GREEN SCIENCE : Cannabichromene (CBC)

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By now, if you have been keeping up with my GREEN SCIENCE articles, you're probably familiar with cannabinoids, especially the most common ones of THC and CBD.  But you likely haven't heard of what is considered one of the "big six" cannabinoids prominent in medical cannabis research - Cannabichromene, or CBC. Cannabichromene was discovered over 50 years ago, it doesn't get as much attention, but this cannabinoids benefits are extremely promising.

CBC, as both THC and CBD, have the same origin, as they all stem from cannabigerolic acid (CBGa).  The cannabis plants produce CBGa which is the precursor (a substance from which another is formed, especially used in a metabolic reaction) to three major cannabinoids - tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa), cannabidiolic acid (CBDa), and cannabichromene acid (CBCa).  CBC converts from CBGa into cannabichromene carboxylic acid (CBCa), and then -after exposure to heat or ultraviolet light (the decarboxylation process), into to CBC.  As a result, CBC has the same chemical formula and weight as CBD and THC but differs from its chemical cousins by the arrangement of its atoms. 

Formula :  C21H30O2  (Same as CBD but configured differently)

Molecular Mass : 314.2246 g/mol

Decarboxylation Point : NA

Boiling Point : 220 °C (428 °F)

Lethal Dose (LD50) : 270 mg/kg for monkeys (Compare to Nicotine : for rats - 50 mg/kg, for humans - 0.5-1 mg/kg)

CBC is non-psychoactive, so it doesn't produce the euphoric "high" as does that of THC.  The reasoning behind why CBC is non-psychoactive is for the matter that it binds poorly to the CB1 cannabinoid receptors in the brain.  However, CBC does bind with other receptors in the body such as the vanilloid receptor 1 (TRPV1) and transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 (TRPA1), both of which are linked to pain perception.  

*WEED SCIENCE Note - "In pain science, thresholds are measured by gradually increasing the intensity of stimulus such as electric current or heat applied to the body.  The pain perception threshold is the point at which the stimulus begins to hurt, and the pain tolerance threshold is reached when the subject acts to stop the pain." 

(Quoted Directly from Pain - Wikipedia)

When CBC activated these receptors, increased levels of the body's natural endocannabinoids like anandamide (also known as the "joy" or "bliss" molecule) are released.

CBC has been known and currently being studied for a wide range of medical uses.  Like THC and CBD, CBC is an analgesic and anti-inflammatory, although less potent than these well known molecules.  Evidence shows it is also antibacterial and its variant CBCa has also been shown to be an anti fungal agent.  Like CBD, Cannabichromene is both a neurogenic compound and bone stimulant helping grow our mind and bodies.  One of CBC's perhaps most important use is as an anti-proliferative, combating cancer and slowing tumor growth, just like THC and CBD.  CBC has also been shown to be ten times as powerful as CBD at reducing anxiety and stress. 

Therapeutic Attributes of Cannabichromene (CBC)

Analgesic - relieves pain

Antidepressant - relieves symptoms of depression

Anti fungal - inhibits the growth of fungus

Anxiolytic - relieves anxiety

Anti-Inflammatory - reduces inflammation systemically 

Anti-Proliferative - inhibits cancer cell growth

Bone Stimulant - promotes bone growth

Neurogenesis - promotes the growth of new brain cells

And finally, if you want to NERD OUT on some more GREEN SCIENCE - check these sources and case studies :

Summary of Case Studies Done on Cannabichromene (CBC)

- In this study on rats, CBC was shown to have promise as a great analgesic painkiller, to block pain and inflammation associated with collagen-induced osteoarthritis, perhaps just as good as CBD. Cannabinoids like CBC act on inflammation differently than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) do, and also do not have the negative side effects of these medications. CBC in combination with THC, another example of the entourage effect,  had significant anti-inflammatory response in this recent study; together, the two cannabinoids produced a much greater effect on helping inflammation than by themselves.

- In two other recent studies on rodents, CBC was shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory.  Surprisingly it was found that the mechanism of action did not involve the CB1, CB2, or the TRPA1 receptors, like with CBD and THC;more research is currently being done as it may imply another receptor is present.

- Both THC and CBC, in this 2010 study, were shown to display significant antidepressant qualities.  Which leads to the common phrase of "Weed Makes You Happy" as it was found to "contribute to the overall mood-elevating properties of cannabis."

- Cannabichromene interaction with the body's natural endocannabinoid, anandamide, may be the reason it may be a powerful cancer fighter.  CBC has shown to inhibit the uptake of anandamide, allowing it to remain longer in the bloodstream.  There was also a 2013 study in which tumor growth was initiated in rodents (two-stage rodent skin carcinogenesis model) showed cannabinoids might be effective in inhibiting both tumor growth and inflammation.  Since anandamide has been shown to fight breast cancer in vitro (process performed in a test tube, culture dish, or elsewhere outside a living organism) and in vivo (performed or taken place in living organism), it shows promise that CBC and other cannabinoids might one day be used as a chemo-preventive agent. 

- In a 2006 study , there showed evidence that CBC to be a potential cancer fighter and this was the first study to be published that looked at cannabinoids other than THC and the possible effects on cancer.  The studies on THC confirmed its anti-tumor properties for several different forms of cancer, but its powerful psychotropic qualities can make it difficult for patients in chemotherapy use.  In the research done thus far, it has found CBC to be the second-most-potent cannabinoid at inhibiting the growth of new cancer cells (CBG was the most potent).  *More research is continued to be done on CBC combating cancer. 

- It was confirmed in this 2013 study that CBC stimulates bone growth.  Neurogenic compounds are very rare, which makes CBC a very important cannabinoid worth a significant amount of research.  More research is certainly needed, however this could make CBC useful in treating Alzheimer and other neurodegenerative conditions.

- Cannabichromene promotes the growth of new brain cells.  A 2013 study shows CBC to have a positive effect on the neural stem progenitor cells (NSPCs), a cell essential to healthy brain function.  NSPC's became more capable of working successfully when in the presence of CBC, and that shows promise because NSPC's differentiate into astroglial cells, the most important cells for maintaining brain homeostasis:

  

"The tendency of the body to seek and maintain a condition of balance or equilibrium within its internal environment, even when faced with external changes.  An example is homeostasis is the body's ability to maintain an internal temperature around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, whatever the temperature outside."

Brain Homeostasis Definition

The astroglial cells perform a while host of functions, including neurotransmitter direction and defending against oxidative stress. Astroglia counteract many of these issues - oxidative stress, inflammation, toxicity - that create neurological diseases and brain pathologies like Alzheimer's disease. 

- A study done in 2016, a research team that had previously shown CBD's effect on acne studied other cannabinoids, including CBC, for the same effects. 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:

"Sebaceous glands are microscopic exocrine glands in the skin that secrete an oily or waxy matter, called sebum, to lubricate and waterproof the skin and hair of mammals."

Sebum Definition

The results showed CBC to exhibit powerful anti-inflammatory properties and also suppressed excessive lipid production in the sebaceous glands.  CBC also showed to reduce the levels of arachidonic acid (AA), which is needed to create the lipogenesis.  *More research continues, but as it has been shown, CBC might just one day become a very powerful anti-acne treatment.

Thank you to the Scientists, Researches & Sources ! I very much enjoyed reading your work and continue to add with my own! #BeTheChange #CannabisResearch

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And a special thanks to :

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for their contributions to make this cookbook extra delicious! 

Also check out these GREEN SCIENCE articles :

Know Your Terpenes : Limonene

Know Your Terpenes : Pinene

SOURCES :

https://www.steephill.com/science/terpenes

https://skunkpharmresearch.com/cannabinoid-info/

https://www.sclabs.com/cannabinoids/

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0197018613002106

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20619971

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22300105

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20332000

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20942863

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25147760

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?

http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/318/3/1375.longterm=The+effect+of+cannabichromene+on+adult+neural+stem%2Fprogenitor+cells

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181926/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27094344

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4982008/

https://www.cannabisindustryjournal.com/feature_article/the-c4-cannabinomics-collaborative-qa-with-dr-zacariah-hildenbrand/

https://www.medicaljane.com/2013/08/14/cannabichromene-cbc-is-the-most-disregarded-cannabinoid/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandamide

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubm

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jphp.12082/abstracted/7298870

https://www.medicaljane.com/2013/08/14/cannabichromene-cbc-is-the-most-disregarded-cannabinoid/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pain

https://www.caymanchem.com/msdss/9001880m.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabichromene

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sebaceous_gland

https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/what-is-cannabichromene-cbc-cannabinoid