What is Crystalline CBD?
What are CBD crystals?
One of the many forms of cannabidiol (CBD) available are crystals that contain CBD at 99% purity. Like us, crystal CBD manufacturers begin production by extracting raw hemp. But their resulting product is different from natural hemp extract because they deliberately remove all the other beneficial chemicals in the extract. During their process, the makers of crystalline CBD lose the entire phytocomplex of the hemp plant. All other non-psychoactive cannabinoids such as cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabinol (CBN), as well as terpenes, flavonoids and other therapeutic substances are irretrievably lost.
The rationale behind conducting a complete CBD purification phase has lost its relevance. Until now, it was thought that the more active chemical used and the more purified it is, the better. Another justification for the actions of dishonest manufacturers is to remove tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) for legal reasons, and the easiest way to achieve this is to use CBD crystals.
However, legal considerations aside, it is now known that not all natural chemicals exert their best effects when used in the most purified state possible. For example, just compare white purified rock salt and less purified sea salt. Rock salt provides pure sodium chloride, while sea salt has a better taste and contains more minerals due to the presence of additional ingredients such as magnesium.
Why shouldn’t crystals be used when making CBD oils?
The chemical compounds that accompany CBD, such as terpenes and terpenoids, should not be removed from the extract. On the contrary, they should remain in their original form and proportions similar to those naturally found in the hemp plant. Similar to magnesium in sea salt, the full spectrum of terpenes and terpenoids accompanying the cannabinoids in hemps imparts better properties and flavor, among other things.
Most importantly, the full phytocomplex content of the hemp plant provides additional health benefits. The interplay between CBD and the effects of terpenoids is called the synergistic effect. In oils made from CBD crystals, this effect does not occur. CBD has a better effect on the body when it is in the natural environment of the chemical compounds found in hemp, rather than as a pure isolate.
Here’s why you won’t find formulations made with CBD crystals in our range. We know that oil with the full spectrum of naturally occurring plant components is best. We do not use CBD crystals to make oils or any other hemp preparations.
What is the synergistic effect?
Scientists have been at the forefront of cannabidiol research for many years, starting with the discovery of CBD. This hypothesized the existence of a synergistic effect, saying that the entire phytocomplex of substances from hemp works better than the individual components isolated from it.
The researchers describe the “bell effect” of the pure cannabinoid. The term “bell-shaped” refers to the action curve of the cannabinoids. When administered at a low dose of pure CBD, the anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects increase as the dose is increased. When cannabinoids reach a certain maximum of action within a narrow dosing period. However, once the peak is reached, increasing the dose of CBD actually decreases the positive effects exerted by the compound.
Researchers examined the effects of an ethanol-extracted phytocomplex containing CBD, other cannabinoids, and terpenes. Instead of the bell curve effect found with pure compounds, they found a linear increase followed by a steady linear relationship – for example, at first, the body’s responses were proportional to the dose, and then saturation occurred. The researchers concluded, “It is likely that other chemical compounds in the extract produce a synergistic effect with CBD in achieving the desired anti-inflammatory effects, which may contribute to overcoming the ‘bell-shaped’ response to a dose of purified CBD.”
According to the above research, it is more beneficial for the body to not only use an oil containing the full phytocomplex instead of one derived from CBD crystals, but also an oil containing other chemicals produced naturally by hemp, potentiating the effects of the cannabinoids.
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