CBDA 101

In recent years, attention has focused on the medicinal potential of CBD (cannabidiol), a non-toxic CBDA or cannabidiolic acid with mild sedative properties. It is also used to treat rare forms of epilepsy. However, CBD wouldn’t exist without CBDA.

CBDA Cannabidiolic Acid

Although CBD has received a lot of attention, CBDA also has potential benefits.

What is CBDA?

CBDA is a cannabinoid. These are the compounds that act as active ingredients in marijuana, and there are dozens of them in the plant. When injected into the human brain and body, cannabinoids mimic the chemicals our brain naturally produces by binding to the same receptors.

This means that CBDA or cannabidiolic acid can CBD product with various effects, such as B. Inducing euphoria, relieving pain, relieving depression, relieving nausea, and more. When activated, these cannabinoids are called THC, CBD, CBG, etc. Before CBD and other cannabinoids become pharmacologically active, they exist in an acidic form.

This means that the precursor to CBD in marijuana is CBDA or cannabidiolic acid. The same goes for other cannabinoids, which means that raw cannabis flowers contain THCA, CBGA, and CBCA in addition to CBDA.

How Is CBDA Produced?

However, before all these cannabinoids reach this state, they all start as CBGA. Known as the “mother of all cannabinoids”, everything else comes from this compound. Varying percentages of CBGA are converted to CBDA, THCA, and other cannabinoids through an enzymatic reaction that takes place in the plant’s trichomes.

This process works with the reverse aspect ratio. Think of CBGA in a marijuana plant like a pie. When two-thirds of the cake becomes THCA, only one-third becomes other cannabinoids such as CBDA or remains in its native form such as CBGA. This is why high THC strains of marijuana have such a low percentage of CBD, and vice versa.

Cannabinoids CBG

CBDA comes from CBGA: the “mother of all cannabinoids”.

CBDA vs. CBD

The difference between these acidic forms of cannabis and their more familiar versions (such as CBDA versus CBD) is that the acidic forms of cannabinoids are not pharmacologically active. THCA, for example, is not euphoric like THC. It has long been believed that CBDC has none of the effects of CBD, but scientific research is beginning to question this. However, cannabinoids such as CBDA are not considered pharmacologically active until they are decarboxylated.

During decarboxylation, the cannabinoid acids of the marijuana plant are heated until they lose their carboxylic acid. When this happens to cannabidiolic acid/CBDA, it becomes CBD.

This heating process can be carried out by smoking or evaporation. Some people decarboxylate cannabis by spreading it evenly over a baking sheet and placing it in an oven at 230 degrees (Fahrenheit) for up to 40 minutes until the material is medium brown. Why subject cannabis to this process? The conventional wisdom is that without decarboxylation, cannabinoids are useless. Today, however, some people are beginning to reconsider this theory.

While it has long been thought that CBDA needs to be decarboxylated and converted to CBD to reap the health benefits, scientific research suggests that CBDA may have its benefits.

CBDA Medical Benefits

Most cannabis research has focused on the non-acidic forms of its cannabinoids. This left the world largely in the dark about the benefits of their acidic precursors. However, a growing body of research is starting to change things when it comes to how the world thinks about CBDA and its potential benefits and uses.

Depression

Scientific studies have shown that CBD is a promising treatment for depression, but does this also apply to CBDA? Scientists have found that CBDA not only acts on the same receptors as CBD (which controls feelings of anxiety and well-being) but also acts as an antidepressant at doses 10 to 100 times lower than those needed for CBD.

Epilepsy 

Could CBDA be effective in people with epilepsy? GW Pharmaceuticals thinks it’s possible. The maker of the CBD-derived epilepsy drug, Epidiolex, has also patented the use of CBDA to treat epilepsy while researching its potential. As with CBDA for depression, the pharmaceutical company seems to believe that CBDA may work at lower doses than CBD for epilepsy. They are also investigating whether they may work better when used together, as CBDA may work faster and CBD provides longer-lasting effects.

CBDA in Epilepsy

Like CBD, some research suggests that CBDA can help treat conditions like depression and epilepsy.

Nausea

Scientists studying the benefits of CBDA also believe it may be effective against nausea. The same receptors that control anxiety and well-being also regulate nausea and vomiting. Like CBD, CBDA interacts with these receptors to relieve nausea. In fact, research shows that CBDA is more effective when it comes to choosing CBD over CBDA for this purpose.

Breast Cancer

A 2012 study at Hokuriku University in Japan found CBDA to be effective in inhibiting the growth of an aggressive form of breast cancer. Although the researchers found the results promising, more research is needed to determine the mechanisms by which CBDA works. A study found that cannabidiolic acid not only inhibits growth but can also prevent breast cancer cells from migrating, which means it limits the ability of the disease to spread to other parts of the body.

Scientists have tried to figure out what all this means. What is the mechanism by which CBDA affects cancer cells and how can it be used in real treatment? While a 2014 study linked CBDA as a COX-2 inhibitor to its ability to fight breast cancer, more research is needed to fully utilize CBDA as a weapon against the disease.

Anti-Inflammatory Agent

CBDA’s role as a COX-2 inhibitor makes it more than just a cancer fighter; this also makes it an excellent anti-inflammatory. COX-2 is the enzyme targeted by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and aspirin. The researchers found that CBDA not only blocks this enzyme; this makes it even better than THC.

How To Consume CBDA

Although research to identify potential medical uses for CBDA is still ongoing, some health-conscious people are hoping to reap all the potential benefits of CBDA by consuming it at home. The best way to do this is to start with raw cannabis leaves and undried plant flowers. They can be used to make topical cannabis remedies like balms or creams, or taken orally.

Raw, unprocessed marijuana can be hard to find. Where it is legal, some people simply grow their own, while others check local dispensaries to see if they can get fresh CBDA-rich marijuana. Store raw cannabis leaves or flowers in the refrigerator as you would any leafy green vegetable.