The Role of Isolated Cannabinoids in Openness Toward Cannabis

It’s been nearly a decade since I started my career in the cannabis industry. Back in 2015, my family and I had never heard of isolated cannabinoids. I’m pretty sure that there were just a small number of people who could understand the differences between cannabidiol and whole plant extracts, and that the main difference between isolated cannabinoids, such as CBD, CBG, CBN, and even the different chemical forms of THC, are now the main drivers of how the industry and the openness within society are changing.

Let’s put it in simple words: Not all cannabis-derived product consumers are looking for specific effects; for example, an older person with chronic pain is not looking for psychotropic effects but might require the benefits of a specific chemical form of THC, the psychotropic chemical in cannabis, and that particular form of THC can be paired with high doses of cannabidiol, which is non-psychotropic cannabidiol that has been scientifically proven as a fantastic coadjuvant in chronic pain treatment.

This is quite a simple example of how having scientific evidence regarding the potential benefits of a diverse range of cannabinoids and sharing that information with society and government officials will become one of the most critical drivers for the entire cannabis industry. But let’s deep dive into the most mentioned cannabinoids and how those have become so important in helping people make informed decisions and changing the societal perception toward cannabis and its derivatives.

For example, cannabigerol (CBG), a cannabinoid that was first described in 1996. After further scientific research, it was determined that this chemical compound is the precursor of other cannabinoids because the degradation of CBG leads to specific chemical forms of THC and CBD. Still, it has several therapeutic advantages, from slowing the growth of tumors to lower intraocular blood pressure. It also has potential benefits to aid in treating stress and anxiety, but the most significant effect that CBG has is related to attention and creativity, since these chemical compounds are directly responsible for the attention and creativity effects commonly associated with cannabis consumption. Alone, this cannabinoid accounted for a total value of US$8.33 billion in sales by 2023, and its expected to grow to US$60.84 billion in 2033 (1). 

Another cannabinoid that has been gaining a lot of attention from scientists is cannabinol, more commonly known as CBN. Both CBN and CBG have very low concentrations in cannabis plants and are better in their isolated forms. CBN is the direct result of THC degradation, losing its potential psychotropic effects but retaining all its therapeutic potential, which turns this cannabinoid into a significant substance for the treatment of several neurodegenerative disorders. This cannabinoid had sales over US$8.69 billion in 2023 (2). 

These were a few examples of how science has delved into how isolated cannabinoids can aid patients and people in improving their quality of life. Still, the main challenge for all the players within the cannabis industry is to support scientists in developing specific protocols to gather scientific evidence regarding the potential uses of cannabis and promoting that evidence to be available for a broader audience, including consumers, health professionals, and decision-makers. That has been one of our most significant commitments since HempMeds started, because we believe that this is the only way to increase knowledge regarding new regulations that help people to access safe and effective cannabis-derived products, and above all, to help people make informed decisions to improve their life quality.This is reflected in the global growth of the cannabis industry. When comparing sales of CBD, CBG, and CBN, all three are pretty competitive, and the sales of all three cannabinoids together accounted for 43.24% of the total market value in 2023.

Sources:

1 -  https://www.factmr.com/report/cannabigerol-market

2 - https://www.giiresearch.com/report/ires1612748-cannabinol-market-by-product-type-capsules.html