Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA)?

Cannabidiolic acid, commonly referred to as CBDA, is the actual cannabanoid found in hemp (cannabis) before it is de-carboxylated and then turned into cannabodiol or CBD. We have found through scientific literature, clinical research, and personal experience that CBDA is superior to CBD for somatic pain and inflammation whereas CBD is preferred for neurological and central nervous system conditions.

In growing plants, CBD exists as cannabidiolic acid (CBDA). It isn’t until the plant is cut, dried, heated or the extract is heated that CBD is formed. CBD is a calming phytochemical that does not cause a psychotropic experience. CBDA transforms into CBD through a process called decarboxylation.  Heating the plant or plant derived products removes the acid group from CBDA and transforms it into CBD.

While gold-standard clinical trials are lacking, many medical cannabis patients utilize  CBDA and CBD as effective anti-inflammatory agents.

How Does CBD Work?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is responsible for 80% of the positive medical effects of cannabinoids. CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent, approximately 80 times more powerful than aspirin.  There is no euphoria (high) associated with CBD, and no concern about addiction or dependency. CBD is considered a potential preventive medicine, and taken in controlled doses, may prevent or slow the progress of a wide array of chronic degenerative conditions, especially auto-immune type diseases. Deep Health products are dreived from hemp, based on CBD, and contain no regulated amounts of THC.

CBD: Can You Take Too Much?

If you’re worried about taking too much, just know that clinical trials have prescribed CBD doses up to 1,200 mg daily for months without observing any serious side effects. We recommend speaking with a trusted medical professional before taking CBD.

CBD and Drug – Drug Interactions?

Although CBD is generally considered safe, it could lower your blood pressure. CBD can also interfere with your body’s ability to process certain pharmaceutical drugs. Both CBD and grapefruit juice inhibit cytochrome p450, so take extra precautions if you are on a medication that comes with a warning not to consume with grapefruit. Topical or inhaled products could help minimize this interaction.

Why are Cannabinoids Thought to be Such Powerful Candidates to Treat a Variety of Diseases?

CBD and THC are the two most common cannabinoid found in cannabis plant material, and both of them have powerful anti-inflammatory properties, but CBD and CBDA provide the anti-inflammatory properties without the euphoria (high). Rather, a positive side-effect is a feeling of well-being when taking CBD in reasonable doses.

In many auto-immune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome, one’s body is attacking itself. The attack causes additional inflammation and starts a negative inflammatory spiral that exacerbates the disease progression. Treating auto-immune diseases with cannabinoids gets to the root of the problem. Instead of just masking the pain response, the inflammation causing damage is significantly reduced. For example, if inflammation is significantly reduced for those suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, the damage to the joints will be reduced so that healing may take place. In inflammatory bowel disease, if the inflammatory response is dampened, it is thought that one’s body will slow it’s attack on the tissue, and thus relieve the symptoms and allow for healing. These are but a few examples of the positive anti-inflammatory effects of CBD that may be beneficial for those suffering from auto-immune diseases.

What are Cannabinoids?

Natural cannabinoids are derived from the cannabis plant. THC and CBD are two of the many which have been found and studied over the past four decades. They have long been thought of as the main therapeutic compounds in the cannabis plant. However, emerging pre-clinical evidence suggests that there is a significant  benefit from whole plant extraction versus an isolated cannabanoid extraction.

What is THC and How is it Different Than CBD?

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) produces a mild euphoria (high) and has been a regulated compound by the DEA. THC binds to both CB1 and CB2 receptors. The euphoric effects of THC are due to the CB1 binding in certain brain centers. THC is one of the few well studied cannabinoids.

Is CBD Regulated by the DEA?

No, CBD derived from industrial hemp containing less 0.3% THC is not regulated by the DEA and will not get you high. CBD is not psychoactive and is an inverse agonist of CB1 and arrests THC’s psychoactive effects. This means that it can partially inhibit THC from getting to the receptor and may be used as an antipsychotic.

What is the Endocannabinoid System(ECS) and Why is it Important?

The endocannabinoid system is found in humans and animals. It is an evolved regulatory system which mainly helps organisms maintain homeostasis or balance using signaling chemicals know as endocannabinoids. CBD works by impacting the body’s Endocannabinoid system (ECS) in several different ways. ECS is a natural system in our brain and body. The ECS’s job is to modulate other systems in the body that can become overheated. It is like a braking system, that can slow down a wide variety of systems in the body, including pain perception, gastrointestinal motility, memory, sleep, response to stress, pain and appetite, to name a few. The ECS has unique functions throughout the body, but especially in the brain and the immune system.

Nerve cells, called neurons, release chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Hundreds of different neurotransmitters are released in the body each day. When there are too many chemical messengers being released, and a specific system in getting out of control, the ECS releases, on demand, its own specific chemical messengers to slow down the release of these chemical messengers. So the ECS keeps several of the body’s system in balance. The ECS uses two different chemicals, anandamide (ANA) and 2 arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG). These two chemicals are called endocannabinoids, they are the innate cannabinoids made by the body naturally. These endocannabinoids work by attaching to a cannabinoid receptor on the cell. THC and CBD work by imitating the body’s naturally occurring endocannabinoids.

There are two ECS receptors that we know of, that are named simply, cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) and cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2). There are probably a few more, but these have not been discovered yet. Some systems in our brain and body have CB1 receptors, some have CB2, and some have both.

Much as the lock can only be opened once the key is put in. The lock is the cannabinoid receptor on the cell membrane, and the key, is the endocannabinoid chemical, ANA or 2-AG. Once the endocannabinoid is released, it is quickly broken down by enzymes in the area, so that the effect is only short lived, maybe milliseconds, and only when the endocannabinoids are released.

What Role Do the Endocannabinoid Receptors Play?

Once inhaled or ingested the plant-based cannabinoids present in cannabis, known as phytocannabinoids, get into the bloodstream and travel all over the brain and body. These phytocannabinoids then bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors in the brain and certain organs in the body just as the natural endocannabinoids, ANA 2-AG do. This results in similar effects to the body’s endocannabinoid chemicals, 2-AG and ANA. When we use medical cannabis we can have much higher doses of cannabinoids than our body is able to make, thus getting a medical or therapeutic effect. There are no specific enzymes in the body to immediately break down the cannabinoids from marijuana, so the effects last much longer. Different cannabinoids in marijuana interact directly or indirectly with the CB1 and CB2 receptors. The way in which the cannabinoids interact with these receptors, determines what medical effects and what adverse side effects we can expect.

In general CBD does not directly interact with the CB1 or CB2 receptors, but instead blocks an important enzyme that break down our natural cannbinoid ANA. So CBD results in an increase of our naturally occurring cannabinoids, throughout the brain and body. This can be thought of as increasing our cannabinoid tone.

Where are CB1 Receptors Located and What are Their Importance?

The CB1 receptors are mostly found in certain brain centers. Here is a list of most of the brain centers and their associated function:

Hippocampus: Learning, memory, stress related to adverse memories

Hypothalamus: Appetite

Limbic System: Anxiety

Cerebral Cortex: Pain processing, high cognitive functions

Nucleus Accumbens: Reward and Addiction

Basal Ganglia: Sleep, movement

Medulla: Nausea and vomiting chemoreceptor

 

However, there are quite a few organs in the body that also have CB1 receptors including the uterus, cardiovascular system, adipose tissue, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, bone and liver. We are still learning exactly how the ECS modulates these organs.

Where are CB2 Receptors Found and What are Their Functions?

The CB2 receptors are found mostly in the immune system cells in the brain and body. These cells are involved with immunity and inflammation, swelling, immune response, cell migration and programmed cell death. In general when the receptors are activated the immune or inflammatory response is turned down.

CB2 receptors are also found in our bone’s osteoblast cells. These cells work in tandem with osteoclasts to create new healthy bone cells. Studies have shown that activation of CB2 receptors results in improved healing of fractures.

Many tissues or organs of the body have both CB1 and CB2 receptors, providing different, often counter-balancing functions. Some of these include: skin, brain, liver, and bone.

Can a change in number of receptors occur and what is the effect of the change?

The number or density of these Endocannabinoid System (ECS) receptors, shaped like little buttons, in the membrane of a cell determines how often the receptors are activated. If over time, there is excess of stimulation of these receptors, then the number of receptors on the cell membrane will tend to decrease, this is called down-regulation. Therefore, it will take more of the cannabinoid to get the same effect. If there is not enough stimulation of these receptors, over time, the number of receptors will tend to increase, this is called up-regulation. This will result in more effects from lower doses of cannabinoids.

In order to learn how to dose CBD effectively, it is important to understand the importance of finding just the right dose that does not result in up or down regulation of the receptors on the cell membranes.

Why do we Believe CBD Has Medicinal Properties?

CBD works via the Endocannabinoid System (ECS), but unlike THC, it does not directly bind to CB1 or CB2 receptors. Instead it indirectly increases the activity of naturally produced endocannabinoids that attach to the CB2 receptors. It does this by blocking a certain enzyme known as FAAH. By blocking this enzyme there is an increase in the amount of ANA, one of body’s innate endocannabinoids. The net results in increase in CB2 activity, CBD also activates other receptors in the body’s systems that have to do with pain perception, and inflammation.

How to Avoid Exercise Related Soreness

“As a scientist and an athlete, I did my research to determine the best way to keep fit. After reading Body by Science and putting the author’s words into practice, I found that the high intensity exercise routine worked very well, but about two or three days after my first few workouts, I was more sore than I can remember with any other exercise routine. I tried NSAIDs, which did work, but also produced significant stomach upset. Now instead of NSAIDs, I use Cannabidiolic Acid (CBDA) & CBD  capsules orally and I found that the 50/50% mix of CBDA & CBD really helps to reduce the level of soreness. According to the the articles that I have been able to research, there is a very good reason for CBD’s effectiveness and that lies in its powerful ability to reduce inflammation.”

– James Lieberman, lead principal investigator for BBS

Finding Your Dose

The effective dose will varies from person to person, and is influenced by many factors such as age, weight, health, activity, etc. so dosing is a highly individual process.

We recommend starting with an effective low dose to make sure you don’t react poorly to any of the product’s ingredients. This may be at or  below the recommended serving size listed on the product. Then, wait until after the CBD has peaked and is leaving your system before trying a slightly higher dose. Wait at least an hour for tinctures and 6+ hours for an oral capsule formula. You can take more sooner, but any effects you feel will be the cumulative result of both doses.

Oral Dosing Using Capsules

Our  experience and preliminary trial data suggests that oral CBD and CBDA capsules taken by mouth may be effective for a number of symptoms associated with rheumatoid arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, and osteoarthritis. The dose in capsule form ranged from 50 mg to 150 mg per day. The dose taken used 50 mg capsules, consumed either morning, noon, and night with meals, or either the morning or the evening for the 50 mg per day dose.

For diabetic neuropathy, the optimum dose for a  young 100 lbs. female was 100 mg per day, 50 mg capsules taken in the morning and in the evening.

For pain associated with physical exertion (high intensity workout) we found that a 50 mg capsule taken immediately after exercise, and then followed by 50 mg per evening for the next 3 consecutive days, for a 150 lbs. male subject, was sufficient to mitigate the onset of significant muscle soreness.

A volunteer have related that a 50 mg oral dose taken with an evening meal significantly helps with insomnia. The subject was a 145 lbs female.

There are advantages and disadvantages to taking oral capsules. The advantage is the long duration for the cannabinoid to be dispersed through the subject’s body. The negative is that first pass metabolism has been reported to reduce the bio-availability of the dose by up to 93%. We have found that the addition of fat (oils) consumed with the CBD supplement capsule appears to improve the bioavailability. That is why we compound it with pure coconut oil and suggest that users take one gram of fish oil concomitantly with the CBD oil.

CBD Tincture Dosing

There’s limited information available for CBD tincture dosing. The following information is summarized from the book, CBD: What You Need to Know by Dr. Gregory L. Smith, MD, MPH. Essentially, what Dr. Smith recommends for the majority of indications for adults is to take 10 mg of tincture, three times a day split into portions for the morning, noon, and night for a total dose of 30 mg per day. He states that the dose in general may be increase by 10 mg every four days until a maximum of 400 mg has been reached.

Dr. Smith recommends that  children take 0.5 mg per pound of body weight divided by three doses per day of tincture, three times a day splitting it into portions for the morning, noon, and night for a maximum dose of 5 mg per pound per day.  For example ( 1), a child weighing 50 pounds would have a daily dose of 25 mg , and that would be divided by three for a dose of approximately 8 mg, three times a day. For example ( 2), a child weighing 100 pounds would have a daily dose of 50 mg per day, and that dose would be divided by three for a dose of approximately 16.7 mg, three times a day.

For further information on recommended doses, see Dr.Smith’s book under the indications below. For your assistance, the page numbers are listed.

  1. Acne, Psoriasis, and other Skin Conditions, see page 202-204.
  2. Anxiety, PTSD, and Stress, see page 156.
  3. Arthritis, see page 142-144.
  4. Autism Spectrum Disorder, see page 194.
  5. Chronic Pain, see page 94.
  6. Depression and Mood, see page 168-169.
  7. Fibromyalgia, see page 129.
  8. Gastrointestinal Conditions, see page 137.
  9. Headaches and Migraines, see page 85.
  10. Insomnia, see page 148.
  11. Multiple Sclerosis, Spasm, and Spasticity, see page 124.
  12. Neurodegenerative Disease, see page 179.
  13. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), see page 162.
  14. Psychosis and Schizophrenia, see page 173.
  15. Seizures and Epilepsy, see page 82.
  16. Withdrawal from Addiction, see page 103.
 

FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.