One of the most valuable words in the cannabis glossary, that all cannabis consumers need to understand, is cannabinoid. Cannabinoids, like THC, CBD and CBG, are organic chemical compounds that, with terpenes, make up the building blocks of the cannabis plant.
Cannabis cannabinoids provide recreational appeal to humans because they mimic our own naturally produced endocannabinoids, and bind to the same receptors, located throughout the brain and body. The human endocannabinoid system is responsible for regulating many different body systems, including pain, memory, mood and appetite. The unique ability of cannabis cannabinoids to be able to communicate with the human body in the same manner that it communicates with itself makes it ideal for most humans.
The following sections provide additional information on some of the more well-known and widely referenced cannabinoids – we’ll help explain what these cannabinoids do and how they may affect the body. We hope that you find this information helpful.
What is THC?
Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the most well-known and most often the most prevalent cannabinoid found in cannabis. This is the psychoactive component known to produce euphoria, which is more often described as the feeling of being “high.”
THC binds primarily to the receptors found throughout the brain.
When we talk about potency, we are referring to the amount of THC in a cannabis product. THC content is expressed in milligrams per gram (mg/g) or as a percentage of milligrams per gram of cannabis. For example, if a product is labelled 15% THC and 150 mg/g, it has 150 milligrams of THC per gram of cannabis.
It is not possible to have dried flower cannabis with 100% THC, but cannabis extracts, which have been distilled, can have up to 90% THC. The THC content can vary from product to product and even the same products can vary between lots of the same strain so please check labels carefully to be sure of the actual THC content in the product you selected.
By law, CBD and THC content must be displayed on every product label. Also, to guide customers in product selection, products with THC amounts over 17% are labelled as “strong” and over 20% are labelled “very strong.”
All information on CBD and THC content for our products are provided by the federally licensed producers who supply our product.
Choosing Products Based on THC Potency
The effects of THC will be different for everyone and different types of cannabis can have very different effects on the same person. When choosing a product, consider the following:
- THC potency potential
- method of consumption
- amount of consumption
- factors such as your age, sex, and health history
- previous experience with cannabis
Please discuss and questions you may have with your physician.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is the most common cannabinoid in cannabis. Almost all strains of cannabis contain CBD, even if only in trace amount. While CBD can have an effect on both mind and body, it does not induce the mind-altering high that THC does.
Both THC and CBD are found throughout the aerial parts of the cannabis plant, but are usually most concentrated in the trichomes on the flowers.
Once it is extracted from the trichomes and plant matter, CBD is commonly used in the making of oils or inserted into capsules for consumption. It is also popular as a topical.
How CBD Works
While research is still being done to fully understand CBD’s impact on our bodies, studies suggest that CBD increases or improves our own natural production of endocannabinoids. CBD works together with THC to bind to the CB1 receptors in our endocannabinoid system.
This means that on a chemical level, CBD slows production of the enzymes our bodies create in order to regulate and destroy excess endocannabinoids. This affects our physical state by allowing us to have more endocannabinoids circulating through our system.
It is also believed that CBD may affect other naturally occurring chemicals in our bodies like vanilloid, which helps modulate pain, serotonin, which affects our mood and stress levels and adenosine that helps control our sleep cycles.
CBD Content
Also known as its CBD content, the amount of CBD in a product is expressed as a unit of milligrams per gram of cannabis.
For example, 16% CBD potency would mean that there are 160 milligrams of CBD per gram of cannabis. As it is a naturally occurring part of the cannabis plant, the amount of CBD can vary from harvest to harvest or item to item after production.
By law, CBD and THC content must be displayed on every product label. Please check labels carefully to be sure of the actual CBD content in the product you selected.
All information on CBD and THC content for our products are provided by the federally licensed producers who supply our product.
CBD and THC
Although it requires more scientific research, a theory referred to as ‘the Entourage Effect’ seems to play a role in how both CBD and THC work in tandem to amplify or modulate the effects cannabis.
Some studies have shown that CBD appears to reduce some of the more severe psychoactive effects of heavy THC dosages. If this is true, selecting a product with similar levels of THC and CBD can help prevent unpleasant effects associated with strong THC dosages such as paranoia and anxiety.
What is CBN?
Cannabinol, or CBN, is a mildly psychoactive component found in cannabis which, like strongly psychoactive THC, is derived from tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THC-A).
CBN is created when THC-A oxidizes. When THC is oxidized, the degradation process converts THC to CBN.
Most cannabis flower contains a small percentage of CBN; however, older flower typically contains much higher CBN content. Studies shows that THC degrades into CBN over time, which means cannabis will typically become CBN-heavy the longer it ages.
While researchers continue to study the effects of CBN, anecdotal evidence of its sedative properties and other potentially beneficial effects has fueled consumer interest in the cannabinoid.
What is THCA?
Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is the most abundant non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in cannabis and a primary constituent of cured and live cannabis. THCA is the acidic form of THC as they share a very similar molecular composition.
So why THC make us elevated when THCA does doesn’t? Due to the three-dimensional shape of the THCA molecule, it doesn’t fit into our cannabinoid receptors, specifically the CB1 receptors. A cannabinoid must fit into a body’s CB1 receptor in order to have an intoxicating effect at all.
The benefits provided by THCA are most well absorbed by the body through a raw method of consumption such as cannabis juicing.
What is THCV?
Tetrahydrocannabivarin, or THCV, is a psychoactive cannabinoid found most prevalently in sativa strains of cannabis. It has been referred to by some people to produce a more motivated, alert and energizing feeling.
Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) may be a relative of the THC cannabinoid, but it produces different psychoactive effects. While THCV can also have psychoactive effects, it works with THC to change how the cannabinoid affects you.
You can only find THCV in tiny amounts when you look for it in cannabis plants. It tends to appear in sativa strains with higher THC content. In fact, some researchers believe that THCV causes the buzz you get from sativa strains. THCV is thought to act similarly to CBD, in that they both curb some of the well-known effects of THC, which normally bind easily to CB1 receptors in the brain.
Although more research is needed on the standalone effects of THCV, it is known that the amount you ingest directly relates to how it impacts your body.
What is CBC?
Cannabichromene, or CBC, is a powerful, non-psychoactive cannabinoid, meaning it will not cause a consumer to feel “high.” The reason it is non-intoxicating is because it binds poorly to CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the brain. CBC does bind with other receptors in the body.
CBC is typically found in low levels in most cannabis strains and shares molecular similarity to other cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. CBC is also a descendant of CBG, which acts a chemical precursor to these three major cannabinoids. CBC may work most effectively when paired with other cannabinoids and terpenes, a term known as the entourage effect.
CBC displays the potential to deeply influence the benefits and effects of cannabis, particularly with its non-intoxicating properties. CBC could play a major role in cannabis based medicine as a deeper understanding of cannabinoids continually evolves.
What is CBDV?
Cannabidivarin (CBDV) is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that will not cause the euphoric feeling of being “high.”
CBDV is most commonly found in landrace indica strains from India, Pakistan and Mexico, and it occurs more often in plants that have higher levels of CBD than THC in them. Landrace means that the marijuana plant developed over time in its natural habitat and was not crossbred with other plants of the same species.
It’s not common to find CBDV in strains available at dispensaries, because most strains of marijuana are bred to be high in THC. Also, since CBDV occurs in small amounts in pure strains, traditional farming methods would not produce enough CBDV for medicinal purposes. Therefore, scientists are turning to cellular agriculture to produce CBDV or creating it synthetically.
