Introduction
When the topic of cannabinoids is brought up, the two main subjects to be talked about were always THC ( Tetrahydrocannabinol ) and CBD ( Cannabidiol ). But over the past years, and mostly because of new research and studies, the modern age seems to acknowledge more compounds that can be found in cannabis where we can benefit from, and in this article, we will be having a closer look at THCV ( Tetrahydrocannabivarin ) and CBDV ( Cannabidivarin ). The two main compounds on the rise and as a group we call them "Varin Cannabinoids" or "Varinolic Cannabinoids" and THCV and CBDV are not the only ones. Rare to find in the cannabis plant when it comes to the amount but they have become a target of selective breeding for several reasons. In this piece of writing, we will be going over the difference and why they are so interesting.
Endocannabinoid System
In our brain, we have endocannabinoid receptors and these receptors are neurotransmitters that are scattered all across our body. We need these in order to keep our body in a condition called homeostasis. This is the term used for our ideal balance, and this is of course when all is going well and everything works with great health. Not only does our body has naturally occurring endocannabinoids that work with our endocannabinoid system but plant-based cannabinoids such as THC and CBD ( phytocannabinoids ) also interact with it ( and that is how you get high ).
THCV ( Tetrahydrocannabivarin )
This cannabinoid is one of those that seems to get more and more attention over the past years and this comes from research to growers to cannabis users. It is a hard-to-find compound because it is only there in very small amounts. These small amounts of THCV cannabinoids seem to be an interesting topic also from a medical standpoint, let us take a closer look at what we found out! THCV-A is converted to THCV through the process known as decarboxylation. That is basically the action of heating it up. THCV has a higher boiling point than THC so keep that in mind when vaping an extract of THCV.
And on the question, does it get you high? Well, we can say that it can be psychoactive in the same way as THC but it could even be more intense but for a shorter while. Let us take a look at the medical potential of this compound!
- Appetite-suppressant
A study that got published by the Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, stated that it could have a positive effect as an appetite suppressant and that it could help regulate the mechanisms that we have in our brain that are associated with eating disorders and obesity. This was done by giving the participants THCV, in low doses. With this, they were able to stimulate the neural responses to aversive stimulation and at the same time diminishing responses to food rewards. Although this needs further research to back these claims, this study suggests a possible therapeutic application for THCV for people struggling with eating disorders
- Blood sugar levels
A study that was done in 2016 by the American Diabetes Association showed very good signs of the positive effect THCV could have on the regulation of blood sugar levels and similar mechanisms. This was a well-performed test done with 62 diabetes patients using different levels of THCV and CBD and also placebos to look at the effect on key health markers. As shown in the study, general functioning was improved all around, and THCV could become a new therapeutic agent in glycemic control for people with type 2 diabetes. But as always, these results need more backing!
- Psychoses
In 2014 the British Pharmacological Society made a study that was made to look at the effects of THCV on psychotic conditions but this was not performed on humans but on lab rats, again, the lack of human research comes in, however, this study found out that THCV can have a very positive effect on reducing hyperactivity and normalizing social behavior and such. This can be a good indicator for possibly being a good improvement in the lives of people with schizophrenia for example.
CBDV ( Cannabidivarin )
Some people would confuse CBD with CBDV ( Cannabidivarin ), but you have to remember that cannabidiol and cannabidivarin are two different chemical compounds. While they share some similarities, such as coming from the same plant, they are still distinct, each with unique properties and effects. There are more than a few studies to be found about CBDV with very interesting conclusions and below are just a handful of the effects that were studied, just keep in mind, this is all just preliminary :
- Nausea
There are so many people out there who will follow the next statement : cannabis can have a positive effect on when your feel nausea or when you have an upset stomach. And also on this, we can find an interesting study. There is a published study, done by the British Journal of Pharmacology, performed in 2013 to look at how cannabinoids might interact with our response to feeling this sick. This study took a closer look at the anti-emetic potential ( nausea and vomiting are the most distressful side effects of cytotoxic drugs in cancer patients. Antiemetics are commonly used to reduce these side effects ) of CBDV on animals. The result of this study showed signs of reduced symptoms that go together with upset stomachs in the test subjects.
- Epilepsy
A study was done in 2013 to examine the effect of CBDV on rats and mice. They were given extracts, from cannabis plants, that were rich in CBDV and also CBD, as well as pure forms of both cannabinoids. An isobologram analysis was used to determine how the two cannabinoids interact, and for the researchers to get a better understanding of their effects on the body. These mice and rats were made to get seizures on purpose by giving them circulatory and respiratory stimulants and putting them into isolation. Looking at the results the researchers were able to determine the anticonvulsant ( also commonly known as antiepileptic drugs or as antiseizure drugs ) potential of CBDV-rich extracts.
- Autism
The journal of Translational Psychiatry performed a research test in 2019 to see if CBDV affected markers of the brain’s inhibitory or excitatory systems ( glutamate and GAMA metabolites ). They performed this test both on healthy individuals and patients that are on the autism spectrum. The researchers made a claim after that CBDV can have an effect on these inhibitory or excitatory systems in both groups of participants. But, the results were not uniform and the only real conclusion about this is the fact that we need further studies to properly the potential of CBDV and other cannabinoids for people who are on the autism spectrum.
Conclusion
Both these compounds are hard to find and come in small amounts, this makes them more expensive than others when it comes to getting concentrated product but on the other hand, growers and companies are turning their heads right now trying to develop a good strain with larger content of both these cannabinoids. CBDV Auto from Royal Queen Seeds is one of the first to go on the market specifically for this and when it comes to THCV there are a few strains out there to be grown such as Doug's Varin, Durban Poison or Jack the Ripper, but at this moment you will not get much higher than 1%.
When it comes to the scientific side of things, at this point we cannot make any final conclusion on the beneficial effects of all the cannabis compounds out there because there is still such a big lack of human research. On the other hand, with the growing legalization movement in the USA and other places in the world, finally, we can see a change in the field of medical and lab research when it comes to cannabis so we can only be excited for the next decade to come
Feel free to drop a line down below in the comments section!
References
Differential effectiveness of selected non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids on human sebocyte functions implicates their introduction in dry/seborrhoeic skin and acne treatment - Attila Oláh, Arnold Markovics, Judit Szabó-Papp, Pálma Tímea Szabó, Colin Stott, Christos C Zouboulis, Tamás Bíró ( 2016 )
Cannabinoid Signaling in the Skin: Therapeutic Potential of the “Cannabinoid” System - Kinga Fanni Tóth,Dorottya Ádám, Tamás Bíró, Attila Oláh ( 2019 )
Cannabidivarin-rich cannabis extracts are anticonvulsant in mouse and rat via a CB1 receptor-independent mechanism - T D M Hill, M-G Cascio, B Romano, M Duncan, R G Pertwee, C M Williams, B J Whalley, A J Hill ( 2013 )
GW Pharmaceuticals Provides Update on Cannabinoid Pipeline - GW Pharmaceuticals plc ( 2014 )
The plant cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabivarin can decrease signs of inflammation and inflammatory pain in mice - Daniele Bolognini,Barbara Costa,Sabatino Maione,Francesca Comelli,Pietro Marini,Vincenzo Di Marzo,Daniela Parolaro,Ruth A Ross,Lisa A Gauson, Maria G Cascio, Roger G Pertwee1 ( 2010 )
Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabivarin on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Pilot Study - Khalid A Jadoon, Stuart H Ratcliffe, David A Barrett, E Louise Thomas, Colin Stott, Jimmy D Bell, Saoirse E O'Sullivan, Garry D Tan ( 2016 )
This article was updated May 2021
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