      CBD is an acronym for Cannabidiol which is a Cannabinoid Abbreviations Used CB = cannabinoid
CBD = cannabidiol CBDA = cannabidiolic acid THC = tetrahydrocannabinol  Cannabidiol is one of the chemically and phytogenetically related phenolic terpenes derived from hemp (Cannabis sativa L). It was first obtained in pure form in 1940 simultaneously from fiber-type American hemp and from psychotropic Egyptian hashish. The chemical structure of CBD was determined by Mechoulam and Shvo in 1963.3 CBD is one of the 142 phytocannabinoids that have been isolated so far from hemp. Strictly speaking, however, CBD is an
artifact: the genuine natural product is cannabidiolic
acid CBDA which under the influence of heat
is decarboxylated into CBD in the plant material. Likewise, another major phenolic terpene of hemp,
D9
-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is formed from the
corresponding carboxylic acid THCA.
Although CBD was isolated and characterized first,
THC has been investigated more thoroughly: THC is
responsible for the unique psychoactivity of marijuana,
or cannabis, which is an internationally controlled substance,
nevertheless widely used for recreational purposes
or, more recently, for self-medication. Synthetic
THC has been available for three decades as a medicine,
and pharmaceutical-grade herbal cannabis, as well as
formulations of cannabis extracts containing THC and
CBD in well-defined ratios, has also been registered as
medicines in several countries (see chapters of Part 3
of Pertwee6
). Due to its unique psychoactivity and therapeutic
potential, both associated with the activation
of cannabinoid (CB) receptors, as well as for forensic
reasons, the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
of THC is much better understood than those of the
nonpsychoactive CBD, which for decades has been a
neglected phytocannabinoid. The chemistry and pharmacology of CBD, as well as
the various molecular targets, including CB receptors
and other components of the endocannabinoid system
it interacts with, have adequately been reviewed. We are an information driven site. |
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