The cannabis market has grown larger than it was a while ago, thanks to scientists’ discovery of new cannabis strains. CBDV, a compound also called cannabidivarin, is one of those. While it might seem confusing to figure out how this is different from the conventional CBD or THC, we will look over it and compare it to the CBD in this article.
First, however, here’s what you should know. The CBDV and CBD are both derived from the cannabis plant, and there’s only some slight difference between the two compounds. But, the CBD remains the first in most cannabis research, while the CBDV follows right after. So, let’s dive in.
What Is CBDV
Cannabidivarin (CBVD) was discovered over three decades ago but has only recently been researched widely. The cannabinoid is a non-intoxicating compound that does not give you a euphoric feeling of being high; this is mostly associated with high THC cannabis.
It is important to note that while CBD and CBDV are both found in the cannabis plant, the latter is found in smaller concentrations, so its usage, especially for medical purposes, is more expensive than CBD. However, like CBD, Cannabidivarin reportedly reduces nausea, the severity of seizures, and inflammation in the body. Still, there isn’t enough scientific evidence to support these uses.
Now, when we talk about extracting the cannabinoid, we should know there are different extraction methods. However, scientists usually use cellular agriculture because this particular cannabinoid isn’t high in cannabis plants. So, cellular agriculture means using biotechnology to produce agricultural products from cell culture.
So, simply put, this means using the cell culture of the cannabinoid to produce more CBVD that would otherwise be produced by traditional agriculture via biotechnology. Hence, scientists get enough Cannabidivarin for medicinal purposes. Despite the CBVD not being easily accessible and available in the market, the cannabinoid is gradually making a stance.
What Is CBD
Cannabidiol is the second most popular child of the cannabis plant aside from THC. Unlike THC, which puts one in a euphoric state of feeling high, a never-ending debate goes on as to whether the CBD is psychoactive or not. Well, we say it isn’t. CBD is well used for medicinal purposes, and scientists have been looking at its possible therapeutic uses. However, pending the time, the cannabinoid is used for many other medical purposes and produced in many forms for easy use.
It comes in oils, tincture, patches, vapes, capsules, and other forms for other use. There’s a whole world of benefits and side effects that still need to be explored for CBD, but in the meantime, cannabidiol is approved to treat some types of epilepsy. The first cannabidiol drug Epidiolex approved by the FDA in 2018, was only approved to treat Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. However, the cannabinoid also positively affects anxiety, depression, and sleep.
It can be very expensive for cannabidiol extractions from the cannabis plant. Large-scale manufacturing of more potent cannabidiol uses highly combustible chemicals and can get very dangerous. Hence, this extraction must be done by researchers that know what they are doing with the right tools. There are different methods for extracting this cannabinoid. Usually, extraction of CBD involves isolating the chemical compound from the plant and distilling it at a high concentration.
Researchers could also extract it using the CO2 method with the aid of the pressurized chamber:
- The chamber compresses the CO2 gas to liquid.
- The liquid is forced over the cannabis material, from which it strips away the cannabidiol.
- When the solution is brought back to standard temperature and pressure, the C02 reverts to gas and evaporates.
Comparison: CBDV vs CBD
As discussed above, CBD and CBDV are derived from the same parent plant and are somewhat identical. Still, below we’d explore their differences and compare them. Let’s begin with the chemical structure of both.
The CBDV chemical structure is similar to CBD but with a slight yet crucial alteration. The two cannabinoids contain carboxyl groups, but the carboxyl group in the CBDV contains two fewer carbon atoms. Despite not much difference, this slight difference makes a huge impact on bioactivity perspectives. Moreover, the fewer carbon atoms make it a distinct cannabinoid; this is bound to pave more opportunities for research on cannabidivarin.
An unavoidable dissimilarity that we must mention is the clear-cut availability of both cannabis both online and in stores. The CBD products are now widely available in different forms for easy purchase and use; the CBDV, on the other hand, is rare. Perhaps, this is because the cannabinoid isn’t available in high quantities in the plant, unlike the cannabidiol.
In addition, when it comes to uses, the CBD has been around for much longer and, as such, has more verifiable use compared to the CBDV. Hence, while there might not be a lot of research on cannabidivarin and its benefit, the cannabinoid shows great potential.
For instance, CBD is known to treat inflammation and help with nausea, seizures, anxiety, pain relief, etc. However, CBDV does the same and even more. So, despite both cannabinoids sharing these health benefits, CBDV is becoming more popular as an anticonvulsant. Plus, compared to CBD, CBDV has the potential to rebuild bones by assisting the stem cells in the body.
Public opinion is one of the other factors we must compare between CBD and CBDV. It is safe to say that regardless of the unique features of the CBDV, it would take a lot to achieve public acceptance, unlike the CBD, which is already a household name around the world. Fortunately, cannabidivarin shows potential for being a huge medical solution with further research and investment. For instance, one of its many promising futures is treating the deterioration associated with the Rett syndrome.
Conclusion
The CBDV and CBD are similar; they are both derived from the cannabis plant, share an almost identical molecular structure, and are beneficial for several identical medical issues. However, the CBD is more focused on by scientists than the CBDV; hence despite the potential of the CBDV, a lot of research hasn’t been done on it. Fortunately, the CBVD has been thrust back to the public recently, with big pharmaceutical companies looking to invest in developing medicines made from CBDV isolate.
