What Are Cannabinoids? Definition, Effects, and Benefits

Cannabinoids are one of two groups of plant chemicals that give cannabis its amazing psychoactive and medicinal qualities. Of the 700 or more chemicals found in cannabis, cannabinoids are a group of about 80 compounds that have a chemical structure that scientists describe as terpenophenolics. They are arrangements of 21 carbon atoms that are more complicated than the other group of cannabis chemicals, the terpenes.

Check out the terpene and cannabinoid profiles of our Gold cuts

How Do Cannabinoids Work In The Body?

Cannabinoids are woven into the way our bodies work. Our nervous system not only has specialized receptors that can be activated from marijuana, but we also make similar molecules called endocannabinoids without the plant. Cannabinoids also occur in some other surprising plant sources, like chocolate, truffles, and black pepper. If you love chocolate, truffles, or black pepper, or maybe all three, now you know why!

The human body produces endocannabinoids in already-activated form. The cannabinoids in marijuana, however, have to be activated by heat. Raw cannabis doesn't really contain THC, CBD, and so on. It contains an acidified form of these plant compounds that has to be broken down by heating. Technically, the inactive THCA and CBDA acids in marijuana can be activated by storing them in a warm room, but most users break them down faster by smoking, vaping, or baking.

For a long time, scientists believed that the buzz you get from pot was solely due to THC. Then they turned their attention to the calming effects of CBD.

How Many Cannabinoids Are There?

Now scientists recognized that there are other important cannabinoids in cannabis, making the working list:

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)
CBD (cannabidiol)
CBG (cannabigerol)
CBC (cannabuichromene)

There is a fifth well-known cannabinoid called CBN (cannabinol), that forms when THC is exposed to the air.

As you probably know, different strains of marijuana produce very different amounts of cannabinoids. There are just a few genes, for instance, that control THC production. Some combinations of genes result in 25% of the weight of the bud being THC. Other combinations of the same genes result in the THC content being less than 1 percent.

What Are The Benefits of Cannabinoids?

Adding to the differences among strains is the fact that the chemicals that give different strains their aromas — the terpenes — also have medicinal effects. The result is that your nose can tell you if a new product is likely to work for you. But most of what makes you feel buzzed or stoned, or sometimes both, is due to the cannabinoids.

What Are Different Types of Cannabinoid Products?

The three types of cannabinoids people use are recreational, medicinal, and synthetic.

THC cannabinoid

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the primary psychoactive chemical released by smoking, vaping, or cooking cannabis. Before cannabis is heated, this chemical is in its inactive, acidic form THCA. The human body cannot absorb it. Once THCA is heated, however, it gives up a CO2 molecule to become THC, the chemical that produces the high feeling.

THC doesn't just help its users get high, though. It is also has anti-inflammatory properties and relieves pain from arthritis, joint injuries, and stiff, tight muscles. No less than the Academy of the Sciences of the USA has confirmed that THC protects brain tissue from the after-effects of poor circulation and traumatic brain injury. and it is generally accepted that THC relieves the high eye pressure that causes glaucoma.

Overdosing THC can cause some unpleasant side effects, sometimes referred to as greening out. To prevent this, choose strains for their other cannabinoids and terpenes, not just THC. That's one reason Claybourne discloses this information on all of our products; we want our customers to know what they're getting.

CBD cannabidiol

The most abundant plant chemical in hemp is CBD. There are varieties of hemp that produce almost no THC yet abundant CBD, which you'll see in a variety of helpful products like lotions, supplements, oils and even some food products.

CBDA, the naturally occurring form of this plant chemical, is converted by heat into CBD. Unlike THC, you don't have to heat cannabis to get the benefits of CBD.

Your body can slowly convert CBDA into CBD, the form of the chemical that has calming effects. Raw hemp that contains only CBDA (not CBD) and actually lasts longer in your body than the CBD it can be manufactured into.

Some strains are cultivated for high CBDA content and low THCA content, so they are very stoning but don't give users an unwanted buzz. The hybrid Cannatonic marijuana strain contains up to 20% CBDA but only 1% THCA. Charlotte's Web has a 17-to-1 ratio, Ringo's Gift 15-to-1, and Harle-Tsu 10-to-1. There are also strains like Harlequin that contain high amounts of both CBDA and THCA.

CBD helps prevent the greening out that can occur with overdosing on THC. It is the cannabinoid that helps to control seizures and relieve intractable pain when it is provided along with THC. By itself, it has a calming effect that many users rely on.

There are CBD treatments for a long list of skin diseases ranging from acne to MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) to psoriasis and eczema. There are CBD-based wrinkle creams and age spot removers. There is no doubt that CBD reacts with an unusually large number of receptors throughout the body, especially in the skin.

CBG cannabinoid

CBGA (cannabigerol) is the third-most abundant cannabinoid in the mature bud, but it is the chemical that the plant uses to make THCA and CBDA. There is still a lot of CBGA in the bud when it is mature, and manufacturers have started making CBG-rich products for a previously underserved market: people with inflammatory bowel syndrome.

There aren't a lot of drugs that relieve this painful problem, but a group of researchers have reported success using CBG as a treatment for inflammatory bowel syndrome when nothing else works (Source: Pubmed). CBG interacts with receptors that THC and CBD do not, and may have many other yet-to-be discovered medical benefits.*

CBC cannabinoid

CBCA (cannabuichromene acid) is a chemical the cannabis plant produces to protect its bud from fungus. It is much more abundant in the flower when it is first opening than later in the process of maturing. Even if CBCA is heated to make CBC, it doesn't form any chemicals that affect the brain or central nervous system. It may be very useful, however, in treating fungal infections.

CBN

CBN (cannabinol) doesn't exist in the plant before the bud is harvested, but it forms as marijuana is stored, waiting to be used. Ironically, the worse the storage conditions, the greater the amount of CBN in the bud.

CBN neither makes you high or calms down. It dulls the sensation of pain. For this reason, it is sometimes used as an experimental treatment for pain in burn victims. CBN is a good example of the principle that even poorly stored pot can do you some good.

Other Cannabinoids

There are a few other cannabinoids that are beginning to be better understood. Just about every user of cannabis at one time or another gets the munchies. Some Asian strains produce a cannabinoid called THCV, which reduces appetite instead of increasing it. In low doses, it calms you down. In high doses, it makes you high. And CBDVA is potentially better for treating seizure disorders than CBD or CBD with THC.

Do you have questions about choosing the strains that have the cannabinoids you need? Ask the experts: Claybourne Company is here to help. Drop us a line.