Get To Know The Cannabinoids

 

 

Cannabis. Grass. Good ol’ Mary Jane. This multi-purpose plant has gone by a lot of names since its discovery. The cannabis plant has been in use for thousands of years, by civilizations before us, and most likely civilizations before them. However, our knowledge on the plant has been scarce until more recently, as government entities (like the FDA) began researching in the 70’s. California legalized the use of medicinal cannabis in 1996 which pressured scientists for further research as well. Leading up to that legalization, we as a society had become aware of different cannabinoids in the plant including THC (discovered in 1940[1]), CBD (also discovered in 1940[2]), and a few others.

THC and CBD are probably the most well known cannabinoids, but there are three others that are used quite commonly as well - CBN, CBC, and CBG. So what are these cannabinoids, and what do they do? This blog post will focus on the basics of these cannabinoids, and how their presence in cannabis products can aid in everything from pain management to sleep.  

THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)

THC is the cannabinoid that everyone knows. This is the main psychoactive cannabinoid that gives you the pleasant buzz you feel when ingesting cannabis. Now as much as our blog writer really wants to bore you with how the pharmacokinetics of THC work, we don’t want to lose audiences. THC is a fat soluble molecule, which means it has to attach to fat in the body in order to break down. This is why when we here at Phix sell gummies we recommend that for best enjoyment, eating something fatty with them (usually about an hour before you take your edible so the body has time to break down the fat molecules and get them in the bloodstream). This cannabinoid has been thought for years to be the most important percentage in a cannabis product but recent research done by the University of Colorado supports that THC percentage chasing isn’t the way to buy.

In this study they gave members different potencies of both herbs and concentrates, measured the contents of THC in the blood as well as getting self-reports of how the members of the studies felt. Regardless of if their percentage was 16% or 24% they reported a remarkably similar level of high and had a similar level of impairment as well [3]. This was also tested on concentrates of varying levels of THC, and the same results were produced. Of course there are factors that can cause THC to affect people differently that are out of our control such as their previous usage amounts as well as the way their body specifically binds and breaks down the chemical. However, the evidence is overwhelming that THC percentage doesn’t matter as much as once thought; instead we at Phix encourage users to look at terpene profiles and other cannabinoids to curate their selection.

CBD (Cannabidiol)

CBD is one of the other very popular cannabinoids, both for cannabis users and those who use the cannabinoid isolated to avoid the psychoactive effects. Stigmatization of the plant of course stopped a lot of research on the cannabinoids, but the tides changed a little in the early 2000’s when a baby was treated for Dravet syndrome using CBD oil. This actually led a British Pharmaceuticals company to develop a drug using it that is now on the market as the only FDA approved CBD medication. Despite this, it took until 2018 for this product to become federally legal [4], but once it did, companies began marketing towards those who were looking for a more natural approach to symptom relief. 

So CBD doesn’t get me high? Why do I care about that? We’ll tell you, loyal readers. While CBD does not have any psychoactive effects, its help in reducing pain, anxiety, insomnia, and even addiction symptoms makes it a beautiful cannabinoid to have in your products. Note most of these are from self report and animal studies rather than human studies, but as cannabis and its derivatives are brought to legality the hope is that government funded studies will help explore these benefits more. For now, know that when a product has more CBD there is potential for that product to give more relief than if it didn’t.

CBC (cannabichromene)

So CBD isn’t the only other cannabinoid? No, there’s actually around 120 that we know of. Don’t worry, this blog doesn’t talk about all of them! CBC is even less researched than CBD and THC, so our knowledge is limited. However certain studies in mice have shown that the non-psychoactive cannabinoids (like CBC) help with relieving pain. In medical terms research shows it is a TRPA 1 agonist. TRPA 1 is an ion channel that is a sensor for cold, pain, and itch [5]. And an agonist is something that works against those things. So some research shows CBC could help with those symptoms. Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, our study on these cannabinoids is pretty scarce, but as more information comes out we at Phix will be sure to share it.

CBN (Cannabinol)

CBN is what we in the industry call the “good-night cannabinoid’. This cannabinoid is weakly psychotropic, so it’s thought to add to the effects that THC produces but it’s effect has only been measurable after a direct venous injection [6]. There have been a few clinical studies that support that CBN, when dosed properly can ease symptoms of insomnia and some other sleep disorders - such as the inability to stay asleep [7]. So if you find yourself waking up a lot throughout the night and missing out on the all important REM sleep, CBN could be added to the cannabis products you smoke to help with that. Phix even carries some brands with the cannabinoid added in!

CBG (Cannabigerol)

The last of the Cannabinoids to be discussed in our blog is CBG. This one will probably be the shortest as so far there haven’t been any official clinical trials so most evidence is unsubstantiated. There is interest from laboratory studies in exploring CBG’s capabilities to lower cholesterol and reduce swelling. However, until more is known about the cannabinoid there are no sources to back this up other than self-reporters.

Thanks for sticking with me, I know this was a long one. The takeaway that I think we can all get behind is that there needs to be a push for further research into these plants and their benefits and their potential drawbacks. Until then stay happy and high on whichever product your heart desires, just be aware that these products have underlying advantages that can alter your experience with them.

External Sources: 

[1] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrahydrocannabinol

[2] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabidiol

[3] - https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/06/10/marijuana-concentrates-sharply-spike-thc-levels-dont-necessarily-get-users-higher

[4] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_cannabis_laws_in_the_United_States#:~:text=2018%3A%20The%202018%20farm%20bill,CBD)%20at%20the%20federal%20level. 

[5] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRPA1 

[6] - https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/cannabinol 

[7] - https://norml.org/news/2023/10/12/clinical-trial-nighttime-use-of-cannabinol-cbn-reduces-sleep-disturbances/