Short Answer: CBDA is the precursor compound to CBD.
Should I take CBDa
CBDa or cannabidiolic acid is a molecule produced naturally by the cannabis or hemp plant.
As the plant grows, most of its CBDa is converted in CBD. However, some remains.
It is like CBD in terms of effects, but with some important differences.
Long Explanation
To understand CBD vs CBDa, I want to introduce a new term—CBGA. All the major cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant and hemp plant first develop as “mother of all cannabinoids”, cannabigerolic acid (CBGa).
Depending on the cannabis strain and its unique enzymes, CBGA will be converted into varying combinations of three major acidic cannabinoids precursor compounds: tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa), cannabichromenic acid (CBCa), cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). From there, these molecules will convert to non-acidic forms during a reaction called thermal decarboxylation. THCa becomes THC; CBDa becomes CBD.
Like CBD, CBDa interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system as a phytocannabinoid to produce a range of benefits. A 2013 study by scientists in Guelph, Canada, found that CBDa was a thousand times more powerful than CBD in certain circumstances. With the greater potency, an isolated form of CBDa can be used in different ways.
Although all cannabis and hemp plants contain CBDa, most of it will be converted to CBD during the decarboxylation process, usually through high temperatures when smoked or from extraction.
So, how can you get a large dose of CBDa? There are several ways!
Raw cannabis and hemp plant materials naturally contain CBDa. You can eat or juice raw cannabis to ingest CBDa.
Unfiltered hemp oil products also contain CBDa. All of our CBD oils use organic hemp seed oil. This is a great way to get the benefits of CBDa im combination with other helpful cannabinoids.
Comb through the lab reports of reputable products to see if they contain any CBDa. Since we use a proprietary method of extraction, our Broad-Spectrum CBD oils always include small amounts of CBDa.
Potential benefits of CBDa
While most cannabinoids bind with the body’s CB1 or CB2 receptors, CBDa functions differently. It interacts with your endocannabinoid system by impeding the cyclooxygenase-2 (COx-2) enzyme.
Studies have shown that CBDa can be one thousand times more powerful than CBD. However, further research is needed. CBDa is quite unstable, as seen by its gradual decarboxylation at room temperature.
In most recent research, CBDa have been found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 replication and promises the host innate immune response.
Research
Cannabinoid Profiling of Hemp Seed oil by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry
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