In fact, CBDa is more effective. It is more than a thousand times more effective than CBD at activating a serotonin receptor that reduces nausea and anxiety. This effect is even more pronounced in chemotherapy patients who use ondansetron (OND) to treat nausea. CBD and CBDA have many similarities, but because they work differently in the body, CBDA may be better at relieving certain symptoms than CBD.
And science is just beginning to learn about the unique benefits of CBDA. If your definition of better means more potent, then yes, CBDa could be superior to CBD. Sometimes dubbed the mother of all cannabinoids, CBDa has acted more powerfully than CBD and ThCa in different scientific studies in animals. While CBDA is one of the most common cannabinoids in the hemp plant, by the time it is extracted and bottled, CBD is much more abundant.
CBDA is the chemical precursor to CBD. In a process called thermal decarboxylation, CBDA is converted to CBD when the CBDA molecule heats up and loses its acidic carboxyl group. This decarboxylation process can occur instantly, such as when cannabis material is ignited and smoked or vaporized, or by slow degradation over time if the plant material is allowed to stand at room temperature. If you're curious to know which one is more potent, your answer is CBDA.
Studies have shown that CBDa can be a thousand times more potent than CBD. CBDa is quite unstable, as seen by its gradual decarboxylation at room temperature. That is, if you take raw hemp oil and incorporate it into your products without heating it, “CBD oil” may contain CBDa. Mechoulam and his research team worked to stabilize CBDA by converting it to a methyl ester derivative, known as cannabidiolic acid methyl ester, or HU-580.
You may be wondering how cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) differs and what are the benefits of taking it. Because CBDA is a natural compound in cannabis leaves, you can enjoy eating raw cannabis leaves or flowers in a salad or smoothie or making juice from cannabis leaves. When choosing a broad-spectrum or full-spectrum CBD oil, you're likely to receive a small amount of CBDA in your dose. The same goes for cooking with CBD oil; heating it causes the reaction to occur and therefore CBDA is lost.
Consumption methods, such as smoking marijuana, will naturally convert CBDa to CBD because the cannabinoid heats up when a joint lights up. Many people who manage pain on a daily basis report that CBDA is effective in treating pain and may work better than NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). However, be sure to review the lab test results for each brand to confirm that you are receiving a good product that includes some CBDA. Until recently, scientists did not believe that CBDA had any effect on the endocannabinoid system due to the structure of the molecule.
GW Pharmaceuticals, a company based in the United Kingdom, has obtained a number of patents on CBDa, suggesting that they believe that CBDa deserves further research as a pharmaceutical drug. For people who want to consume CBDA, this means having to use more unusual or conventional consumption methods, such as topical creams, tinctures, and joining the trend of raw cannabis juice. If you live in a place where cannabis is legal and you can mix it into a smoothie or juice, then you are free to experience the effects of CBDA in abundance.