All hemp enthusiasts and the oils produced from it have certainly heard about cannabinoids, mainly the two most famous ones – CBD and THC.
However, hemp plants of various cannabinoids contain much more, and each of them has a different effect.
So what are cannabinoids, how are they formed and which ones are found in hemp?
Welcome to the article.
What are cannabinoids?
The two well-known compounds CBD and THC belong to a chemical group called cannabinoids. They are the focus of the largest amount of laboratory research, but they are not the only known cannabinoids. More than 100 of them are identified in hemp.
These are chemicals that are not only found in hemp, they are also produced by the human and animal body.
Cannabinoids are a group that consists of various molecules that act on the cannabinoid receptors of our body and brain, providing various effects.
There are two types of such receptors:
CB1 – these receptors are located in the brain and are closely related to our perception of various types of pain and appetite,
CB2 – are found in the nervous system and affect the body’s immune processes.
Types of cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are divided into 3 basic groups:
phytocannabinoids,
endocannabinoids,
synthetic cannabinoids.
Phytocannabinoids, or plant cannabinoids, are found in all varieties of cannabis plants. It is their content and concentration in the plant that determines the quality of CBD oils or CBD crystals, as well as other hemp products.
Phytocannabinoids include CBD, THC, CBN, CBG, CBC.
This group also includes acidic forms of these compounds, such as CBDA – cannabinoid acid, i.e. a compound that is found directly in hemp inflorescences before it is processed into the desired form of CBD.
Endocannabinoids are a group of endogenous substances that are produced by our body for the purposes of self-regulation of homeostasis, i.e. the dynamic and biological balance that our body needs.These are small molecules that are responsible for the activation of cannabinoid receptors – they are the so-called. neurotransmitters. Their task is to activate the receptors we wrote about a bit above, i.e. CB1 and CB2.
The best-known compounds of this type are Anandamide (so-called AEA) and 2-Arachidonylglycerol (2-AG).
Synthetic cannabinoids are the last group of compounds, but they do not occur naturally in the human body or in plants. These compounds are lab-produced and are the chemical equivalent of phytocannabinoids that act on the same receptors. However, they are not copies of phytocannabinoids, but only their imitations with a similar, although usually much stronger, effect. They can be much stronger than THC, which can cause unwanted side effects.
They are used in the pharmaceuticals production, although they are also used in the production of drugs (like designer drugs).
The use of synthetic cannabinoids of unknown origin can be dangerous to health.
Alba Hemp is a store with CBD products such as CBD oil, CBD crystal, which contains only natural and safe cannabinoids.
Our products are tested and verified by numerous laboratories, thanks to which customers can be sure that they receive products with the content of phytocannabinoids and other compounds consistent with the information on the label.
The best-known compounds of this type are Anandamide (so-called AEA) and 2-Arachidonylglycerol (2-AG).
How are cannabinoids formed?
In addition to knowing the types of cannabinoids, it is also worth finding out how they are formed at all.
Cannabis inflorescences contain numerous, shiny, translucent crystals in the shape of tiny mushrooms. These microscopic formations are trichomes, which are responsible for producing a resin rich in various compounds, such as phytocannabinoids, terpenes, etc.
Hemp plant directs its nutrients to the secretory cells of the trichomes, where they are converted into precursors for the production of cannabinoids.
Hemp contains two cannabinoid precursors, olivetolic acid and geranyl diphosphate. Their combination creates CBGA, i.e. cannabigerolic acid – it is from it that all cannabinoids have their origin and begin to be produced.
In the plant, CBGA is used as a substrate, which, through enzymes such as CBDAS, CBCAS and THCAS, is able to create acids: CBDA, CBCA, THCA.
These cannabinoid acids occur naturally in hemp flowers. It is the acidic form of CBDA or THCA that changes its form to the desired CBD or THC during the decarboxylation process, i.e. treating flowers with high temperatures.
In simple terms: heat leads to the release of the carboxyl group and the inactive acidic form of CBDA changes its form to CBD.
In addition to cannabinoids, hemp flowers also contain terpenes, terpenoids and flavonoids. It is estimated that this plant contains about 540 chemical substances.
References:
The Biosynthesis of Cannabinoids
https://www.sciencedirect.com
Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ®)–Health Professional Version
Br J Pharmacol, 2011
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165946/
Artykuł What are cannabinoids? pochodzi z serwisu Alba Hemp.