phytochemicals

What Affects Kratom Alkaloid Content?

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As Kratom enthusiasts, we know that understanding the composition and chemistry of Kratom is essential for studying this incredible plant. But have you ever wondered why the alkaloid content of Kratom varies from batch to batch? In this blog post, we’ll explore the factors that influence the alkaloid content of Kratom in order to help you better understand this mysterious plant.

First things first, what are alkaloids? Read on to find out.

Quick Refresher — What Are Alkaloids?

First things first — alkaloid isn’t exactly a household term. What exactly is an alkaloid?

An alkaloid is an organic molecule found in plants, usually containing a ring of nitrogen atoms. About 20% of all plant species contain alkaloids.

What do plants use these compounds for? Scientists believe they may serve as a storage of reserve nitrogen (a crucial nutrient for plants). Alkaloids may also serve as a defense mechanism to help plants survive microbial diseases and attacks from predators, since they are generally toxic and repulsive. 

If they are toxic and repulsive, does that mean they are bad for humans? Some of them definitely are, but many alkaloids are popular for human consumption — both for medicinal and recreational purposes. Caffeine is an alkaloid. So is the quinine found in tonic water.

What Are the Alkaloids Found in Kratom?

Most of the alkaloids in Kratom are found in trace amounts and vary widely. However, two alkaloids may play the most significant role in the reported bio-effects of Kratom:

Mitragynine

Mitragynine is the alkaloid found in Kratom in the highest concentration. For example, dried Kratom leaves can contain up to 2% mitragynine. However, healthy Kratom plants can have significantly less mitragynine.

From a biological perspective, mitragynine is known for its ability to act as a partial agonist of the µ-opioid receptor.

7-hydroxymitragynine

7-hydroxymitragynine (or 7-OH for short) is a variant of mitragynine. It is found in Kratom in much smaller concentrations, but it is also far more potent than mitragynine. As such, the 7-OH content of Kratom may significantly contribute to the reported effects. 

There are many other alkaloids found in Kratom in less concentrated amounts. To learn about all of the other alkaloids found in Kratom, see our blog post ‘Understanding Kratom: Alkaloids Explained‘.

How Are Alkaloids Formed in Kratom?

Plants naturally produce alkaloids according to specific genetic processes. These gene pathways are subject to external influences, so the environment and conditions under which the plant develops can significantly affect the alkaloid content. Alkaloids tend to be created in the highest quantities when the plant is in its youth and undergoing active growth.

What Causes Kratom Plans to Have Different Alkaloids in Different Quantities?

Many factors play a role in how much of which alkaloid a particular Kratom plant will produce. Alkaloid production in plants is not well understood. Even though scientists have studied the process, the studies have not necessarily focused on mitragyna speciosa. 

We can speculate on some of the effects of different conditions on the alkaloid content of Kratom from studies of different plants, but each alkaloid-producing plant is different. What causes one species to produce more alkaloids might actually inhibit alkaloid production in another species.

Here are some of the known or inferred factors that impact the alkaloid content of your Kratom:

Age of the Plant

Alkaloid production is most active in younger plants. If Kratom was harvested from a young and actively growing plant, experts believe that the alkaloid content is likely to be higher.

Moisture in the Growing Environment

The natural habitat of mitragyna speciosa is humid and rainy. A particularly dry year or a particularly wet year can significantly impact the alkaloid content of the Kratom harvested from those trees.

Generally speaking, the trees grow better in a wetter environment. However, particularly dry seasons are speculated to produce more potent Kratom with higher alkaloid concentration, the alkaloids having formed as a coping mechanism for the stress of the dry environment. 

Temperature of the Growing Environment

Higher and lower growing temperatures definitely have an impact on the alkaloid content of the plant, but the effect varies from species to species. Some plants produce more alkaloids in response to heat, others produce less.

So which way does Kratom swing? It’s not well-understood. Experts have also speculated about the effect of exposure to carbon dioxide on the production of alkaloids, but this might have more to do with the fact that carbon dioxide affects the temperature of its environment than any direct impact of the CO2 on the plant.

Exposure to Sunlight

Exposure to sunlight also impacts the production of alkaloids in plants, but again some plants produce more alkaloids with lots of sun exposure, others less. 

The best studies of the effect of sunlight exposure on alkaloid production showed that plants produced the most alkaloids when exposed to 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness, but those tests were not performed on mitragyna speciosa, so the effect of sunlight on the alkaloid content of Kratom is still unknown.  

Bacterial Microbiome of the Soil

Plants are highly responsive to the presence of certain bacteria in the soil. This bacteria causes the plants to grow larger, with more extensive root structures. Robust presence of this bacterial microbiome has also been observed to produce Kratom with higher concentrations of alkaloids.

Nitrogen Content of the Soil

Nitrogen is an essential nutrient for all plants. Experts believe that a plant exposed to more nitrogen in the soil and the atmosphere will produce more alkaloids. This makes sense, since alkaloids are at least partially defined by the nitrogen in their chemical composition.

Kratom farmers will try to nourish their plants with nitrogen-rich soil and fertilizer. This has the added benefit of making the plant grow more quickly and to grow larger.

Salt Content of the Soil

Significant salt content of the soil has been shown to shock plants into creating more alkaloids. However, this stress also puts negative pressure on the growth of the plant. As a result, with salty soil you may get potent Kratom, but in smaller quantities.

As a plant-based product, Kratom is understandably susceptible to the environmental conditions in which it was grown. The alkaloid content is no exception. Research on exactly how this works with Kratom is ongoing. Suffice it to say — grow your Kratom under conditions that stimulate more alkaloid production, and the result is more potent Kratom.

Buy Kratom online at Phytoextractum

CBD Science: CBD’s Effect ON 5-HT Receptors

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Do you know how reported effects of CBD happen inside your body?

CBD interacts with the endocannabinoid system in our body and causes different types of positive benefits. There are a number of layers to how those interactions happen. There is even talk about how cannabinoids, in general, can have effects on other receptors on the body; we’re sure to learn more and more as research into CBD continues.

Today, we’re learning about how 5-HT receptors are affected by CBD. If you aren’t familiar with either of these things, don’t worry! We’ll give a complete rundown as we continue educating customers like you about CBD and the science behind it.

How CBD Interacts With Endocannabinoid Receptors

Before we get into the details of what the 5-HT receptors are and why they matter with CBD, let’s talk about the endocannabinoid system (ECS).

The endocannabinoid system is a system that specifically receives signals from cannabinoids such as CBD and THC. The system is made up of receptors, enzymes, and other bits that process various body reactions. The system can have effects on pain, appetite, emotions, and more.

While CBD does interact with CB1 and CB2 (the primary endocannabinoid receptors), there are other receptors outside of the ECS that interact with CBD more strongly. 

5-HT Receptors and CBD

One of the receptors that interact with CBD very effectively is the 5-HT receptor. Specifically, CBD interacts with the 5-HT1A receptor.

What Is The 5-HT1A Receptor?

The 5-HT1A receptor is a serotonin receptor. Serotonin receptors work in the central and peripheral nervous systems to regulate and stimulate a wide variety of both biological and psychological functions in the body.

The 5-HT1A has been shown to have effects in numerous of the body’s processes, and there may be more areas of influence that have yet to be studied. We can’t get into all of the science here for the risk of sounding like doctors (we aren’t!), but we do encourage you to find out all you can about potential benefits from reputable sources. 

5-HT1A is just one of many 5-HT receptors. This family of receptors is known more generally as serotonin receptors because serotonin is used to regulate related functions. Because of the wide variety of areas that 5-HT receptors can affect, a lot of pharmaceutical drugs are created to interact with these receptors. 

CBD Binds To 5-HT1A

Studies have shown that certain amounts of CBD can activate the 5-HT1A receptor and cause changes in the body’s biological and psychological state. This means that CBD could have effects on any of the systems or areas under study for affect by the 5-HT1A system.

Stress, in particular, has been studied with regard to how CBD and 5-HT1A interact. Early studies show that CBD may help to slow the effect of stress on the body, but more research still needs to be done to confirm this.

CBDa, which is a precursor to the formation of CBD found in live plants, has very strong reactions with 5-HT1A as well. Since it binds more strongly than CBD to these receptors, there is interest in doing more studies about how CBDa might be used to enhance a number of other structures and functions in the body.

Beyond 5-HT1A

As mentioned, CBD binds with different types of receptors in the body. Each time it is able to bind strongly with receptors in the body, there is a chance that some positive benefits may happen.

Most of the time, we focus on what reactions the receptors have when CBD binds with them, but we also need to talk about what doesn’t happen when CBD binds with them!

Anytime a receptor binds with a molecule, the receptor is no longer available to other molecules. Sometimes a stronger match will come along that causes the molecules to sort of swap places, but the receptor cannot typically be activated by multiple molecules at one time.


Because of this, CBD can be referred to as a reuptake inhibitor. Let’s explore what this means!

CBD Blocks Other Molecules

To understand how CBD blocks other molecules and what this could mean for the body, let’s walk through the molecule-receptor binding process.

  1. 1. Binding proteins bring molecules into cells or near enough to them to react. Some receptors are on the inside of cells; some are on the outside. Regardless, most molecules need to be carried in on certain fatty proteins to be able to make it through the protective layers.
  2. 2. CBD is very attracted to these fatty proteins. Often, it will beat out other molecules when being picked up by the proteins. This means that CBD gets into the cells rather than another molecule.
  3. 3. CBD prevents the breakdown of other substances because it binds to receptors and proteins instead of them; thus, it can act as an inhibitor.

Let’s talk about a more specific example to help you understand.

There are scientific studies that support the idea of CBD being a beneficial substance. How might it benefit the body? For example, when CBD is picked up by proteins instead of a substance known as adenosine, less adenosine is broken down.

Higher levels of adenosine mean that more adenosine binds to A1A and A2A receptors. These receptors are responsible for blood flow, and increased blood flow may contribute to wellness. In some cases, issues may be caused by a lack of adenosine because the body is processing it too quickly.

CBD, it seems, can help to prevent that.

More CBD Science

Are you interested in learning more about CBD science? Great!

One of the things that we pride our business on is that we take time to educate our customers about more than just our specific products; we also love sharing more about the science behind them!

CBD, in general, is still a widely misunderstood substance even as it grows in popularity. Many people do not understand how or why it works, so we have created a number of informational guides to facets of that information.

Here are a few of our most popular informational articles:

To stay updated with the information we share on our resources blog, you can visit the blog here!

What Is Delta-8 & How Does It Compare To Kratom?

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There are millions of plant species and varieties in the world, and there is so much still to be learned about these plants and what’s inside them. That’s why so many “new” plant substances are discovered, identified, and shared each year. Often, these substances were already being utilized in society, but they hadn’t yet been separated to be studied independently.

Recently, Delta-8 has become more popular and known in the United States. This cannabinoid found in cannabis plants is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced naturally by the plant. The amount produced in plants is relatively small, yet Delta-8 is getting very popular.

How is this possible, and is Delta-8 comparable to Kratom in any way? Today, we’ll tell you all we know about this unique substance so that you can get a better idea of what it is and how it may or may not be useful. For more information about the differences between CBD and Kratom, check out this blog post: Comparing Natural Products: Kratom & CBD Explained.

Delta-8: What Is It?

Delta-8’s full name is delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol. It’s sometimes abbreviated as delta-8 THC, just as delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (more commonly known as simply “THC” when talking about cannabinoids) is also abbreviated to delta-9 THC. 

Delta-8 THC is a psychoactive cannabinoid found in multiple types of cannabis plants, including hemp and marijuana. Cannabis plants do not produce large amounts of delta-8, however, so a large portion if not all of the delta-8 products on the market are synthesized from hemp-derived CBD.

By many consumer accounts, delta-8 is not as psychoactive as delta-9, but there’s not a lot of scientific research to support or disprove these anecdotes yet. Delta-8 THC’s structure is relatively similar to delta-9, so there may be an overlap between their effects and side effects.

Kratom and Delta-8: Two Very Different Products

Delta-8 and Kratom are both derived from plants, which means that some people are likely to compare them. Still, being plant-derived doesn’t make Kratom and delta-8 truly similar. In fact, the two are very different.

Kratom powder and products originate from trees in Southeast Asia, where the leaves are harvested and dried to create powders. The natural effects of this powder have been used as traditional medicine in those areas for centuries.

Delta-8 THC is a variant of a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants that must be further processed to be synthesized and held stable. Different cannabinoids, including delta-8’s cousin delta-9 THC, have been used throughout history, but the effects, uses, and history of the substance are very different from those of Kratom.

Something similar about Kratom and delta-8 is that they both have confusing legal statuses. Kratom is legal in some states, regulated in some states, and illegal in others. Similarly, delta-8’s legality varies depending on the exact rules about hemp and hemp-derived substances in that region.

Beyond that similarity, however, there is no solid reason to compare the substances or their uses.

Derived From Hemp: CBD and Delta-8

If you want to talk about a substance that is similar to delta-8, it’s best to talk about delta-8 as a sibling of CBD. Both CBD and delta-8 THC are cannabinoids found in hemp plants.

Hemp plants contain over 100 different cannabinoids, and various cannabinoids are extracted to create functional, sometimes therapeutic, substances. CBD is one of those substances, and it is arguably the most popular worldwide because it is not intoxicating and has been scientifically shown to have many positive benefits.

Delta-8 THC, on the other hand, is only produced in minimal quantities by hemp plants. Hemp-derived CBD and other cannabinoids must be further processed to create shelf-stable delta-8, drawing some questions about legality and safety.

Is Delta-8 Legal?

As mentioned above, the legality of delta-8 THC isn’t always straightforward.

Hemp-derived products have some amount of legality in the United States on a federal level, thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill. This bill legalized the production and sale of hemp products that contain less than 0.3 percent delta-9 THC. There are no specific rules about delta-8 THC as long as the levels of delta-9 THC are followed.

However, plants don’t usually contain substantial amounts of delta-8 naturally. It simply doesn’t show up in large concentrations in hemp plants. For that reason, delta-8 is generally created through manufacturing by synthetically converting CBD or delta-9 THC. This process is likely illegal. Only the tiny amounts of delta-8 THC which occurs naturally may be legal. 

The best way to be sure about legality in your area is to check state and local laws. Some states have specific protections and guidelines in place about delta-8, including delta-8 bans, so you can be sure that you are not breaking any rules by checking the laws in the area where you live or may be visiting. 

However, it is best to be cautious when pursuing or using synthetically produced products. There aren’t enough regulations in place at this time to be confident in their safety, so you may want to avoid them when possible.

Buy Kratom online at Phytoextractum

How Does the Body Absorb CBD?

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Cannabidiol -or CBD as it’s more commonly known- is a major industry booming into the forefront of our collective consciousness. Products such as tinctures and CBD gummies are growing in popularity and the success stories keep streaming in. From its relaxation-inducing effects to its anti-inflammatory properties, people report a host of potential benefits. However, all of these possible benefits are still being studied.

But with all this excitement around this burgeoning industry, some might stop to wonder, how does CBD absorb into the body and what’s most effective? It’s a fair line of questioning. We want to know how the products we take in and apply to our skin affect our bodies and how. 

How Does CBD Absorb in the Body

Depending on how you use CBD, the absorption process will vary. There are four typical methods of use: ingestion, topical application, inhalation, and sublingual. 

Ingestion 

A lot of people trying out CBD for the first time will reach for this method. Some ingestible products include tincture oils, capsules, and even beverages. These are all highly celebrated favorites in the hemp industry.

When CBD is ingested, it is absorbed by the digestive system and metabolized by the liver. From there it will enter the bloodstream to work its magic through the body. But due to the “first-pass effect”, a lot of the ingested CBD is broken down by the digestive enzymes before it has a chance to metabolize in the liver. 

Despite the loss of some of its potency in the digestive process, ingestible products can still be an effective, easy method to enjoy CBD. Remember, it’s important to choose the right dosage for you to assure you’re reaching the full potential benefits of what CBD has to offer. 

If you’re curious about ingestible CBD, try GRON CBD Milk Chocolate Bar 100mg! 

Topical Application

Those with skin issues or sore muscles might reach for a CBD salve, lotion, or ointment. Though human skin has a low permeability rate, cannabidiol can reach receptors under the skin through the pores when applied liberally. 

Our skin naturally blocks most substances from entering the dermis. CBD works by reaching receptors in the epidermis near the application site. Topical CBD products have been observed to improve elasticity, hydration, and a transepidermal water loss in users with and without skin conditions. Many report relief from soreness or inflammation near the application site as well. 

Support healthy skin and find dermal relief with products such as the Bridgetown Botanicals Hemp Extract Topical Creme 500 MG.

Inhalation or Vaping 

Vaping is another popular method to take advantage of the benefits of CBD. This is one of the quickest and most effective vehicles for delivering the compound into the bloodstream. That means the effects can set in at a more rapid pace. 

Vaporized CBD is absorbed through tiny air sacs in the lungs called alveoli. It is then diffused directly into the user’s bloodstream, bypassing the digestive system and liver. Since inhaled CBD avoids the digestive system, less of it is broken down before the molecules can make their way to the bloodstream. 

Without a pre-measured tincture or tablet, vaping allows the user to determine how much CBD they want to take in more intentionally. 

Usually, CBD products you can inhale are presented as a cartridge or portable vaporizer pen with a combination of CBD and other types of oil.

Try out the Ambary Gardens CBD Cartridge 250 MG to see if this method is a good fit for you.

Sublingual Method 

To avoid the “first-pass effect” altogether, a CBD user can opt to try the sublingual method. This can be done by holding CBD oil or concentrate under the tongue for roughly 60-90 seconds. The mucus membranes in the mouth can then absorb the active ingredients and speed up the absorption process. 

This is another method that offers quick delivery of CBD to the user so they can take advantage of the benefits more efficiently. Similarly to the inhalation route, the compounds can pass directly into the bloodstream and into our natural endocannabinoid system without breaking down as much. 

A great product to try if you’re curious about the sublingual method is the Bridgetown Botanicals Full Spectrum CBD Hemp Oil 250mg!

Which Method is Better?

Each CBD user is after a different goal when they set out to seek the potential of hemp plants. Every product has something a little different to offer:

If you’re after quick results, reach for a vaporizer or sublingual product. 

Those with a desire to start a regular regiment might consider the ease of ingestible CBD. 

And for centralized use for muscles and skin, topicals will be the way to go. For a great additive benefit, purchase a massage table and have your therapist use a CBD lotion or cream during your massage. You may see enhanced outcomes in relaxation and relief from muscle soreness.    

Evaluate what you’re looking for in a CBD product and decide what is best for you and your unique situation. Whatever route you choose, introducing CBD into your arsenal of daily products could be a great step toward finding your homeostasis.

Buy Kratom online at Phytoextractum

Terpenes and Flavonoids: How These Chemicals Affect Cannabis

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Common knowledge about cannabis, CBD, and related products has been rapidly improving over the last few years, but there is still a lot to be learned. It’s awesome to see that there are so many great resources full of information for those that want to learn, and we’re excited to be able to provide that kind of content, too.

Though some people haven’t heard of the word cannabinoid, they have heard of THC and CBD. These are the two most well-known cannabinoids, so there is some level of familiarity with these substances.

Flavonoids and terpenes, on the other hand, remain largely overlooked despite the huge number of these compounds found in cannabis plants! Why is it that these compounds aren’t as talked about? Let’s take some time to understand what they are, and why you should care!

The Basic Differences Between These Compounds

Many familiar with CBD, THC, and other cannabis products don’t know much about these components and how they affect what you experience.

Cannabinoids are chemical compounds (such as the well-known CBD and THC) that interact with the endocannabinoid system in your body. When the cannabinoid binds with a receptor, it causes a specific reaction in the body.

Flavonoids are nutrients. These nutrients give cannabis plants (and lots of other living things!) their color. There are more than 20 different flavonoids that have been found in cannabis plants, and more research still needs to be done to understand their use. 

Terpenes are aromatic metabolites. They are aromatic compounds that can be found in the oils of all plants. When you smell a basil plant and can recognize what it is based on the smell, that is because of the terpenes! Terpenes help to create the flavor of plants and plant-based products as well.

There are more than 20,000 different terpenes in the world. Cannabis plant strains have more than 100 identified terpenes; most plants contain at least 50 different terpenes.

The Variations of Products

One of the reasons that we find it important to learn about these different parts of cannabis and what can be extracted from the plant is because every strain has different amounts of these items. That is why there are cannabis plants with different levels of all of these things. 

Depending on the way that the plant was grown, handled, and processed, the final amount of terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids will be different. From there, the balance between the three might be further adjusted while creating any cannabis-based products.

When you choose a product, there is nearly always going to be more to its history than just what its name is! By gaining a better understanding of what can be extracted from the plants, you can also better understand any products that you are using.

All About Flavonoids

As mentioned, flavonoids are nutrients that create color in plants. They can create any color depending on what they are, and cannabis plants contain more than 20 flavonoids on average. Despite how their name sounds like the word “flavor,” these nutrients have no known effect on taste.

Dark purple cannabis strains may be colored by anthoxanthins or anthocyanins. Plants like berries also get their color from anthocyanins, and the specific color will depend on the pH of the plant’s growing environment.

Effects

There are cannaflavins that are found only in cannabis that have also been shown to have pharmacological effects. These flavonoids may have an effect on how things like CBD and THC are formed or function, but more research is still needed to figure this out.

We already know that one flavonoid, quercetin, that can be found in vegetables has antioxidant and anti-fungal properties. Catechins, found in cocoa and tea, may support the cardiovascular system.

We still aren’t sure exactly what many of the flavonoids in cannabis do, but we are excited to find out!

All About Terpenes

As mentioned, terpenes help to create the aroma and flavored experienced when perceiving a plant or plant-based product.

You might already be familiar with the effects of some terpenes:

  • • Humulene: Earthy. Found in basil and cloves. Suppresses appetites.
  • • Myrcene: Fruity. Found in basil and lemongrass. In some strains, up to 50% of cannabis’ terpene content is myrcene. Anti-inflammatory.
  • • Terpinolene: Smokey. Found in sage and rosemary. Reduces anxiety.
  • • Linalool: Floral. Found in spices and flowers like lavender. Anti-inflammatory.

While it’s often the most abundant, myrcene isn’t the only terpene found in cannabis. There’s even a terpene that boosts anti-acne effects in cannabis-based skincare products.

Highs and Lows of Terpenes

One of the most interesting ways that terpenes may have a huge effect on the future of cannabis-based products and medicinal usage is because of their ability to bring out the benefits of other chemicals in the product.

There are terpenes which lower the effects of THC, a psychoactive component. This means that a strain with very high concentrations of both CBD and THC could be blended with the terpene in such a way that the powerful potency of the CBD could be harnessed without too much THC causing problems for the user.

There is still much research to be done about possibilities like this in the CBD world, and it will be very exciting to see what is discovered

Full Spectrum Benefits

As you can see, there are a lot of potential benefits that things like flavonoids and terpenes bring to the table when looking at a cannabis plant. That is why some people prefer to use full-spectrum products as they contain higher amounts of all three important items:

  • • Cannabinoids
  • • Flavonoids
  • • Terpenes

If you’re interested in seeing the effects for yourself, trying a full-spectrum product might be a good idea.

Complementary Chemicals

While it’s true that flavonoids and terpenes don’t have as much impact in the world as CBD does right now, that doesn’t mean that these chemical substances don’t have some power. And that power is worth learning about!

As you learn more about the specific components that make up cannabis plants, you can learn more about the possibilities that may be further developed in the future. CBD oil is the most well-known chemical product right now, but other complementary chemicals may get similar products in the future!

The Construction of Cannabis: What Are Cannabinoids?

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Are you someone that is curious about the world around you? Do you find that you want to know more about what’s in something rather than just using it and not knowing the difference? Then you’re in the right place!

Today’s article is going to be focused on understanding what cannabinoids are. Anyone who uses CBD or cannabis-based products should be aware of cannabinoids and what role they play in the function of these items. Still, we know that this information isn’t something that we get taught in school.

Get ready for class, everyone! Phytoextractum cannabinoid class is now in session.

What Are Cannabinoids?

The chemical compounds that make up cannabis are known as cannabinoids. There are more than 100 different cannabinoids in cannabis, and each strain has a unique combination of cannabinoids in it. Each cannabinoid works differently in the body, so the effects that they have differ widely.

You may have heard people talk about how different strains of cannabis have different psychical or psychological effects. Have you ever wondered why that is?

Simply put, that is because each strain has a unique combination of cannabinoids, so the way that the compound interacts with your body is different.

How Do Cannabinoids Interact In The Body?

Our bodies have something known as the endocannabinoid system. This system is full of endocannabinoid receptors, and these receptors are the areas of the body that interact with the cannabinoid compounds. When each binding occurs, a different effect or reaction may happen in the body.

Since there are so many different cannabinoids as well as different types of receptors throughout the body, there are different reactions that your body may have

Common Cannabinoid Effects

There are a lot of different effects that can be caused by the interactions that cannabinoids have with the body. In fact, some cannabinoids cause more than one effect. A lot of research still needs to be done into cannabinoids, but it has been found that many issues may be helped with cannabinoids.

There are many resources you can use to keep up-to-date on the latest research on cannabinoids and their benefits. We’re excited to see what future research into cannabinoids will help us discover.

The Most Common Cannabinoids

Though there are hundreds of different cannabinoids, there are a few that are more commonly known than others. In particular, most people know about THC and CBD. Both of these cannabinoids are incredibly powerful and interesting, but they aren’t the only ones.

Let’s take a closer look at both THC and CBD as well as some other unique cannabinoids; you might be surprised at what you learn!

THC and CBD

As mentioned, these are the big players in the world of cannabinoids. These two have some of the strongest and most recognizable effects of all of the cannabinoids, and they are also present in very large quantities.

CBD has incredible benefits, and it is now being used in both medicine (Epidiolex, recently approved by the FDA) and at-home health concoctions. CBD is not psychoactive; this means that it will not make you high when you use it. From CBD oil to CBD edibles, there are many different ways that people are using this cannabinoid to ease their everyday aches and other problems.

THC, on the other hand, is psychoactive. THC is typically the cannabinoid that is responsible for feeling high when cannabis is used, but it isn’t the only psychoactive cannabinoid out there. THC is present in very large quantities in some strains of cannabis; in others, it can barely be traced.

CBC

The next cannabinoid that we want to introduce is CBC, also known as cannabichromene. The amount of CBC found in any cannabis strain tends to be very small, but it is still effective. In fact, this is one of the cannabinoids that most full-spectrum products will make sure to include because of how it rounds out the overall treatment plan.

The endocannabinoid system in your body contains fewer CBC receptors compared to the number of THC and CBD receptors. As such, CBC on its own would not have a very large effect. When used in combination with a full-spectrum product, however, CBC’s presence can activate more receptors.

The CBC receptors studied so far seem to mostly affect the digestive and immune system.

CBN

Now, let’s talk about CBN, also known as cannabinol. Like THC, this is a cannabinoid that does have some psychoactive effects. The effects, however, are not as strong as those of THC. In fact, it is interesting how the two are linked. CBN, as far as it has currently been studied, only seems to show up in strains that also contain THC. Why is that?

It’s actually because CBN is a side product of THC’s oxidation process! As cannabis plants that contain high amounts of THC get older, the THC oxidizes and creates CBN. Depending on the age of a plant, the ratio of CBN and THC will differ, and that is why there is some commonality between the two.

More than psychoactivity, CBN is known for sedation effects. It can make you quite sleepy! If you eat old edibles or use older cannabis plants in any way, it’s quite possible for this effect to occur. This is because of the THC oxidation.

CBG

CBG is another non-psychoactive cannabinoid. CBG, also known as cannabigerol, forms very early in the cannabis growing process. As more and more CBG is created, the presence of this cannabinoid triggers the THC and CBD formation.

The effects of CBG are similar to those of both THC and CBD, and that is likely because of how they are linked. CBG is a great for nervousness and restlessness, and it also may have a number of other effects on mental health. 

As CBG is studied more and more, we believe that it is possible that links to other cannabinoids might be found. Since there are so many cannabinoids that haven’t been studied very much, we can’t wait to see what else will be learned in future years!