Hemp Sourced Cannabinoids Explained

This is a short primer for the people who are not familiar with Hemp sourced cannabinoids. It is not all inclusive and, while the article is informative, we encourage our customers to do their own research to determine the benefits of Hemp Sourced Cannabinoids. Here at Kicking Mule Hemp we believe that the more you know about CBD and CBD products, the more likely it is that we will earn your trust in providing you with best in class CBD products. We won’t feel bad if you decided not to read this, but we encourage you to be an educated consumer because while CBD might be expensive, your body is priceless. 

Why Should You Care?

The human body has Cannabinoid receptors, located throughout the body that are part of the endocannabinoid system, a class of cell membrane receptors. These receptors are activated by endocannabinoids produced in the body, phytocannabinoids (plant sourced cannabinoids) and synthetic cannabinoids. The Cannabinoid receptors are expressed in the central nervous system, lungs, liver, kidneys and immune system. Plant sourced cannabinoids are nature's gift to you so that may reinforce your body’s self produced endocannabinoids to enhance biosynthesis and endocannabinoid signaling.  Now you know why you should care. Without judgment, the facts are that Hemp sourced cannabinoids affect biosynthesis and may augment endocannabinoid signaling. The availability of natural plant sourced cannabinoids is a blessing.  

Safety & Effectiveness

There is much study to be done yet in order to certify that hemp sourced CBD and other cannabinoids are safe and effective according to government standards of Food and Drug Administration regulation. Therefore, regardless of effect, no claims may be made as to the effectiveness of hemp sourced cannabinoids with a warning that reads in part: “CBD products have not been subject to FDA evaluation and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease”. This warning is absolute, so we will never make any claims that would violate the FDA intent. When those FDA rulings come, and they will, expect all hemp sourced cannabinoids to be regulated and FDA approved. Big pharmaceuticals will eventually prevail in the distribution and monopoly of Hemp sourced cannabinoids. You will be the loser. 

Because of the current situation, the retail sale of hemp sourced cannabinoids is similar to the wild west without rules and regulations to guide the industry. In one way, it is wonderful to get the government out of the way. In another way this leaves unscrupulous purveyors of hemp sourced cannabinoids with the opportunities to take advantage of ignorant people. A good general rule is buyer beware and understand the product that you are purchasing and consuming. CBD products are expensive and you deserve to get the product that you pay for. 

At Kicking Mule Hemp, we will always use the best quality components to make premium products that you may trust to contain components as advertised. We will ensure your safety and encourage your trust with a promise that all hemp sourced cannabinoids are received with a full panel test by a certified laboratory to be free from contaminants that include pesticide, heavy metals, solvents and biotoxins (mold). Carrier oils and other components are organic or equivalent. Our products will always be certified laboratory tested for purity so that you may rest assured that you are getting the product that is advertised.

Hemp sourced cannabinoids are processed from hemp crude oils. The hemp crop is designed to be low in THC, but higher in other beneficial cannabinoids. The crude is extracted from hemp by mechanical and chemical processes, therefore the importance of a laboratory test that certifies the component products are free of solvents, heavy metals, pesticides and biotoxins. The crude is further refined by laboratory distillation and or isolation of the desired hemp sourced compounds. The crude is viscous dark and smells like hemp. Distillates are generally viscous and dark and may smell like hemp, depending on the process and desired outcome. Isolates are generally light in color and appear like lumpy powdered sugar without significant scent or taste. 

Kicking Mule Hemp will often use a blend of distillates and isolates to promote the specific outcome as exemplified by the advertised product. Distillates are significantly more expensive components than isolates and will contribute to a more whole holistic hemp experience with benefits from the greater varieties of cannabinoids. Isolates are used in proper and designer proportion to achieve specific outcomes not achievable with distillates only. Other makers may use isolates only to manufacture CBD products. If you use those CBD isolate only products, then you may be missing out on the best parts of minor cannabinoids in distillates of hemp.

The US Farm Bill

The US Farm Bill in 2018 provided an opportunity to distribute all natural hemp sourced cannabinoid products that have proven health benefits. This is a big deal, since any cannabinoid products were illegal before that date. The Farm Bill provided that hemp sourced products with less than 0.3% (THC) tetrahydrocannabinol (THC is the psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana) could be traded in interstate commerce. This change in hemp sourced cannabinoids legal status provides opportunity for all concerned.

The biological effects of cannabinoids, the major constituents of the ancient medicinal plant Cannabis sativa (marijuana) are mediated in the human body by two members of the G-protein coupled receptor family, cannabinoid receptors 1 (CB1R) and 2. The CB1R is the prominent subtype in the central nervous system (CNS) and has drawn great attention as a potential therapeutic avenue in several pathological conditions, including neuropsychological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, cannabinoids also modulate signal transduction pathways and exert profound effects at peripheral sites. Although cannabinoids have therapeutic potential, their psychoactive effects due to THC have largely limited their legal use in clinical practice and encouraged illegal use as a psychoactive drug. 

The effects of the Farm Bill included legal differentiation between the Cannabis sativa (marijuana) and Hemp is a botanical class of Cannabis sativa cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. The Hemp strains are specifically designed to be low in psychoactive ingredient THC (less than 0.3%) and high in other other cannabinoids such as CBD, CBG, CBN (These molecules are identified later in the primer). 

With the availability of hemp sourced cannabinoids that are mitigated away from the psychoactive THC molecule, the hemp sourced cannabinoids may be legally grown, proceeded, traded and consumed for the benefit of all.

Popular Cannabinoids

The following is a short list of popular cannabinoids in Hemp. There are at least 113 different types identified, but these are the ones you'll most likely hear about. The list is ordered as it is in our certified laboratory reports.

  • Cannabidiol is a phytocannabinoid discovered in 1940 and accounts for up to 40% of the (hemp) plant's extract. As of 2019, clinical research on CBD included studies related to anxiety, cognition, movement disorders and pain, but there is insufficient high-quality evidence that cannabidiol is effective for these conditions. Nevertheless, CBD is a popular herbal drug, widely promoted with claims of particular therapeutic benefits. The global market size for CBD was predicted to exceed $47 billion by 2028.

  • Cannabigerol is normally a minor constituent of cannabis, about 1% cannabigerol in the (Hemp) plant. Cannabigerol is the decarboxylated form of cannabigerolic acid, the parent molecule from which other cannabinoids are synthesized. CBG has affinity and activity at CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors. It appears to be unique among cannabinoid compounds by also having high affinity and activity at alpha-2 adrenergic receptors and moderate activity at serotonin (5-HT) 1A receptors.

  • Cannabinol is a mildly psychoactive cannabinoid that binds to the cannabinoid receptors with more selectivity for CB2 over CB1 found in trace amounts from Cannabis (hemp). CBN is mostly found in cannabis that is aged and stored, and is derived from the plant's main psychoactive chemical THC. (Not Wiki content: CBN in small doses tends to make most people sleepy, so we include it in a night time only calming product).

  • Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), better known as THC, is the marijuana plant's primary component for causing psychoactive effects. When smoked, tetrahydrocannabinol is absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the brain, attaching itself to the naturally occurring endocannabinoid receptors located in the brain, responsible for thinking, memory, pleasure, coordination and movement. (Not Wiki content: THC is included in some of our products with a warning, not psychoactive at small legal concentrations of less than 0.3%, but may have a synergistic effect with other minor cannabinoids to bring best outcome. We also make products that are THC Free.

  • Cannabichromene is an anti-inflammatory (cannabinoid) which may contribute to the pain killing effect of cannabis (hemp). CBC is non-psychoactive. 

The descriptions of the cannabinoids come from Wikipedia.