By Noah Chen
Hemp was decriminalized by the 2018 Farm Bill. This opened the door to sell and really start researching a variety of cannabinoids. One of the most popular legal cannabinoids is CBD. Unlike it’s close cousin, THC, CBD doesn’t get you high. It does have the potential for several medicinal properties though. This makes it a popular choice among consumers. However, CBD is not the only legal cannabinoid.
Many legal cannabinoids have intriguing properties. Unfortunately, they aren’t yet as researched as CBD. One of these cannabinoids is CBGA.
While we still don’t know not much about CBGA, available information has fascinated researchers and intrigued retailers. Here’s what we do know.
CBGA explained
You find Cannabigerolic acid, or CBGA, in the early stages of a hemp plant flowering. However CBGA is hard to find once the plant gets harvested and cured. This is because CBGA is the precursor to many other cannabinoids like CBD and THC.
In fact, without CBGA, hemp wouldn’t have any of its recreational properties, and would be of little interest to most consumers. Most of the complex interactions the hemp plant has with our bodies comes from cannabinoids created by CBGA.
As we know, CBD has many potential benefits. Users note experiencing lower feelings of anxiety, reduced inflammation, and even a lessening of symptoms associated with certain illnesses. For all these benefits, we have CBGA to thank!
The role of CBGA
CBGA does more, though, than just give us useful hemp products. When it comes to the development of the hemp flower itself, CBGA plays a big role.
That’s because it helps trigger plant cell necrosis. In short, it starts killing off or pruning some of its plant’s leaves so that more energy gets diverted to the growth of the flower bulb. Without the helpful participation of CBGA, we wouldn’t even have hemp flowers to use.
The health benefits of CBGA
While more research will shed light on the full potential of CBGA, there are some things researchers have already found intriguing. In connection with specific health issues, the cannabinoid may prove quite useful. So far, researchers are seeing potential for it in conjunction with:
- Cardiovascular Disease – More than just a single disease, this group of disorders affect the heart and blood vessels, often causing heart attacks and strokes. A team of researchers, using test tube specimens, found that CBGA can inhibit the growth of an enzyme that leads to heart stress. Having the ability to reduce heart stress, for those who are more at risk for cardiovascular disease can help keep the body healthy.
- Metabolic Disorders – Our metabolism requires the help of peroxisome proliferator activated receptors, or PPARs, to function properly. To make a long biology lecture short, it may help activate these PPARs, thereby supporting the optimal functioning of our metabolism.
- Colon Cancer – It was recently discovered that colon cancer cells don’t like CBGA. Like, at all. It’s is able to kill colon cancer cells while also limiting the development of polyps, which are small growths that at times become cancerous.
There’s a lot to learn about cannabinoids
Every cannabinoid seems to tell a story that leads to consumer benefits. How those compounds come to market, and how we end up using them is constantly evolving as a result. In its mission to bring you the best, most in-demand, hemp products, at a competitive price, Arbor Vita8 works hard to stay on top of the latest developments in the cannabinoid industry. To learn more about Arbor Vita8’s current array of hemp-derived products, visit our online store today.
