CBD vs THC | Difference Between These Powerful Cannabinoids
December 28, 2017
Coconut Oil Makes Products More Bioavailable
January 9, 2018
Cannabis can be overwhelming to say the least. It packs so many different chemicals with different abilities that even scientists have a hard time keeping track. However, the potential of the plant is virtually limitless in the eyes of scientists. Let’s be honest, who knew that a plant capable to making concrete (hempcrete) could also be utilized as a superfood? Although people often associate cannabis with THC and/or CBD, there’s much more to the plant.
How our body processes CBD or other cannabinoids is where the magic lies. Don’t let yourself forget about the versatility of CBD. It is truly its biggest selling point as the country works toward understanding medical cannabis.
Phytocannabinoids are naturally-occurring and concentrated in the oil of the cannabis leaves and buds. Whereas, endocannabinoids are cannabinoids that our bodies produce internally.
Endo= body
Phyto= plant
Explanation of Phytocannabinoids:
The cannabis plant and other plants produce cannabinoids, which interact with our body’s receptors. These plant cannabinoids are known as phytocannabinoids. Phyto is a prefix that means “pertaining to derived from plants”. They are categorized as any plant-derived natural product with the capability to directly interact with the body’s cannabinoid receptors or share chemical similarity with cannabinoids.
Furthermore, phytocannabinoids from cannabis have significantly influenced research on the endocannabinoid system. So far, phytocannabinoids like THCA, CBD, and CBN have become widely known for their properties in recent years. In particular, the cannabis plant contains over 400 chemical entities, and more than 60 of them are cannabinoid compounds, which have varying effects.
Phytocannabinoids are just one of the cannabis plants’ active ingredients. Some would say that phytocannabinoids are known as the main cornerstone of your cannabis’ effects. Aside from the most well-known cannabinoids, THC and CBD, there are other major phytocannabinoids. These include but not limited to; THCA, CBDA, CBN, CBG, CBC, and THCV.
Linkage Between The Endocannabinoid System, Endocannabinoids, and Phytocannabinoids:
Everybody has an endocannabinoid system, just like we all have a central nervous system or immune system. The Endocannabinoid System, ECS, has three basic components. The system includes the endocannabinoids, cannabinoid receptors, and hydrolytic enzymes that break down the endocannabinoids. In general, cannabinoids are classified as molecules produced by cells that contain activity similar to THC and other phyto-cannabinoids. Surprisingly, endocannabinoids are not only found in human bodies, but in animal bodies as well.
Throughout every human body, endocannabinoids and their receptors, such as CB1 and CB2, are found within our brain, organs, connective tissues, glands, and immune cells. Additionally, endocannabinoids are found at the intersection of the body’s various systems. This allows for communication and coordination between different cell types.
Both endocannabinoids and phytocannabinoids act with CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors.
Getting Started
Comfortable enough to start trying CBD? Head over to InfiniteCBD.com to see which products work best to integrate into your routines!
3 Comments
Phytocannabinoids are the molecules found in the cannabis plant. Endocannabinoids are the receptors that are activated by THC and other similar molecules. Molecules that activate these receptors are not naturally produced by the body. The saliva test picks up on the metabolites produced in the body after ingesting cannabis, typically THCa, the carboxylic acid derivative of THC. This is just a preliminary test, as there are other molecules that can produce a false positive for the THC saliva test. If the saliva test is positive for THC, a second confirmatory test must be performed in order to produce a conviction. The preliminary test is inexpensive and can be done very quickly. The confirmatory test is more expensive, more time consuming, and generally requires someone with a chemistry degree to perform. This is why the confirmatory test is not done first.
Phytocannabinoids are derived from plants while endocannabinoids are found internally in the body. And thank you for the feedback about the text, we will look into this!
I keep wondering how the so-called cannabis saliva test fro drivers differentiates between phytocannabinoids and andocannabinoids. I can’t find any mention of any differences, and both act on the same receptors, but how does the saliva test tell the difference, or is it just detecting cannabinoids? If this were the case no test sgould result in convictions since it could be measuring the body’s own cannabinoids.
PS Your web designer must have better eyesight than me, I’m struggling to read anything printed in pale beige, a recent ‘trend’ among designers which makes reading and comprehension difficult. Surely the whole purpose of text is to be read and understood? Preferebly without straining eyes and giving a headache? Initially I cxouldn’t see the Name and Email fields below until told to fill them in. PLEASE make the text dark enough to see!