Cannabinoids are chemical compounds that can be found within a handful of flora, mainly the Cannabis sativa species. Cannabinoids are naturally present in these plants, making up parts of their biological structure. Cannabinoids found inside plants fall under the collective category -Cannabinoids but are scientifically called “Phytocannabinoids”.
Cannabinoids form part of a bigger recipe, with the hemp plant as the finished product. Cannabinoids, Flavonoids, and Terpenes all form part of the healing power attributed to Full Spectrum CBD oil.
It is believed that there over 100 cannabinoids inside a single hemp plant, each with a slightly different purpose. Cannabinoids do not all exist at the same or in the same concentrations. Many are present while the hemp plant is growing, while others need exposure to sunlight to develop fully. This does make it difficult to understand exactly what each cannabinoid does, although, mature hemp plants feature similar cannabinoid ratios, including CBD, CBN, CBC to name a few. The letters are used are acronyms for their scientific names which help differentiate between their chemical structures.
CBD makes up the majority of cannabinoids in the hemp plant, while others only feature in small amounts. Scientists use sophisticated machinery to isolate specific cannabinoids and transform them into a consumable product – CBD Oil Isolate, CBD Bath-bombs, CBD Lotions, etc. Full Spectrum CBD Oil will contain all the active compounds found in the hemp plant, not just CBD.
Thanks to millions of years of evolution, humans (also, dogs & cats) have an Endocannabinoid System (ECS). This unique chemical-regulatory system interacts with the natural cannabinoids found in the hemp plant, triggering a number of positive changes inside your body. The ECS is a vast network that extends from the central nervous system to all the major organs and everywhere in between! Cannabinoid receptors are located at various points throughout the ECS. These receptors act as activation points, only reacting when they are stimulated or inhibited by cannabinoids.
Cannabinoid receptors work using a lock and key principle—this is why certain cannabinoids have effects that others don’t. When a cannabinoid is consumed (usually orally), it passes through our digestive system where it gets broken down by our liver, before being distributed around the body via the bloodstream, aiming for a receptor to interact with.
Cannabinoids will only interact with receptors that match their chemical structure and each one can only interact with specific receptors in specific locations throughout the body. The location of the receptor determines the biological outcome.
We can encourage a range of important biological changes by consuming CBD, thanks to cannabinoid receptors and our extremely advanced Endocannabinoid System.