There's more than meets the eye with CBD. If you've browsed around looking for answers, you may have heard of CBN, CBG, CBC, etc. You also may have heard that cannabis plants, hemp included, contains over 400 chemical compounds - hundreds of which are cannabinoids.
Introducing Hemp's "Bench Warmers"
Cannabichromene is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid that binds with the vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1). Both of these receptors are linked to pain perception. They are sensitive to stimuli like heat, acidity, pressure, and other external factors. Cannabinoids, including CBC, can have a desensitizing effect on TRP receptors in the brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract, which reduces inflammatory chemicals released in the body.
Cannabigerol (CBG) is basically the opposite of intoxicating; it acts as a buffer to the psychoactive properties of THC. Although none of our products contain THC, its good to know that CBG can bring you back to earth from an overly ambitious space flight with your comrades. Studies indicate that CBG may have therapeutic potential in treating neurologic disorders (e.g., Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, and multiple sclerosis) and inflammatory bowel disease, as well as having antibacterial activity. Note that these findings have not been evaluated or endorsed by the FDA. The FDA and its enforcers have told us we are not allowed to make any claims in regards to our product. We encourage CBD users to think for themselves, try the product, and see for themselves if its worth the hype.
Cannabinol (CBN). There are a few small studies suggesting CBN may reduce pain and act as a sedative. Two separate studies performed tests on the antibacterial, and neuroprotectant properties of CBN. The antibacterial study suggests cannabidol, cannabichromene, cannabigerol, THC, and cannabinol showed clinically relevant mechanisms of activity against multiple strains of staphylococcus aureus (staph infections). The neuroprotective study showed emerging evidence of therapeutic benefits in mice with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). CBN significantly delayed the disease onset by more than two weeks during this 12 week study.
Cannabidiolic Acid is still overlooked as a viable bioactive compound, but is the main phytocannabinoid in hemp fibers and hempseed oils. CBDA suppresses nausea and vomiting in rats, and in a separate study, increased serotonin receptor (5HT1A) activity in shrews. CBDA has also been shown to reduce stress in rats, again through the serotonin receptor.
Other pharmacology targets using CBDA, CBD, CBN, CBG, (and other cannabinoids), are relevant for studies regarding: analgesic, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects of cannabinoids and Cannabis extracts.
When does the Entourage happen?
CBC and other cannabinoids promote production of our own endocannabinoids which studies have shown: moderate the experiences of pain and inflammation (not according to the FDA and still being studied). The entourage effect gained some ground in 2011 when researcher Ethan Russo, MD published a paper in the British Journal of Pharmacology reviewing the potential interactions between THC and various cannabinoids and terpenes. Here were his findings in a nutshell:
"Abundant evidence supports the key role of the ECS in mediating depression (Hill and Gorzalka, 2005a,b;), as well as anxiety, whether induced by aversive stimuli, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (Marsicano et al., 2002) or pain (Hohmann et al., 2005), and psychosis (Giuffrida et al., 2004)...Certainly the results obtained in human depression solely with a citrus scent (Komori et al., 1995), strongly suggest the possibility of synergistic benefit of a phytocannabinoid-terpenoid preparation... Phytocannabinoid-terpenoid synergy might theoretically apply."
Placebo and other roadblocks
Double-blind clinical trials -the gold standard for research studies in medicine- have never been conducted to investigate the effects of marijuana’s terpenes or its cannabinoids other than THC. Studies are difficult because marijuana’s Schedule I status puts research licenses out of reach for many scientists. Until marijuana is federally legalized and removed from the DEA registry as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act, all cannabinoids including CBD and its terpene effects will continue to hit roadblocks. This effects all cornerstones of its existence including: research, development, manufacturing, logistics, sales, and marketing.
Our legislation is still operates in the stone age when it comes to modifying these classifications. As shown below, not only is Marijuana classified at the highest level (1 being the "most dangerous" classification, 5 being the least) - it shares its top tier classification with extremely harmful drugs like heroin. If you really want to see how far behind the times the DEA is, go read up on Schedule II drugs and let us know if you agree that Fentanyl, Oxycodone, and Methamphetamines are less dangerous than Marijuana. What a circus!
"Schedule I drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. Some examples of Schedule I drugs are: heroin, lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), marijuana (cannabis), 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (ecstasy), methaqualone, and peyote."
Conclusion
Placebo is a powerful and self fulfilling prophecy that needs to be ruled out when studying the entourage effect. We cant yet confirm beyond doubt that the CBD users are self actualizing benefits from the entourage effect. Does having those other cannabinoids really help CBD do its job? What we can say is that there are plenty of case studies indicating there are benefits to CBD use and offshoots of these studies have been done for CBDA, CBD, CBN, CBG, and many others. We are going to do our best as a company to place resources at your fingertips to investigate on your own and make your own decisions. Even if placebos are really that powerful, then perhaps the real ingredient to this entourage effect is you!