Benefits of CBDA Oil
Have you heard of CBDA oil but not sure what it is? Maybe your friend uses CBD products, but they have not done much for you.
CBDA benefits from its superior absorption, anti inflammatory properties, and ability to dial down your stress.
For the first time, Natural Dos proprietary purification technology captures the natural CBDA oil found in cannabis plants, unlocking the powerful benefits of CBDA.
What are Cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are a class of compounds found in hemp plants that interact with the endocannabinoid system. For reference, the term “cannabis plants” is used to refer to “hemp plants”.
In raw cannabis flowers, acidic cannabinoids are what the plant naturally produces. The major cannabinoid precursor compounds are all acidic cannabinoids, and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) is the starting compound. CBGA is synthesized from its intermediate precursor olivetolic acid.
As seen in the figure below, the other acidic cannabinoids start with CBGA and can get converted to CBD, CBG, or THC during conventional processing:
What are the different cannabinoids?
There are many different cannabis compounds (such as cannabinoids) in hemp plants:
- CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) & CBD (cannabidiol)
- THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) & THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)
- CBGA (cannabigerolic acid) & CBG (cannabigerol)
- CBCA (cannabichromenic acid) & CBC (cannabichromene)
- CBDVA (cannabidivarinic acid) & CBDV (cannabidivarin)
- THCVA (tetrahydrocannabivarinic acid) & THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin)
- CBNA (cannabinolic acid) & CBN (cannabinol)
The most commonly found cannabinoids are THCA and CBDA, and the amount will depend on whether the cannabis plant is defined as a marijuana or hemp strain. The technical definition is simply how much THC can be found in the cannabis plant (0.3% or less is a hemp plant).
The amount of other cannabinoids in hemp plants is largely dependent on the genetic strain. While most cannabis plants are high in CBDA, some are bred for higher levels of CBGA or THCVA.
Similar to CBD, the entourage effect of CBDA appears to work better when combined with other minor cannabinoids .
What is decarboxylation?
Hemp extracts are almost always in the decarboxylated state, which is when the acidic cannabinoids are converted from CBDA to CBD, or CBGA to CBG. This is a result of heating cannabis extracts during purification to produce a higher purity CBD or THC oil.
Unfortunately, heating cannabis plants and extracts means you lose the therapeutic benefits of CBDA oil. Because people use heat with their raw cannabis extracts, only CBD and THC have been traditionally isolated, thus, CBDA studies are in the very early stages.
Natural Dos scientists have created a new CBDA purification technology allowing for high purity acidic cannabinoids to be isolated from raw cannabis extracts.
What is CBDA?
Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) is the natural form of CBD found in the hemp plant. The flower is the most abundant source of cannabinoids in the hemp plant, and CBDA is one of the most commonly found cannabinoids. It typically constitutes around 90% of all the other cannabinoids that are present in the flower.
This figure shows the molecular change that occurs when CBDA gets decarboxylated to CBD.
CBDA oil from cannabis sativa can be found under a couple different names. Some of the common names that refer to extracts that have acidic cannabinoids are Raw CBDA oil, Raw CBD oil, Raw hemp oil, Raw form hemp extract, Raw cannabis juice, and Natural Spectrum CBDA oil.
These may seem like a lot of different terms, but usually, any product with the word raw in it will have CBDA. These products are typically derived from a press extraction, where cannabis sativa flower is pressed under high pressure in a filter, and the oil along with other plant material comes out.
However, the raw forms of cannabis plant extracts are not purified, and therefore produce a lower percent CBDA oil.
Natural Spectrum CBDA oil is a purified oil with all the acidic cannabinoids, and at a very high concentration in final form (over 90%). This is what’s used in all of Natural Dos’s tinctures, gummies, and breath mints.
Storing your CBDA product
Since CBDA can decarboxylate into CBD if exposed to heat, we recommend storing your CBDA at room temperature or in the refrigerator, and out of light exposure.
Natural Dos sells all its product in brown glass or tin to reduce light exposure to the product.
How CBDA works
Cannabidiolic acid (CBDA), like CBD, is not psychoactive, and will not get you high. While CBDA oil products have been more difficult to come by compared to CBD products, they are starting to emerge on the market now.
The emergence of the potential benefits of CBDA and other acidic cannabinoids is leading to new technologies to better isolate high purity full spectrum CBDA oil. At Natural Dos, we have developed a Natural Spectrum CBDA Oil that contains all the therapeutic benefits of CBDA and the other minor acidic cannabinoids in our CBDA tinctures, gummies, and breath mints.
Benefits of CBDA and the endocannabinoid system
The endocannabinoid system is found throughout the body, and strongly impacts many physiological functions:
- Mood
- Immune function
- Inflammation
- Metabolism
- Sleep
The health benefits of hemp oil are largely thought to be derived from the effect of cannabinoids to help bolster the endocannabinoid system. It was originally thought that you had to decarboxylate CBDA to CBD in order to get the health benefits.
This is wrong.
CBDA interacts in multiple facets with the endocannabinoid system, such as through the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. Both cannabinoid receptors are classical targets for the endocannabinoids themselves (AEA and 2-DG), as well as cannabinoids from cannabis sativa. These receptors are found through the human body, with high expression in the central nervous system and immune system.
The psychoactive effects of THC are dependent on its specific action with the CB1 receptor, whereas CBDA and CBD are primarily interacting with the CB2 receptor. These interactions are complex, such as CBD being an inverse agonist that can modulate the drug metabolism of endogenous endocannabinoids themselves.
To summarize, CBDA oil can have significant impacts on the endocannabinoid system, and through multiple mechanisms including the CB2 receptor.
Health benefits of CBDA oil
CBD oil has a longer history of human trials than CBDA oil due to its new emergence on the market. However, there is significant molecular overlap between CBDA and CBD, as well as preclinical studies showing they may have similar functions.
Higher Absorption
Researchers found that CBDA absorption is over 450% greater than CBD. This was found in multiple studies, and the enhanced absorption of CBDA oil is improved when taken in combination with cannabinoids.
Taking CBDA as a Natural Spectrum CBDA oil provides the greatest absorption.
Absorption is the most critical element for cannabis compounds.
Most health benefits reported by clinical trials for CBD oil use very high doses because of the low absorption of CBD. This makes it cost prohibitive for most consumers, since taking 200mg per day is expensive.
The high absorption of CBDA oil solves this problem, since 50mg of CBDA will reach similar levels as 250mg of CBD oil.
What have the researchers found?
There is a lot of preliminary research studying potential benefits of CBDA. Most of the CBDA treatment studies have been in animal models, with a few pharmacokinetic testing done in humans.
- Seizure control: CBD research has found success in treating seizures in patients with epilepsy. This is the only FDA approved CBD drug, and has shown significant improvements in controlling symptoms. Patients typically see doses ranging from 1000mg to 2000mg per day.CBDA has also been reported to have significant anti-seizure properties in preclinical studies. This animal model of seizures compared CBD and CBDA, and found that both formulations were able to provide protection from seizures.
- Anti inflammatory properties: Using CBDA’s anti inflammatory properties as a potential treatment in breast cancer cells has been reported in multiple studies. Early studies found that CBDA benefits may involve inhibition of the enzyme COX-2 (cyclooxygenase 2). This enzyme is critical in promoting many inflammatory responses, and is a target of nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen.The effects of chronic inflammation on cancer cell growth is a well established field, and its role in breast cancer metastasis is a common target for many drugs. Since CBDA was found to inhibit activity of COX-2, it was also tested in breast cancer cells to see if it could decrease inflammation and prevent the resulting growth.Treatment of CBDA oil with breast cancer cells decreased cancer cell growth and breast cancer metastasis in an in vitro model.
- Anxiety: The cannabis plant has long been used to help with anxiety and stress, and is one of the main reasons customers typically say they use hemp oil. Both CBD and CBDA improved anxiety related scores in preclinical studies.The mechanisms of how CBDA benefits anxiety symptoms may be from its ability to activate the 5HT1A receptor. This receptor is in a class of serotonin receptors, traditional targets for SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) used to treat depression. The 5HT1A receptor is primarily located in the central nervous system, and can help regulate mood.More research is need on the benefits of CBDA oil, and how it can improve health in the human body. Currently, the FDA has not approved CBDA for any treatment.
Is CBDA legal?
CBDA is in the same class of legal cannabis plant extracts as CBD. The 2018 Federal Farm Bill legalized hemp oil processes as long as the state had a oversight program. All hemp plants and CBD and CBDA oil must have under 0.3% d9-THC levels to be legally compliant.
All of products from Natural Dos have legally compliant d9-THC levels under 0.3% by weight. This is validated by a third party testing lab that is state and nationally certified by ISO 17025 standards.
How to use CBDA oil
There are a couple different products that CBDA oil comes in.
- Tinctures – CBDA tinctures are a great way to get the benefits of CBDA oil. Make sure to look for CBDA tinctures that have all the cannabinoids, i.e. Natural Spectrum CBDA or full spectrum CBDA.
- Gummies – Before buying CBDA gummies, make sure to check that it has a CoA and that it has the amount of CBDA in the test results that are listed on the labels. To make gummies requires heating of the pectin, and if not done right, will decarboxylate your CBDA when added.
- Breath Mints – Easy for on the go dosing of CBDA when you need to relax and tackle the day with great smelling breath. Check out Natural Dos CBDA breath mints.
- Hemp Flower – Hemp flower if it has not been stored in high heat for long periods of time should have lots of cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) in the flower. Check the date on the CoA to see how fresh it is. If you are looking for health benefits from CBDA, we do not recommend smoking flower. Heating organic material create carcinogens in the smoke.
What CBDA dose is right for me?
We recommend starting with 30mg to 50mg per serving. Try it once a day, and see how you feel and then move up or down from there.
Everyone has a different biochemistry, and this means their endocannabinoid system will respond differently. Whether its CBDA capsules, CBDA tincture, or CBDA drops finding the right dosage where CBDA works for you may take a few tries.
Some customers use over 200mg per day and some get benefit with only 20mg a day, so there is a wide range.
We put together a guide on CBDA dosing if you want to investigate further.
Is CBDA more effective than CBD?
When it comes to nutraceuticals, a critical component of chemical compounds is their absorption profiles. If you need a 600mg of cannabis compounds, such as full spectrum CBD oil, to elicit a significant anti anxiety effect that becomes cost prohibitive.
Thus, cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) with its powerful absorption properties will be much more efficacious than CBD oil.
CBDA appears to have additional anti inflammatory properties outside of its effects on the endocannabinoid system through COX-2 inhibition.
The research around CBDA studies are still in the very early stages and more research is needed to better determine the beneficial effects of CBDA oil.
Summary
CBDA is the natural form of cannabinoids and the next evolution for hemp based products. If you are looking for the relaxing benefits that hemp provides, try our new product line that unlocks the power of Natural Spectrum CBDA.
If you are taking medications, we recommend speaking with your physician before trying CBDA, as there may be drug-drug interactions that are involved in drug metabolism in the liver. While the CBD research team at Epidiolex, the prescription CBD form, found drug-drug interactions at 1000mg doses, we do not have similar clinical trials assessing CBDA.
