to better understand the cannabis they purchase. Bringing to mind an old television advertisement, “an educated consumer is our best customer,” as stated by Sy Syms back in the 80’s. We could not agree more. LucidIDs, the intelligent UPC (universal product code) of cannabis and found on cannabis packages, allow the cannabis consumer to know exactly what is in their cannabis products. In order to make better use of LucidIDs, it is important for cannabis consumers to understand what the various ingredients of cannabis are.

A perfect place to start is to gain a better understanding of cannabinoids and terpenes. There is much to cover to better understand both cannabinoids and terpenes, so in this article, we will just tackle “cannabinoids” and discuss terpenes in our next article.

Cannabis contains many different compounds called plant cannabinoids. Some say there are over 100 plant cannabinoids. Most of these are present in very low levels and this makes it difficult for scientists to detect many of them. The most famous cannabinoids are THC and CBD. Of interesting note, these cannabinoids are not present in the cannabis plant, but rather “activated” by heat in most cases. It is actually THCA and CBDA that are present in cannabis plants and when heated, turn into THC and CBD.

But there are 8 major cannabinoids in cannabis worth reviewing.

CBGA (Cannabigerolic acid) - yields CBG - CBGA is an acidic precursor to CBG, which means that CBGA ultimately becomes CBG. CBGA is essentially a foundational compound of the cannabis plant. CBG works by interacting with the body’s endocannabinoid system. It mostly delivers potentially therapeutic effects by binding with the CB1 and CB2 receptors.
THCA - (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) - yields THC - THC is the cannabis plant's primary component for causing psychoactive effects. When ingested, THC is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the brain, attaching itself to the naturally-occurring endocannabinoid receptors located in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and basal ganglia. These are the parts of the brain responsible for thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and movement.
CBDA - (Cannabidiolic acid) - yields CBD - CBD is the second most prevalent active ingredient in cannabis. CBD does not cause a "high" by itself. Studies have shown that CBD may help reduce chronic pain by impacting endocannabinoid receptor activity, reducing inflammation and interacting with neurotransmitters. (Source)
CBCA (Cannabichromenenic acid) - yields CBC - CBC binds with receptors in the body linked to pain perception. When CBC activates these receptors, it increases and releases the level of the body’s natural endocannabinoids like anandamide. Anandamide does this by helping to regulate inflammation.
CBGVA (Cannabigerovarinic acid) - yields CBGV - CBGV does not produce any psychoactive effects. There is little research on CBGV. What is known is that CBGV helps in the metabolism of CBD. It can also help dampen the effect of THC on cell receptors.
THCVA (Tetrahydrocanabivarinic acid) - yields THCV - THCV has unique properties and is different from THC. It has no psychoactive effects. THCV provides neuroprotection, appetite suppression, glycemic control, and reduced side effects. It requires further research, but is a strong candidate for the development of clinically useful therapies in the future.
CBDVA (Cannabidivarinic acid) - yields - CBDV - CBDV is not intoxicating when isolated, so it won’t cause the euphoric high associated with high-THC cannabis. Most of the research around CBDV has focused on its effects on seizures and the ability to reduce or prevent epileptic and other forms of seizures.
CBCVA (Cannabichromevarinic acid) - yields CBCV - as with all the other cannabinoids except THC, CBCV is not psychoactive. CBCV has been an effective anticonvulsant and used to treat brain cancer and epilepsy.

As you can see, there is still much research to be done on the different cannabinoids within cannabis. But some information is available, and we encourage you to continue to seek out additional information.

Lucid Green is committed to trust and transparency in the cannabis industry. We look to help brands provide all important information for their consumers. This is delivered via LucidIDs. Cannabis brands can provide a plethora of useful information to their consumers when they include LucidIDs on their packaging. Any user who scans a LucidID on-pack is presented with a rich product experience. Scanning provides consumers with recommended dosage, effects, ingredients, lab results, links to website/video…and more. As deeper research is conducted and there is more information available on the effects of various cannabinoids, each individual’s cannabis experience will be richer and more rewarding.

Our next article will cover “Bettering Understanding Terpenes.”

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Sources:

https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/list-major-cannabinoids-cannabis-effects

https://tanasi.com/blog/cbg-vs-cbga-definitions-benefits-and-products/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cannabidiol-cbd-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont-2018082414476

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cbd-oil-benefits#TOC_TITLE_HDR_1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabichromene

https://www.cibdol.com/cbd-encyclopedia/discover-the-cannabinoid-acid-cbca

https://www.newphaseblends.com/cbgv-cannabigerovarin/

https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42238-020-0016-7