CBDa: Benefits and Uses
CBDa: Benefits and Uses
Humans evolved alongside cannabis.
We have a long history together.
Experts on the matter suggest that it is one of the oldest agricultural crops…
Both hemp flower and seeds are reported to be eaten and used by ancestral communities. Cannabis has been used both medicinally and in ceremony for thousands upon thousands of years.
In the earliest forms of medicine, cannabis flowers were mixed alongside other crude herbal preparations like beer and saffron.
Cannabis has been in use since antiquity for its psychoactive and medicinal properties. However, it was also used as a good source of nutrients.
According to some theories, many ancient cultures could have treated foods and medicines as one. Ancestral communities did not differentiate food from medicine. Their food was also their medicine.
See: “Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine” – Hippocrates
CBDa: Benefits and Uses
For example, in the book Cannabis Evolution and Ethnobotany by Robert Clarke and Mark Merlin, they write:
“Many things were [in ancient cultures] purely medicines, but medicines often became food if people learned to like them; many foods became merely medicines when people stopped relishing them, and all foods were considered to have medical value, positive or negative, with important effects on health.”
While you may not consider cannabis a vegetable, there are many health benefits to including cannabis in your diet, just like other leafy greens.
Cannabis is unique among all flora in its ability to produce cannabinoids like CBD and THC, as well as the precursor to CBD: CBDa (cannabidiolic acid)
THC and CBD tend to be stronger than CBDa. However, they each offer different benefits. Below is a brief summary of some of the early findings on the benefits of raw CBDa.
CBDa: Benefits and Uses – What is Cannabidiolic Acid CBDa?
It may surprise you that minimal amounts of CBD are present in growing cannabis plants.
When plants are in the grow process, the CBD exists as cannabidiolic acid (CBDa). CBD, a widely famous cannabinoid you may have heard of for its many medicinal benefits, does not form until the plant is cut, dried, and heated.
CBD is a calming phytochemical and does not produce an intoxicating effect.
When cannabis flowers are dried, they go through significant transformations. The active components of fresh flowers are known as acids. These acids can be broken down into THC or CBD by heating cannabis. THC is the principal psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
Over the past 40 years, cannabinoids such as CBD and THC have been extensively studied. For decades, these popular cannabinoids were the primary therapeutic component in the cannabis plant.
However, according to preclinical evidence, there may be some advantages to keeping the cannabis plant raw.
“Raw cannabis” is a term that refers only to fresh flowers and leaves that have not gone through the process of drying, curing, or heat.
CBDa is only one of an estimated 113 cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant.
Unfortunately, most cannabis research focuses on psychoactive THC or activated CBD and not CBDa. This means that most of the available information is not definitive and subject to change.
Furthermore, scientific studies on this cannabinoid are primarily in their infancy.
CBDa converts into CBD through a process known as decarboxylation. Baking, lighting, or heating, cannabis removes CBDa’s acid group and transforms it into CBD.
Although clinical trials are still lacking, many medical cannabis patients use activated cannabis as their primary treatment. Additionally, they add raw cannabis juices, smoothies, or other raw foods for additional support.
CBDa: Benefits and Uses
Unfortunately, there is not much research on CBDa. But, preliminary lab research suggests that CBDa is helpful in four therapeutic areas. Including:
Nausea
Raw cannabis juice might help to ease a queasy stomach. That is if rodent studies have anything to report on the subject.
A 2012 research study from the British Journal of Pharmacology concludes that CBDa treatment reduces nausea behavior in rodents.
Also, the researchers found that the cannabinoid significantly reduces vomiting in shrews. Furthermore, CBDa was more effective at calming an upset stomach than activated CBD.
Inflammation
Research in cell cultures shows that CBDa could have potential anti-inflammatory effects. A 2008 experiment in Drug Metabolism and Disposition reveals that CBDa is a selective COX-2 inhibitor.
COX-2 is an enzyme involved in forming pro-inflammatory compounds known as prostaglandins. This enzyme is a target in non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin (NSAIDs) and Ibuprofen.
Inflammation can be a natural and necessary response to stress or injury. Chronic inflammation is a painful condition that can lead to serious health problems. Arthritis, for example, is a chronic inflammatory condition.
The 2008 research found that naturally occurring CBDa selectively blocks the COX-2 enzyme. This decreases the COX-2 enzyme’s ability to synthesize pro-inflammatory substances. The researchers found that CBDa was more successful than its counterpart, tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA).
Anti-Cancer Properties
Research in 2012 found that CBDa stops the migration of breast cancer cells grown outside the body. The experiments on Petri dishes cannot be compared to those in human clinical trials. However, CBDa did have some positive effects against breast cancer cells that were highly invasive.
CBDa seems to block the migration and spread of breast cancer cells. A therapy that prevents cancer cell migration could stop the disease from spreading.
Similar findings were found in cell culture research, suggesting that raw CBDa treatment alters the expression of genes related to invasive breast cancer metastasis. The cannabinoid can also reduce the activity of COX-2, which can increase breast cancer migration.
Psychosis
Studies on CBDa as a treatment for anxiety, like most cannabis research, are crucial. However, a Patent is already held by a biopharmaceutical business on CBDa’s potential use in treating psychotic disorders.
British pharmaceutical firm GW Pharmaceuticals include CBDa as part of a patent relating to the use of cannabinoids and antipsychotic medicines. The patent also contains cannabinoids like THCV, THCVA, CBD, CBCA, CBC, CBG, and CBGA.
CBDa: Benefits and Uses – How To Use
Raw materials from high-CBD cultivars contain high levels of CBDa. This includes both hemp cultivars and CBD-dominant cannabis plants sold in legal and medical cannabis dispensaries.
There are many ways you can incorporate CBDa into your diet:
- Lightly steamed leaves
- Tinctures
- Juices
- Smoothies
- Salads
- Salad dressings
- Garnishes
- Cold sauces
Raw cannabis leaves and flowers can be kept in the refrigerator like any other leafy vegetable or herb. Keep them in the fridge and wrap them in kitchen cloth for best results.
To add flavor to a dish, you can chop up cannabis leaves and use them as any other herb like parsley or oregano.
You can use raw cannabis any way you would use any other leafy green or herb.
It can be hard to find cannabis in its raw, uncured form. Dispensaries typically don’t sell cannabis in this form.
So, if you want to up your home apothecary and incorporate some of the incredible health benefits that raw cannabis offers, learn how to grow your own!
We offer online and in-person classes to show you how to become an expert cultivator in no time…
Having raw cannabis leaves on hand is a huge blessing and will benefit your health tremendously. CBDa is known for possessing many benefits and even boosts immune function.
Save your money and grow your skills by becoming a cultivator today!
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