How Good Is CBC oil?
When thinking about phytocannabinoids, and cannabis products the main two that come to mind are traditionally cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). One that is often overlooked is cannabichromene (CBC).
While it has limited research when compared with the more popular phytocannabinoids it has still shown to have a huge amount of potential health benefits in areas such as pain relief, mood enhancement and neuroprotection.
What is CBC?
Much like CBD, Cannabichromene, or more commonly known as CBC, is a non-intoxicating, legal cannabinoid present in marijuana and hemp.
Along with CBD, CBC is actually one of the major phytocannabinoids on the market. CBC is naturally developed from the same substance that is present in the cannabis plant as CBD which is known as cannabigerolic Acid (CBGA).
Simply, CBC oil or cannabichromene is a major cannabinoid from the cannabis plant which is manufactured into an oily, liquid substance using full spectrum extracts. This liquid substance can be used as an effective remedy for several different health concerns.
In comparison to other cannabinoids, CBC-specific research is still very much in its infancy. For this reason, there are very few CBC specific products currently on the market. To create CBC oil, cannabichromene is extracted from the hemp plant, alongside other cannabinoids. It is then infused with terpenes and aromatic compounds to create the CBC oil.
To produce the CBC oil, the manufacturers must use a hemp strain that contains a high concentration of cannabichromene or use other processes that will allow the phytocannabinoids to be transformed into CBC oil.
How CBC Works
CBC works differently than other cannabinoids.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS), an internal cell-signaling network that works to regulate a host of functions in the body, including metabolism, mood, sleep, immune response, memory and more.
Most cannabinoids interact with CB1 or CB2 receptors in the endocannabinoid system and help with increasing the production of our endocannabinoids. CBC, on the other hand, likely does this as well, but it mostly supports the body’s endocannabinoids by working with receptors responsible for inflammation and pain response.
To further explain, these receptor sites are called transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1).
Benefits of CBC OIL
While the research on CBC is still so limited, there are a number of benefits that can improve your overall wellness.
Improve Mood
CBC is said to be very effective at improving the mood of an individual. Unfortunately, anxiety and depression are extremely common and more often than not someone you love or are close to could be suffering from either of them or even both.
CBC oil products are said to be around 10 times as effective as CBD products at elevating moods and therefore have potential antidepressant abilities. CBC raises a molecule in the brain called anandamide, this molecule is a chemical that can affect an individual’s mental health. Therefore, CBC can have an amazing impact on your mood.
Anti-Inflammatory
CBC has anti-inflammatory properties because it can interact with receptors like TRPV1 and TRPA1 which play a vital role in inflammation and pain within the human body. The cannabis product has been scientifically shown to be as effective as an anti-inflammatory specific drug called phenylbutazone when given in equal doses.
CBC promotes the production of the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS) which helps to regulate and balance key bodily functions. This is why it can be great at helping to moderate both pain response and inflammation that may occur.
Neuroprotection
Neuroprotection is hugely important, especially in crucial areas of the brain. It can stop an individual from developing neurodegenerative diseases in later life such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Motor Neurons Disease. Certain studies suggest that CBC could have effective neuroprotection properties.
CBC is a non-intoxicating and non-psychoactive cannabinoid, allowing it to help with the protection of the brain and therefore improve neurological health. It does this by helping the passage of neurotransmitters throughout the brain and nervous system.
CBC May Have Benefits Towards Problem Skin
Cannabinoids are an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be used both topically and internally.
A research team that had previously shown CBD’s effect on acne studied other cannabinoids, including CBC, for the same effects. Indeed, CBC was shown to be a powerful inhibitor of acne. As a skin disease, acne is characterized by excess sebum production and sebaceous gland inflammation. It turns out that CBC exhibited powerful anti-inflammatory properties and also suppressed excessive lipid production in the sebaceous glands. CBC also reduced levels of arachidonic acid (AA), which is needed to create the lipogenesis. More research is needed, but CBC might just one day become a very powerful anti-acne treatment.
How does CBC compare to CBD?
To many, CBD is the only known non-intoxicating cannabinoid. However, the popularity of CBC, another non-intoxicating cannabinoid, has been slowly rising. The popularity of CBD oils, gummies, edibles and countless other CBD products has grown exponentially in the last decade.
While CBD is far more popular than its fellow cannabinoid, what is interesting is that they share almost identical benefits. However, there are a number of different things that set them apart from one another.
The main difference between the two is obvious. It’s the years and years of in-depth research that has gone into CBD and its immense success. In comparison, CBC research is still relatively unknown.
In addition to this, a huge difference between the two is just how established they are on the market. The UK CBD market started to take shape around 2016 and has since grown exceptionally, but was introduced into countries such as the United States of America in the 1940s. Whereas CBC still has a very limited number of products and a very little share of the market.
