A simplified summary of CBC (Cannabichromene)
For the full and scientific summary, scroll down.
CBC is one of the four major cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, besides THC, CBD, and CBN and is mostly present in fresh cannabis flower and leaves, before they are harvested and dried. The one thing that sets CBC apart from the other major cannabinoids is that CBC seems to have more of an “assistant-role” in our endocannabinoid system (ECS). This means that CBC is partly responsible for an increase in the number of endocannabinoids available for the body to work with.
Medicinal benefits of CBC
According to early research, CBC seems to have positive effects on the following (medical) conditions:
– CBC has shown to have a positive influence on our digestive system.
– CBC seems to help with our ability to detect and deal with the sensation of pain.
– CBC can increase our appetite.
– CBC seems to elevate our mood and may help to reduce feelings of depression.
– CBC may help us sleep faster and longer.
– CBC has potential as an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory agent. Research is being done on CBC as a possible alternative for antibiotics.
CBC and the entourage effect
According to early research, CBC seems to be more effective if combined with the terpenes Caryophyllene Oxide and Limonene or with the cannabinoids CBD and THC (at low doses).
A scientific summary of Cannabichromene (CBC)
Cannabichromene (CBC) is the fourth major cannabinoid in cannabis (alongside Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN)). It is particularly abundant in freshly harvested cannabis products. CBC derives from an acidic precursor named cannabichromenic acid (CBCA), which is in turn originated from a common precursor called CBGA.
Heat or UV light trigger a reaction known as decarboxylation, which involves the loss of a carbon dioxide molecule from CBCA, with the resulting conversion of this acidic precursor to CBC.
CBC extracts through cold water extraction
Cannabis extractions with a high CBC content can be obtained through a “cold water extraction” of immature leaf material from selectively cultivated cannabis chemotypes. This technique allows, among other things, to obtain undamaged trichomes preserving most of the substances contained inside – including volatiles such as terpenes, which are normally diminished during the drying and curing phases.
CBC provides the body with more endocannabinoids
CBC was shown to be a potent activator of the receptors named “transient receptor potential ankyrin 1-type” (TRPA1) (1) and to inhibit the endocannabinoid cellular re-uptake (2) and the subsequent elevation of local endocannabinoid levels . This means that CBC is partly responsible for an increase in the number of endocannabinoids available for the body to work with (bio-availability).
Medicinal benefits of CBC
Both endocannabinoids and TRPA1 are known to be involved in the control of intestinal motility (3) and in the detection of pain (phenomenon known as antinociception) with a positive effect on pain perception (analgesic effect), increase of appetite and mood elevation.
Additionally, CBC displays an antibiotic/antifungal, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, and sedative properties; such properties are made even more effective by the action of some terpenes such as Caryophyllene Oxide and Limonene and cannabinoids such as CBD and THC, (which, at low doses, seems to enhance the pharmacological effects of CBC).
