CBDa is another cannabis compound that may sound as foreign as CBD once did. (But, we know, that seems like ages ago.) However, like all cannabinoid compounds, it’s worthwhile getting to know more about it. In fact, there are some notable CBDa benefits that you may just privy to before your friends.
CBDa is more than just random letters
CBD, CBG, CBC, CBN, and now CBDa may just sound like the cannabis plant or the scientists studying it are just throwing nonsense letters at us. Or steaming hot bowls of alphabet soup. However, we assure you that this knowledge is only meant to nourish you. We’ll help you understand, and we’d never deny any genuine soup-lover soup.
So, what is CBDa?
CBDa, or cannabidiolic acid, is a precursor to CBD. And, the precursor to CBDa, you may ask? CBGa, as you may recall CBG is the mother of all cannabinoids. All cannabinoids break down from CBGa and CBGa.
In fact, CBC starts as CBCa, THC starts as THCa, and so on. You may not have heard about this phenomenon in daily life unless you’re scientifically inclined. But yet, you’re here, and you’re reading this. Look at you, smarty pants.
If you’re thinking this means that CBDa exists in a more raw form of the cannabis plant, you’re correct. Another point for you (and some soup). But, why would we care about what CBD is before it’s CBD? Just how easy is it for the average person to get ahold of CBDa products now in the future? In short: It won’t be easy, and it won’t be right away, but there is mounting evidence to suggest it will and should occur.
What makes CBDa go away?
We’ll keep this section short and sweet: Heat. Heat makes CBDa go away and turns the compound into CBD. The addition of heat is also what makes other cannabinoids, like THC active and transform from THCa. So, if you don’t know from experience, you won’t get high if you chop up a hemp plant into your salad. It’ll likely just upset your stomach. THC needs heat to activate its psychoactivity and other talents, just as other cannabinoids need heat to work in other ways.
What’s so great about CBDa?
Now that you know CBDa is a building block for CBD, let’s talk a bit about what happens when we allow CBDa to shine. Overall, CBDa shows promise — even more profound promise — for addressing inflammation and mood improvement/regulation. According to research, CBDa benefits specifically included the following, which are fairly overwhelming:
- CBDa showed the same anti-inflammatory benefit as NSAIDs, but to an even more powerful degree than CBD and some other options in an animal study back in 2008.
- In 2013, CBDa was 1,000 times more effective than CBD in helping promote serotonin and the reduction of anxiety and nausea in an animal study.
- In 2017, CBDa demonstrated the potential to combat highly aggressive breast cancer cells in a human study.
OK, so how do we wield CBDa if we wanted to?
Raw cannabis products that are developed without the addition of heat will include amounts of CBDa. However, it may be a while before tons of products are marketed for their CBDa content (*update: check out this CBDa tincture!), as research is still ongoing. That being said, it is certainly something worth keeping your eye on.
But, you have to admit, all of this sounds, pretty cool, right? But, again, why or how would CBDa help the average person, or when? It’s difficult to say. However, as it is suggested, CBDa may be even more powerful than CBD. Of course, it’s just a matter of time — as cannabis gains more legitimate respect and attention — before it could be showing up everywhere.