CBD. Most of cannabis consumers are aware of THC properties – cannabis psychoactive effects; there are some less-known cannabis main active compounds.
What’s CBD?
CBD is cannabidiol; more than 110 marijuana active compounds, also known as cannabinoids, represent about 40% of marijuana extraction, and provide the cannabis medical patterns. Their palliative effects appear when the cannabinoids interact with endocannabinoid system every time we consume that substance. This post’s going to solve any doubt on CBD: composition, business situation, selling point, high time, related products, medical effects and medical research.
Data table
CAS number: | 13956-29-1 |
Formula: | C21H30O2 |
Water solubility: | etanol, formamida mg/mL (20 °C) |
Boiling point: | 180 °C (356 °F) |
Molecular weight: | 314.4636 |
Fusion point: | 66 °C (151 °F |
Other cannabis active compounds
First of all, marijuana’s not only THC-CBD; there are other active compounds, such as:
- – Cannabinol (CBN): psychotropic cannabinoid, in Sativa cannabis and Hindi/Afghan cannabis. This tetrahydrocannabinol metabolite (THC) acts as a weak agonist in CB1 and CB2 receptors, but with less affinity than in THC.
- – Cannabigerol (CBG): non-psychoactive cannabinoid, in cannabis plants. This active’s more concentrated in hemp, while consuming cannabis provides a minor concentration.
- – Cannabicyclol (CBL): non-psychoactive cannabinoid, in cannabis. CBL’s a degrading product like cannabinol, because light transforms cannabichromene in CBL. It’s not registered in the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.
- – Cannabichromene (CBC): abundant natural phitocannabinoid, probably the second most abundant cannabis cannabinoid. This active produces antinociceptive (analgesic) and anti-inflammatory effects on rodents, and it diminishes human inflammatory and gastrointestinal problems.
CBD medical usage
CBD provides medical effects on cannabis consumers; modern science has continuously stated that marijuana cannabinoids have several medical, palliative properties for numerous disorders: next, we mention the main illnesses treated with CBD.
Epilepsy
CBD reduces seizures, and intense seizures. CBD reduces those motor seizures down to 36.5%, while 2% of research contributors stopped convulsive crisis. About side effects, 79% suffered from somnolence, fatigue and even diarrhea; anyway, just 3% quit the research because of those side effects.
Besides, CBD effects have been researched on tuberous sclerosis with refractory convulsions. This illness, although not epilepsy, presents the same neurological patterns; CBD reduces these convulsions down to 69%.
Fibromyalgia
Unknown cronic musculoskeletal disorder, with fatigue, somnolence and bad memory. It can be related to cerebral pain signal process, becoming intolerable sensations.
Nowadays, it cannot be cured, just some side treatments. CBD fibromyalgia patients feel much less painful and rigid, and more relaxed and peaceful.
Multiple sclerosis or myelopathy
It provokes demyelinating, neurodegenerative and chronic damages in the central nervous system, and affects directly to the information flow between the brain and the rest of the body. Nowadays, its origin is unknown, although it’s related to some autoimmune mechanisms. Besides, the symptoms vary extremely, depending on the affected zone of the central nervous system. The symptoms can be mental – depression, mood swings and anxiety, or physical – fatigue, spasms, pain and weakness.
These previous symptoms can be alleviated by high cannabis CBD level consumption; the research analyzes the effect of cannabis consumption when smoked, orally taken or oromucosal taken – THC and CBD alleviate some symptoms, and sativex consumption’s very grateful for the patient.
What else can I do with CBD?
Although illegal, surveys show that CBD, that is, cannabis, can be useful for some disorders. Besides, cannabis legalization in many countries is supporting new research on its medical effects. CBD, and cannabis, can help people on food disorders, diabetes, schizophrenia, bipolarity, insomnia, posttraumatic stress disorder, etc.
CBD side effects and risks
CBD, and THC, usually cause side effects like tiredness, somnolence and, generally, lack of energy; nausea, vomit, dry mouth, dizziness, red eyes, constipation, etc. In the long term, mental diseases like schizophrenia and Alzheimer, so this is why it has been illegal, so we must consult our doctor about any treatment.
How many types of CBD are there? Where can we find it?
Currently, there are many different types of CBD and its consumption – oil, vapor, liquid, glass, in cartridge; here you have a list with the different consumption options:
Most popular types of CBD
- CBD oil: 2.5% – 15%, by dropper. CBD oils are natural, from several brands. THC’s scarce, so it’s ideal for a pure CBD effect.
- CBD cosmetics: organic hemp CBD’s usually a body lotion like balm, pomade or hand cream. They’re not THC products, and they’re natural and useful for every type of skin.
Rarer types
- CBD capsules: standard, tasteless and odorless; ideal for customers willing to consume it inadvertently.
- CBD comestibles: concentrated, and qualified, CBD comestibles, anywhere and inadvertently.
- Vaporizing CBD: one of the best options, because we avoid toxic smoke inhaling, produced from vegetal combustion; this is ideal if you want to extract the most important CBD components while prejudicing your body vaguely.
Where’s CBD?
CBD’s scarcer than THC; THC produces the psychoactive marijuana effects, while CBD’s responsible of the medical effects – when CBD interacts with cannabinoid receivers, it stimulates and actives natural answers in the nervous system, reducing the sensations of anxiety, pain, inflammation or stress.
This active compound oscillates between 0.6%, in low medical vines, and 1%, in high medical vines. Usually, these percentages are enough to produce a powerful effect, but some varieties, produced medically, reach 6% of CBD.
How does CBD work?
CBD actives adenosine receivers, because it deals with central nervous system. When activating those receivers, cardiovascular functions, coronary blood flow and myocardium oxygen consumption start regulating, so these receivers are responsible for tension, pain, anxiety, lack of breath or breast press. Besides, these receivers are outstanding cerebral regulators of other neurotransmitters like glutamate or dopamine. Dopamine produces nice sensations in our body, and eases sleep, mood, attention, memory and voluntary movement.
CBD Vs THC
These are the main marijuana active compounds. They work individually against cancer and, altogether, they are synergic, although there’s not any updated research – marijuana is illegal and prosecuted in most of the countries, so it’s difficult to get funds for its scientific study and research.
Currently, we have to be content with the studies from some private universities and research centers – in dribs and drabs, gradually increasing and improving; possibly, cancer and cannabis are related, so cannabis could be useful for alleviating the effects of this terrible disease.
As previously mentioned, there’s not any firm research on that, so we’ll have to wait till society accepts this substance – scientific community would start studying, and taking into account, the possibilities of this plant and its substances; so far, cannabis positive properties are increasing – CBD’s ideal to alleviate physical and psychological pains, and studies/research are increasing.
More info about CBD:
Conclusions
Scientific work and breakthrough state that CBD’s a cannabis basic active compound directly related to medical effects, suitable to alleviate many illnesses, and to change the current cannabis negative social image; in fact, CBD’s not considered a psychoactive cannabinoid.
As previously mentioned, CBD human effects reduce and prevent inflammation, nausea, epilepsy, rheumatoid arthritis, schizophrenia, and posttraumatic, anti-psychotic, analgesic and anxiolytic stress; summing up, CBD will be one of the keys for cannabis to be sold worldwide, and to improve millions of patients’ life.