Much of the legal and moral wrangling over medical cannabis is directly related to THC. THC is one of two major cannabinoids found in cannabis plants, the other being CBD. But it turns out that cannabis plants produce dozens of additional minor cannabinoids. Could they be more helpful to a patient than THC or CBD?
All Cannabis Isn’t Marijuana
Before getting into minor cannabinoids, it should be understood that all cannabis is not marijuana. Discussions of medical cannabis and THC almost always revolve around marijuana and products derived from it. But other varieties of cannabis exist. Hemp is one of them.
This is important because THC is the primary cannabinoid in marijuana. CBD is the primary cannabinoid in hemp. But both types of plants produce more than 120 minor cannabinoids in various amounts. We don’t know much about these cannabinoids and their therapeutic value, but only because we haven’t studied them to any great extent. Perhaps it’s time to change that.
Limited Studies and Data
As things currently stand, we only have limited studies and data on a handful of minor cannabinoids. One that we do know a little bit about is CBG. It is believed to have properties that make it a potential anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antibacterial. There are even suggestions that it might be helpful for treating conditions like glaucoma and inflammatory bowel disease.
Some of the other minor cannabinoids that science is now just starting to investigate include:
- CBN (pain, sleep disorders, and inflammation)
- CBC (pain, depression, certain skin disorders)
- THCV (diabetes, obesity, certain skin disorders)
- CBDV (epilepsy and other seizure disorders)
- THCA (neurodegenerative diseases)
Let’s assume that future research confirms the efficacy of these six minor cannabinoids for targeted conditions. What would that mean practically?
Targeted Cannabinoid Profiles
The most likely direction research would take is looking into cannabinoid profiles. In other words, certain combinations of cannabinoids might prove effective for one condition but not another. The goal would be to create the most effective combinations for each disease or medical condition being treated.
The industry is already doing that to some extent, according to the operators of Beehive Farmacy in Salt Lake City, UT. At both of the company’s pharmacy locations (the other is in Brigham City) medical cannabis patients can purchase products with a variety of cannabinoid-terpene profiles.
Like cannabinoids, terpenes are naturally produced by cannabis plants. There are dozens of them. Medical cannabis growers and manufacturers are already looking into different combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes as a means of tailoring the effects of medical cannabis to each patient.
What It Could Mean to Patients
Targeted cannabinoid and terpene profiles could have a significant impact on patient experiences. Consider pain patients as an example. According to Beehive Farmacy, a medical cannabis pharmacy, pain is the most common complaint among Utah’s medical cannabis users. They are primarily looking for THC to relieve their pain. But perhaps THC is not the best choice.
We already know that some medications combining THC and CBD in the right amounts relieve pain better than THC alone – at least for some patients. Future research could reveal that combining THC with several minor cannabinoids offers even better relief.
We focus on THC and CBD right now because they are the two cannabinoids we are most familiar with. But time might ultimately reveal that a selection of minor cannabinoids actually works better.
For this reason alone, we should be pulling out all the stops to push cannabis research forward. There is so much about the cannabis plant we do not know. Only research will unlock its true medical potential.