CBDA oil and acidic cannabinoid compounds are gaining traction in the cannabis community for their superior absorption and unique health benefits. Many people are now using CBDA for help with anxiety, stress, sleep, and joint pain relief.
Because CBDA is new, and due to difficulty in purification and stability, it may be hard to determine where to find the high quality CBDA oil products.
Dont get stuck with an inferior product!
Natural Dos is a pioneer in the purification of CBDA oil and acidic cannabinoids and can help you understand whats important for this original class of cannabinoid compounds.
Article Highlights
- Check for third party lab testing before buying and CBDA products
- CBDA has superior absorption and anti inflammatory effects compared to CBD
- Smoking CBDA in vapes or in flower converts it to CBD, so you will not get the CBDA benefits
- CBDA is best taken in gummies, tinctures, edibles or capsules
How to choose the best CBDA oil products
CBDA (cannabidiolic acid) is the most abundant cannabinoid in hemp plants. But you have not seen much of it in retail because of the difficulty in purifying acidic cannabinoids!
CBDA oils cannot be purified using conventional technology, so scientists at Natural Dos developed a new process that yields a Natural Spectrum CBDA oil, containing all the acidic cannabinoids in the hemp plant.
How much should the best CBDA products cost?
There are many companies selling CBD oil on the market, but only a few are selling CBDA products. To find the best price for your CBDA oil, divide the total amount of CBDA in the product by the cost. For example:900mg CBDA Gummies for $39.99 : $39.99/900mg = $0.04 per 1 mg of CBDA
This is the cost of CBDA gummies product by Natural Dos.
Is this a good price?
Here are some other CBDA products that are fairly common:
- 750mg of CBDA oil for $89.96 = $0.12 per 1 mg CBDA (Bluebird botanical on CBD Market)
- 750mg of CBDA oil for $71.50 = $0.10 per 1 mg CBDA (Myriam's hope CBDA oil on CBD Market)
- 500mg of CBDA oil for $47.99 = $0.10 per 1 mg CBDA (CBDistillary on CBD Market)
Many of the CBDA products come with CBD, which is fine, but sometimes that means they reduce the amount of CBDA so you wont get the full benefits.
Make sure to check on the total amount of CBDA in the product.
Is the CBDA product full spectrum?
The therapeutic benefits of hemp oil is magnified when all the cannabinoids are present. Our proprietary method at Natural Dos for purifying all the acidic cannabinoids allows us to create a unique hemp oil termed Natural Spectrum CBDA oil.
Most CBDA products will have CBDA isolate and not contain the full spectrum CBDA oil.
Does the CBDA product come with a CoA?
Quality CBDA products should have third party lab testing reports. These are labeled certificate of analysis (CoA), and show the final testing of the product.Every CBDA product should have a CoA that covers:
- Potency: the amount of cannabinoids present
- Heavy metals: testing for heavy metals like lead, this should read ND (non detect)
- Pesticides: testing for residual pesticides should read ND
- Solvent: testing for residual solvents should read ND
- Microbials: testing for microbial contamination should read ND
If you are not familiar with how to read a testing report, see our CoA guide.
Top kinds of CBDA products
CBDA products come in many types. Similar to full spectrum CBD oil, a full spectrum CBDA oil product will have the most benefits due to the presence of all the cannabinoids.
CBDA gummies
CBDA gummies are favorite among many consumers, and offer a tasty and convenient method to get all the benefits of CBDA. We recommend any CBDA gummy that has the full spectrum CBDA oil in it.
CBDA tinctures
CBDA tinctures, sometimes called CBDA oil drops, are a popular method to get all the benefits of CBDA with the least amount of other ingredients. Typically formulated with organic fractionated coconut oil and natural flavors, these should be taken under the tongue (sublingual) for maximum absorption.
CBDA breath mints
CBDA breath mints are an easy on the go way to enjoy the relaxing effects of CBDA. Perfect for when you also need to have great breath.
CBDA capsules
CBDA capsules are becoming more popular for their easy to use formulation. Since the raw form of CBDA can have a bitter taste, many consumers enjoy this product.
CBDA vapes
Because CBDA converts to CBD when exposed to heat, any CBDA vape will only yield CBD in the smoke. Thus, you are not actually consuming CBDA compounds when using a vape or smoking the flower.
What is CBDA oil and acidic cannabinoids?
All cannabis sativa plants, including hemp plants produce over 100 different acidic cannabinoids in the flower.
All cannabinoids first made in the hemp or marijuana flower are in the natural form (acidic). It is only after harvesting and the extraction process does the CBDA or THCA get converted to CBD or THC.
Whats the difference between CBDA and CBD oil?
The naturally occurring acidic cannabinoids differ from their neutral forms by the presence of a carboxylic group (-COOH). For example, CBDA converts to CBD by losing its carboxylic group in the form of carbon dioxide when exposed to heat. This process is termed decarboxylation.
Full spectrum CBD products contain all the cannabinoids from the hemp plant, but are in the neutral form. Normally, hemp extracts which undergo cannabinoid purification use heat in the process, which converts the CBDA to CBD. This is why you do not see much CBDA oils on the market.
What are the benefits of CBDA oils?
Because of the difficulty in isolating acidic cannabinoids, most of the research and hemp products on the market are using CBD or THC.
Recent advances in technology are finding that the acidic cannabinoids may have superior health and wellness benefits not originally recognized.
Superior absorption of CBDA oil
One of the biggest discoveries in the CBD industry is the finding that CBDA and other cannabinoids in the acidic form have greatly enhanced absorption compared to their neutral forms.
CBDA is 450-1000% better absorbed than CBD.
Superior absorption is critical to providing superior health benefits. A little talked about problem in the CBD industry is the poor absorption of CBD. This can be seen in the clinical and pre clinical studies which typically use over 100-1000mg doses per day to reach significant results.
This is where CBDA shines: a 50mg CBDA dose will reach similar blood levels as a 250mg dose of CBD.
CBDA and the endocannabinoid system
The endocannabinoid system is found throughout the body, and is critical in helping regulate many important physiological functions. These include:- Sleep
- Mood
- Immune system
- Inflammation
- Blood pressure
Because the endocannabinoid system is so prevalent, the effects of cannabinoids that interact with the cannabinoid receptors can have so many health benefits.
CBDA anti inflammatory properties
A recent discovery around CBDA oil is the potent anti inflammatory effects. This was found to be through inactivation of the potent inflammatory enzyme COX 2 (cyclooxygenase 2). This enzyme is a common target of conventional NSAIDs (non steroidal anti inflammatory drugs), such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
Back pain relief
Many of the pain symptoms found in back pain and other joint complications have a basis in the endocannabinoid system. Because the CBDA cannabinoid can interact with inflammatory enzymes and cannabinoid receptors, it can be especially potent.
CBDA anxiety benefits
A unique property of CBDA is its ability to activate the serotonin receptor 5HT1A. This important protein found in the nervous system is also a target for many depression drugs in the SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) class.
Pre-clinical studies suggest that the serotonin actions of CBDA may be responsible for its anxiety and stress benefits.
CBDA and covid-19
Recently, a number of pre clinical studies have showed that CBDA and CBGA could prevent the Sars-cov-2 viral particle from binding to some cells. This sparked a lot of interest in the acidic cannabinoid space, but it should be noted that the doses used in these studies translated to very high ingestion amounts.
The amount of CBDA oil a person would need to take might be in the high 100s of mg to reach a similar pre clinical level of viral inhibition.
Side effects of CBDA oil products
All cannabinoids have very minimal reported side effects as recreational doses, including CBDA. In fact, there has been no reported overdose death of any recreational cannabinoid.Some common side effects from hemp products take in higher doses may include:
- Dry mouth
- Drowsiness
- Lightheadedness
- Stomach irritation
We should note that THC can have serious side effects if taken in high doses, and should only be used in moderation. Every year people do report to the emergency room for having taken too much THC, usually in the form of edibles.
The FDA has not approved the use of CBD or hemp based cannabinoids for supplemental use due to the limited safety studies. They have recently punted regulations to congress to set guidelines for the hemp industry.
Results from some studies on patients with epilepsy found that taking high doses of CBD, 1000-2000mg per day, led to elevated liver enzymes. This occurred in those individuals on multiple medications. If you are on multiple medications already, or have a history of liver complications, speak with your health care provider before taking CBDA or CBD oil.
Takeaway
CBDA is the next evolution of hemp based products, and provides many health benefits that conventional cannabinoids do not have.Because it is new, finding the best CBDA oil products may be a bit more difficult, but if you choose Natural Dos, you cant go wrong. If not, please be sure to check the CoA and dosage so you get the best CBDA oil for maximum health benefits.