THE BIG SIX - THE SIX MOST RESEARCHED CANNABINOIDS

THE BIG SIX - THE SIX MOST RESEARCHED CANNABINOIDS

There are over 460 known chemical constituents of the Cannabis plant and over 80 of these are Cannabinoids here is a list of the six most well researched Cannabinoids to date:

THC – Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol – psychoactive

THC is the most well- known of all the Cannabinoids and the most psychoactive component of the Cannabis plant.

THC is the major active Cannabinoid, and was reportedly first isolated in 1964, by Dr Rahael Mechoulam, when studying the psychedelic properties of Cannabis, and it is through his research that the EC system was first  discovered in the late 1980’s.

THC, more than any other Cannabinoid is associated with the majority of the pharmacologic effects of Cannabis, in other words, without THC most of the other Cannabinoids would not occur or function in its absence.

It is critical to have an understanding of the effects of psychedelic substances and in this respect we must strive to gain the responsibility to respect our dosage as only tiny amounts of Cannabinoids is required to sustain optimum health.

It is very important to be aware that the chemical profile of Cannabis has changed drastically over the past 30 years.  It is true that these days modern Cannabis contains more than double the amount of THC as it did back in the flower power 1960’s and as a result of this these modern strains tend to contain far less of the neuro-protective Cannabinoid discussed below CBD.  This again supports the idea that strains which are lower in THC will naturally be higher in CBD and vice versa.

It is also a reality that growers who selectively breed high THC strains are also selecting against the gene that produces CBD, which means that in the pursuit to produce stronger Cannabis some growers may actually end up out breeding a chemical which is responsible for the wellbeing of mental health. This is exactly why I encourage people who need Cannabis for medicinal purposes to grow their own.  It is false freedom where you are not in control of the production of your medicine and you do not know for sure what is in it or where it comes from or how it was grown.

 

It cannot be stressed enough that so much more research is required in this field of study and factors like growing customs limit our ability to fully interpret findings and to make generalizations about CBD and THC administration on psychotic symptoms, and indeed there are researchers who claim to be achieving positive results with “CBD only” extracts.

THC has the ability to alter behavior, mood perception and consciousness and often promotes the meditation of sharing, humor, creativity, and feelings of euphoria.

There are many case studies and reports of people claiming to be able to enhance their natural abilities after consuming Cannabis including artists, students and athletes alike.

The healing properties of THC include anti-cancer, anti-nausea, pain killer, appetite and metabolic regulation, anti-spasm, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, anti-microbial, neuro-protection, anti-oxidant and so many more.

CBD – Cannabidiol – Non psychoactive

CBD is a major constituent of medical Cannabis and does not possess psychoactive properties. The presence of CBD can reduce some of the psychoactive effects of THC. So in other words a strain which is high in CBD will naturally be lower in THC so there will be less if any of a ‘high’.

CBD has shown potential to relieve convulsion, inflammation, cough, congestion, nausea and most importantly the ability to reduce and in many reported cases of different types of cancers, to actually eliminate cancer cell growth.

CBD has also been shown to have neuro protection, anti- anxiety and anti-psychotic properties and is proving to bring great relief to people suffering with schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s and frequent anxiety attacks, epilepsy and seizures.

It has also been revealed that CBD has an effect on the genes which affect cholesterol metabolism and also has an appetite suppressing effect making it a valuable study for treatments involving obesity and diabetes.

CBD also promotes uninterrupted sleep patterns which is essential to overall health and wellbeing and is also concerned with regulation of blood pressure.

There is not much you can do to increase CBD levels other than to choose strains with a known high CBD content.  CBD is naturally found in higher amounts in low THC varieties such as Cannabis ruderalis and some hemp species. So in other words, people looking for a CBD high medicine would need to source a ‘lower THC quality’ herb to prepare a high CBD medication. Some of the well-known high CBD strains include Charlotte’s Web’, Harlequin, AC/DC, Sour Tsunami as well as Cannatonic.

 CBN – Cannabinol – Slightly psychoactive

CBN is only somewhat psychoactive at approximately ten percent of the activity of THC.

CBN is a breakdown product of THC which takes place when THC is exposed to light or heat.

 

 

 

CBN in the presence of THC presents anti-anxiety properties, but does not in the absence of THC.

CBN has sedative properties and has shown very promising anti-spasm properties, which is helping many children and adults who suffer from epilepsy. CBN also promotes uninterrupted sleep patterns.

CBN cannot exist without the presence of THC, and this is one of the main reasons why synthetic Cannnabinoids are not as successful as herbal Cannabis.  CBN is the primary product of THC degradation, and there is usually very little CBN in the fresh plant.  CBN content increases as THC degrades in storage, and with exposure to light and air.  This is known as the curing process after harvest and is critical to the potency and purity and therefore to the quality of the medication you are making.

CBN levels in buds can be influenced by the harvest, drying and curing processes. By waiting a little bit longer to harvest, until the trichomes are amber in colour, often results in higher levels of CBN. Higher exposure to air during the drying and curing stage and a longer curing phase also results in higher levels of CBN.

CBG – Cannabigerols – Non psychoactive

CBG has shown significant ability to counteract and terminate tumour formation and has also been shown to provide relief for intraocular pressure which has proven to be helpful in the treatment of glaucoma.

CBG has been identified as a primary Cannabinoid because the ability of the Cannabis plant to produce Cannabigerolic Acid (CBGA) is just one of the factors which make the Cannabis plant so unique.

So, CBG is the forerunner to the three major branches of Cannabinoids which are Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA), Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and Cannabichromenic acid (CBCA).

Cannabis has natural enzymes called synthases (a chemical enzyme which is the catalyst in a synthetic process), which breaks the CBGA down to produce the various Cannanbinoids. There are three synthases of the Cannabis plant which have been identified (THC-synthase, CBD synthase, CBC –synthase) and are so named after the Cannabinoid which they create.

CBG is found in higher concentrations in hemp than in varieties of Cannabis usually cultivated for a high THC content, so again if you are looking for a CBG high medicine, for example people suffering with glaucoma, then you must find a strain which is low in THC.

 

 

THCV – Tetrahydrocannabivarin -  Psychoactive

THCV has shown massive potential to treat diabetes and is being investigated as an anti-obesity drug because of its ability to regulate metabolism and suppress appetite.

THCV is almost identical in chemical structure to THC, but slightly different in that unlike THC, CBD and CBC, THCV does not start out as a cannabigerolic acid (CBGA).

Instead of combining with olivetolic acid to create CBGA, the geranyl phosphate joins forces with divarinolic acid, which has two less carbon molecules. 

The result is cannabigerovarin acid (CBGVA).  Once CBGVA is created, the process continues exactly the same as it does for THC.  CBGVA is then broken down to tetrahydrocannabivarin carboxylic acid (THCVA) by the THCV synthase.  At that point, THCVA can be decarboxylated with heat or UV light to create THCV.

The effect of THCV on the CB1 and CB2 receptors is different to the effects of THC.

THCV is in reality an antagonist (inhibitor) of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, so in other words instead of stimulating these receptors THCV actually blocks them from being activated which is what makes THCV so important in the study of obesity and appetite control and metabolic regulation which it is showing signs of being able to control, as an appetite suppressant.

THCV is also showing great potential to be able to lower the seizure and convulsion threshold for people suffering from epilepsy.

Some of the best loved sativa strains are known to be high in THCV for example Durban poison and many of the Haze and Cheese strains as well as their hybrids.

 

CBC – Cannabichromenes – non psychoactive

The Endocannabinoid Research Group stated that their results suggest that CBC can help the growth and survival of NPSCs and their scientists have found that CBC is related to higher concentrations of NPSCs.

Neural Progenitor Stem Cell (NPSCs), are the stem cells of the brain and are therefore vital to brain functioning.  NPSCs are the precursors to the three types of brain cells, being neurons, oligondendrocytes and astrocytes, and because they are able to create any of these cells, they are now being investigated to help regenerate brain cells.  CBC also seems to inhibit the creation of proteins that cause the NPSCs to convert to other brain cells and this suggests that CBC may interact with this process and also take on the characteristics of being able to decide what brain cells are being developed and when they are being developed at cellular level.

This is when you start to become aware of the intricacies of this truly remarkable plant.

In terms of cancer CBC has shown to have anti-proliferative effects, which means it inhibits the growth of cancerous tumours.  This has been found to be as a result of its interaction with our natural Endocannabinoid Anandamide which has been found to aid the fight against human breast cancer.  CBC inhibits the uptake of Anandamide, which allows it to stay in the blood stream longer.

CBC also has analgesic, anti-inflammatory and very promising anti-biotic properties and in addition CBC is also now believed to stimulate bone growth, which is a profound discovery in researching osteoporosis.

 

 

Now that you know a bit more about the EC system…

There is currently a worldwide awakening to the fact that all is not well in our world and especially in our medical world.  Over the last 30 years there has been a radical increase in diseases of civilisation or ‘dread diseases’ as well as mental disorders in our society. It seems to be directly related to the increase of neuro toxins in our food, water, soil and vaccinations over the past few decades.

In 1902 Thomas Edison said, "There were never so many able, active minds at work on the problems of disease as now, and all their discoveries are tending toward the simple truth that you cannot improve on nature."

Cannabinoid research has proven that this statement still holds true to this day, and this is another reason why the pharmaceutical industry is struggling to produce synthetic Cannabis medications. All research evidence steers toward the fact that Cannabinoids do not work as effectively in isolation compared to working with whole herbal Cannabis. New evidence is now suggesting that in the absence of THC the CB1and CB2 receptors would not in fact even activate and most Cannabinoids do not work or even occur in the absence of THC.

The reality is that there are many people producing various Cannabis medicines but the truth is that you really do not know what is in these products and the only way to be totally sure of what you are consuming is to grow the plants yourself and produce your own medication otherwise you will need to put your trust in another human being who really is no more qualified than yourself.

Personally Iii spend a lot of time speaking with doctors, healers and patients and it seems certain that pretty soon medical practitioners will be forced to learn about medical Cannabis from their own patients.

Many doctors today are in fact aware of the medicinal healing properties of Cannabis and everyone should be urged to discuss this very serious matter with their health care practitioners to find the best solution for their personal medical disorders. It is quite possible for conventional and natural medical practitioners to work together for the overall healing of the people.

We must all take responsibility for own our state of health and look at what we are consuming and what is actually inside the foods we are eating. Education is the key issue to teach yourself about your options and to take control of your own health.