What is the difference between CBD & CBDa?
What is CBDa?
CBD is one cannabinoid out of a family of 113, and much like everything else in nature, cannabinoids come in a whole lotta shapes and sizes.
You may have noticed that we have started to launch full-spectrum CBD products, which contain weird and wonderful acronyms like CBDa, CBDv, THCa, THCv, CBG, CBGa etc… and on and on. To understand how and why these oils and pastes do what they do, you need to understand just a little bit about the different types of cannabinoids. There is an argument out there that including a mixture of ‘raw’ cannabinoids (the ones found in our Dina (5%), Diablo UK made CBD Oil (10%) & Tenedor (paste)) into your diet has a much bigger positive impact on your well-being.
Unless you have a chemistry degree, where all of these cannabinoids come from can get a little confusing. I will try and keep it as simple as I can.
We also must stress, that CBD & CBDa products are to be sold as a food supplement and should be taken as part of a balanced diet. We cannot make any medical claims or claims of medical benefit. Also read about the endocannabinoid system!
CBD vs. CBDA -What is Raw CBD Oil?
Cannabidiolic acid, also known as CBDa, is one of the main cannabinoids that are produced on the leaves, stems and flowers of certain cannabis varieties; like Indica, Sativa or Hemp. In very simple terms, CBDa is the raw form of CBD that can be found in the plant. This is often why you will see CBD oils that are described as ‘raw’ – it is simply down to the fact that they contain CBDa.
It is not until this CBDa is decarboxylated, does the compound turn into CBD (which is what all the fuss is about these days). Decarboxylation is a fancy word for when carbon dioxide and hydrogen are removed from the CBDa compound- thus slightly changing the properties of the cannabinoid. More often than not, this process occurs naturally as the plant ages, is exposed to light and heat from the sun, or when it is burned- like when it is smoked or put in the oven. The same process happens for almost all of the cannabinoids.
The most amazing example of this change is within THC, or Tetrahydrocannabinol. The acid precursor of THC is…. you guessed it, THCa. While THC is known, and used, for its psychoactive properties, THCa is not psychoactive at all. The decarboxylation process must take place before you get any psychoactive reaction.
CBD & CBDa both share similar properties, but work slightly differently just as the differences between THC & THCa above.
What does CBDa Do?
The main difference between the two CBD’s is the level in which they have been researched. We know far less about CBDa than we do about CBD.
CBD was discovered in 1963, but it wasn’t until the 1990’s that researchers learned how cannabinoids worked with the body. It is due to this, that we know very, very little about how CBDa works – there is also very little understanding as to whether the raw acid forms of any cannabinoid actually binds to either of the cannabinoid receptors.
If you are going digging, try not to search for ‘CBDa but instead look for information on the Endocannabinoid System.
All I know is after trying both, I can certainly say that I like the food supplements which contain CBD & CBDa better and there are thousands of people who say the same.
