Cannabinoids are essentially chemical compounds that are found in the cannabis plant, be it the Indica, Sativa, or Ruderalis species. The cannabis plant has been seen to have about 120 cannabinoids, and some are being discovered even to date. It is interesting to note that there are a few plant species outside the cannabis species that also contain cannabinoids.
Cannabinoids were discovered in the late twentieth century. Scientists have been looking into them ever since and to date they remain a great subject of interest. There is still a lot that remains unknown about them, such as how exactly they react with the body, how far their benefits and impact reaches, etc.
Cannabinoids are obtained through an extraction process. Different cannabis plants are harvested and then passed through various extraction processes to obtain various cannabinoids. So the process used to obtain one cannabinoid is different than the one used to obtain another cannabinoid. And each extraction process has levels to it depending on the purity of the intended final product. Today, manufacturers are growing hemp and cannabis plants that have been carefully bred to produce higher yields of various cannabinoids. This is geared towards improving production and lowering retail costs for the end-buyer.
Some of the most popular cannabinoids are CBD (cannabidiol), THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), and CBG (cannabigerol). THC is the compound within the cannabis plant responsible for making users high. CBD and CBG are popular cannabis extracts currently being researched and used for a myriad of pharmacology applications. However, these three are just a drop in the bucket that is cannabinoids. Some of the other established cannabinoids include cannabivarin (CBV), cannabigerovarin (CBGV), THCA, CBDA, and CBGA. Scientistists are still looking into all these cannabinoids and soon we might start to understand how they impact our endocannabinoid systems and health.
Granted, CBD has become quite popular in recent years. It’s currently the fastest growing health extract on the market. Part of the reason for this is its immense health benefits which have amazed and captivated scientists, entrepreneurs, and health-conscious clients looking for organic healing solutions. Some of the researched medical benefits related to CBD touch on anxiety, depression, mood, appetite, sleep, pain, inflammation, seizures, neuropathy, cancer, fibromyalgia, eczema, multiple sclerosis, and more.
It is expected that more cannabinoids will get more popular with time as more research is conducted and their benefits start to come to light.