CBDA has quietly become the darling of cannabis insiders who see its tremendous therapeutic potential aligning with an explosion of hemp cultivation following the passing of the 2018 US Farm Bill. In a recent interview, Raphale Muchumlum, the father of cannabis research, said that he is most excited about research into these acid cannabinoids - - in particular, CBDA.
The only problem with CBDA, according to Mechooulum, is its relative instability which has led to less research being conducted and coincidentally less industry enthusiasm and demand. CBDA converts to CBD when exposed to environmental factors like: heat, UV light and oxidation via a process known as decarboxylation.
Although Mechoulum may be correct for the phytocannabinoid CBDA’s potential in pharmaceutical drugs that require isolated stable compounds, like his own HU-580 compound, the plant derived CBDA is perfectly suited for the nutraceutical and bioceutical markets selling CBDA tinctures, raw CBDA oil, cbda flower, and other CBDA products.
CBDA vs CBD
Cannabiolici acid, or CBDA for short, is the chemical precursor to the more familiar CBD. It’s a little known fact that the living hemp plant doesn’t manufacture THC or CBD at all, but rather produces the acidic cannabinoids like CBDA, THCA and CBGA. These acidic cannabinoids have demonstrated a vastly superior bioavailability to their heated counterparts.
Studies have begun to show the many benefits of CBDA, including: CBDA for sleep, CBDA for pain, CBDA for anxiety as well as powerful anti-nausea, stress-relieving, anti-inflammatory, and cancer-fighting properties. Much like CBD, CBDA interacts with the serotonin receptor 5-HT1A, and it is via this pathway that CBDA suppresses nausea and reduces stress responses in mice models. In another study looking at breast cancer cells, CBDA was shown to down regulate the COX-2 enzyme, which is implicated in inflammation and metastases. By inhibiting this enzyme, CBDA is posited to suppress genes associated with cancer spread.
When I attended the CannMed conference in Pasadena in 2019 to hear Dr. Muchulum’s keynote on CBDA, I felt like I had been reunited with a long lost lover. To see hords of people crowding to hear what the ‘father of cannabinoid research’ had to say about his next big breakthrough in raw cannabinoids was as confirming as it was exciting. As someone who has benefited tremendously from raw hemp and raw cannabis myself, and as someone who stared my own cannabis brand withe raw cannabinoids like CBDA at the forefront, I couldn’t wait to hear for myself what Muchulum was about to reveal. Of course, at the end of the day Muchulum was there to promote his new synthetic version of CBDA, Cannabidiolic Acid Mythel Ester (HU 580), and me and many of the attendees I knew from the California cannabis industry felt let down and a bit betrayed. We tend to be a plant-first kinda crowd, so when we hear about single molecule isolate solutions, a simultaneous yawn and gasp can often be heard.
To be fair, the pharmaceutical industry has been isolating cannabis derived compounds for years in hopes of finding the next breakthrough pharmaceutical drug, and CBDA with its similarity to CBD, but with a far stronger effect, has certainly caught the attention of drug manufacturers in the U.S. and abroad. I sincerely hope for Dr Mechoulam that he generated the interest he was looking for for his new synthetic compound. As for the rest of us, we don’t need to wait, hemp derived CBDA is already here and more and more brands and customers are turning to this potent phytocannabinoid that could disrupt the current pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries.
For those that are looking to try raw hemp derived CBDA, Awakened specializes in plant based raw hemp CBDA products like our Raw Hemp Balm and Raw Hemp Sublinguals.
CBDA FAQ
• What is raw CBDA? - CBDA is the acidic precursor to CBD found only in raw (unheated) cannabis and hemp.
• Does CBDA make you high? - No, CBDA does not bind to CB-1 receptors the same way that ∆ 9 THC does and will not make you “high”.
• Does CBDA turn into CBD? - CBDA can convert to CBD when exposed to high heat, UV light or oxidation via a process known as decarboxylation.
• What are the effects of CBDA? - CBDA is known to produce a calming effect in users, much like CBD, but with far superior bioavailability.
• How do you use raw CBDA oil? - CBDA oil can be used topically, ingested (capsule, edible etc.) or taken sublingually (tinctures, sprays, strips, slips and dips).
• Difference between CBD and CBDA? - CBDA is likely are far more potent precursor to CBD found only in raw hemp and cannabis. Chemically they are very similar, but CBDA has an extra carbon chain attached.
• CBDA vs CBD for pain, which is better? - Both CBDA and CBD have reported pain relieving properties, but because of CBDA’s potential superior potency, smaller amounts of CBDA can be taken for the same effect and conversely larger amounts can be administered for severe or chronic pain conditions making CBDA a potentially greater analgesic ingredient than CBD.
• Where can I buy CBDA oil for sale? - CBDA can be difficult to find in cannabis dispensaries, luckily online retailers are filling the void, but be careful where you get your CBDA from. Make sure you are buying from reputable brands and that there are 3rd party lab tests results available proving potency and with pesticide analysis. Shop Awakened Raw Hemp CBDA Products. We now offer CBDA-rich raw hemp flower, raw hemp balms and raw hemp sublingual’s for online order and direct delivery Nation-wide.