You’ve definitely heard of THC and CBD, but did you know there are dozens of other phytocannabinoids?
Let’s take a deep dive into the world of phytocannabinoids and see what these compounds are and how they affect the human body.
What Are Phytocannabinoids?
Phytocannabinoids are lipophilic molecules that naturally occur in different plants that have an impact on the body’s natural endocannabinoid system. There are well over a hundred known phytocannabinoids, but there are likely countless more phytocannabinoids in the natural world.
Phytocannabinoids vs Endocannabinoids: What’s the Difference?
There are countless cannabinoids being made by everything from plants to people, but two of the most commonly discussed types are phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids.
The differences between these two types of cannabinoids are very straightforward. Phytocannabinoids are made by plants and endocannabinoids are made by people. Endocannabinoids are naturally occurring in the human body.
Why Do Plants Make Phytocannabinoids?
Research into why plants produce their own cannabinoids is still ongoing, but one of the leading schools of thoughts is that plants produce cannabinoids for self-defense. Insects and animals that are exposed to cannabinoids might not enjoy the effect that they receive and stay away from these plants.
How Phytocannabinoids Affect the Body
Remember the endocannabinoids we talked about earlier? Our body has a series of nerves and receptors designed to work with cannabinoids called the endocannabinoid system. Phytocannabinoids also interact with our endocannabinoid system which can cause changes in perception, feeling, and offer medicinal benefits.
Types of Phytocannabinoids
There are countless different types of phytocannabinoids and more are being discovered on a regular basis. Here are just a few of the most common phytocannabinoids as well as some that you might find on their own in oils, extracts, and vape products.
- THCA: THC-acid
- CBDA: CBD-acid
- CBG: Cannabigerol
- CBGA: Cannabigerolic acid
- CBC: Cannabichromene
- CBCA: Cannabichromenolic acid
- CBCV: Cannabichromevarin
- CBCVA: Cannabichromevarinolic acid
- CBDV: Cannabidivarin
- CBDVA: Cannabidivarinolic acid
- CBN: Cannabinol
Phytocannabinoids Health Benefits
Even though most phytocannabinoids only occur in trace amounts in cannabis and hemp plants, they can still have an amazing medical effect. In fact, universities are even looking into phytocannabinoids and how they can be used medicinally.
Many states, even states that don’t offer recreational cannabis, allow individuals with a medical cannabis card to purchase products that contain phytocannabinoids.
Phytocannabinoids Products
There are countless products that contain phytocannabinoids. Full Spectrum products as well as cannabis flower and certain edibles are naturally going to contain phytocannabinoids. You can also find concentrates such as oils in vapes that focus on particular phytocannabinoids.
Wrapping Up Our Guide to Phytocannabinoids
Phytocannabinoids are naturally occurring cannabinoids in hemp plants. They play a role in everything from how we experience a cannabis high to potential medical benefits we can get from cannabis and hemp plants.
What the future has in store for phytocannabinoids is one of the most exciting topics in cannabis research today.
