English name: Cannabidiol (CBD)
Character: Light yellow resin or crystallization
Introduction:
Cannabis diphenol (CBD) is the main chemical constituent of cannabis, a medicinal plant. It is extracted from female cannabis plants and is a non-addictive component of cannabis. It has anti-spasmodic, anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory and other pharmacological effects.
CBD can not only treat a variety of difficult diseases, but also effectively eliminate the hallucinogenic effect of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on human body, known as “anti-marijuana compound”.
The advent of CBD
In fact, as early as 1940, CBD was separated from Mexican and Indian cannabis by Adams and Todd, about 20 years before the discovery of THC.
Many good things happened, because of the limitation of the experimental conditions at that time, there were mistakes in the determination of CBD structure. It was not until 1963 that Mechoulam and Shvo determined its exact chemical structures, which are now commonly used CBD structures.
Since then, Santavy discovered the three-dimensional structure of CBD in 1964 and published its relevant data. Jones determined the crystal structure of CBD in 1977 and reported two independent stereostructures of CBD. Since then, people’s understanding and research on CBD has been on the right track.
Understanding the Medical Value of CBD
Key words: calming, protection
The application of CBD in medical field is mainly based on its protective effect on nervous system. It has stable heredity and good pharmacokinetic properties. Scientists have synthesized a series of CBD analogues through continuous modification of CBD structure. These analogues have different pharmacological activities and can act on different diseases.
Medical Application of CBD
Analgesic and anti-inflammatory: CBD exerts analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting both cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase, and its effect is stronger than aspirin, which is well known and widely used.
Antiepilepsy: GABA neurotransmitters in the human brain have sedative effects and inhibit the excitability of the brain center. CBD can help control GABA neurotransmitter consumption, inhibit brain excitation, reduce epileptic seizures, and also help improve the efficacy of other antiepileptic drugs.
Anti-anxiety: Endogenous cannabinoid is an important substance that helps depressive patients reduce anxiety, which exists in the human body. CBD can help maintain a reasonable level of endocannabinoid, make patients feel good and happy, and not as addicted as THC.
Achievements of CBD Application in Medical Field
Charlotte’s Story
One of the most famous stories about the medical application of CBD happened in the United States. An American girl named Charlotte had frequent epilepsy due to congenital Dravet syndrome. At the age of three, her epilepsy seizures had reached 300 times a week, equivalent to one attack every half an hour.
In 2011, Charlotte’s parents took the risk of imprisonment and tried her CBD, a cannabis extract . A year later, Charlotte’s epilepsy seizures had been controlled only four times a month, and she basically lived a normal girl’s life.
According to incomplete statistics, in the United States, medicinal cannabis with high CBD content benefits at least 10,000 families every year. With the deepening of scientific research, the number is still rising.
Neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (NHIE)
In 2015, GW Pharmaceutical Company developed an intravenous injection using CBD, which has been awarded the Orphan Drug Designation (Orphan Drug Designation) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (NHIE).
Note: Rare diseases refer to diseases that only one in 2,000 people will get and cannot be treated.
Epilepsy Sample Test at New York University
In 2015, the Langone Medical Center of New York University organized 313 patients with severe epilepsy to be treated with CBD liquid.
Data after 12 weeks of treatment showed that 27% of patients had a 50% reduction in the number of attacks, and 9% had no attacks. At the same time, CBD is well tolerated, with only 4% of patients discontinuing medication due to side effects.
Note: Tolerance refers to an adaptive state and outcome of the body’s response to drugs.
“Special Contribution Award” in Cannabis Industry
As a plant with high medicinal value, cannabis has been difficult to be accepted by law and morality for a long time, mainly because of its addictive and hallucinogenic effects, such as THC.
In the early 1970s, it was found that CBD did not possess the same biological activity as THC, but could antagonize the nervous activity of THC in human body.
People began to face up to the other side of cannabis as an angel and strengthen its application in medical field, which indirectly promoted the legalization process of medicinal cannabis worldwide.
From this point of view, the cannabis industry should really award a “Special Contribution Award” to CBD.
Afterthought
Before writing the article, I’ve searched CBD in online Taobao in China. Amazingly, I found CBD is listed legally there. Those CBD oil products are mainly manufactured and shipped from the USA.
It’s a signal – CBD is getting more and more popular. It’s legal to be sold in China now.
Update: August 8th, 2019
