You’re likely familiar with the major cannabinoid CBD and you might be familiar with the minor cannabinoid CBG. After all, more people than ever are including CBD and CBG into their daily wellness routines.
That’s because both cannabinoids have a wide range of supportive abilities. However, perhaps you’ve never heard of their acidic forms—known as CBDA and CBGA.
Lately, these two cannabinoids have been getting a lot of attention—for a good reason, too. If you’d like to learn about CBDA and CBGA, what supportive benefits they have, and what products you can find them in, then continue reading below.
Where Do CBDA and CBGA Come From?
First, we need to understand how cannabinoids are “made”. When cannabis flowers are growing, the first cannabinoid that appears is CBGA.
CBGA is sort of like the grandmother of all other cannabinoids because the rest form from it. As the plant matures, the CBGA is converted to other cannabinoids.
That means that CBGA turns into CBDA, THCA, CBCA, and so on. Once the plant is ready for harvest, most CBGA has been converted… But not all of it.
What Are the Acidic Forms of Cannabinoids?
To understand CBDA and CBGA, we need to go over a bit of chemistry. Don’t worry, we’re not expecting you to remember much from school!
Remember that CBD and CBG are basically just chemical compounds; both of them have unique chemical structures.
If that structure changes at all, then it becomes a different chemical. So, CBDA and CBGA have slightly different chemical structures from CBD and CBG.
Basically, CBDA and CBGA are called the acidic forms because they have an acidic carboxyl group attached to them. This extra carboxyl group is the only difference between regular CBD and CBG.
The thing is, the acidic form is also known as the inactive form.
To become their active forms (CBD or CBG), they need to be decarboxylated—aka, removing the carboxyl group. Although this sounds complicated, it’s as easy as adding heat.
If you’ve ever smoked or vaped hemp, then you’re decarbing the cannabinoids. When enough heat is applied, the carboxyl group falls off, and CBDA and CBGA become CBD and CBG.
Now, it might be surprising to find out that almost all cannabinoids exist on the cannabis plant in their acidic forms. If you find a hemp flower, almost all the CBD on the plant exists as CBDA.
When cannabinoids are added to wellness products, they’re usually decarboxylated first in one manner or another to be in their active form.
What Are the Supportive Benefits of CBDA and CBGA?
At one time, people thought that the acidic forms of cannabinoids were useless, which is why they’re still called inactive cannabinoids. However, recent research suggests that there’s a lot more to CBDA and CBGA than once thought.
In an early study in 2008, researchers found that CBDA was able to block an enzyme called COX-2. The thing is, the COX-2 enzyme is important in the inflammation process.
That suggests that CBDA may be able to have supportive benefits for inflammation.
Then, in 2013, a study on mice found that CBDA could reduce nausea better than CBD could. That means that including CBDA into a wellness routine may provide supportive benefits to those with nausea.
On the other hand, CBGA has many supportive benefits of its own. One study in 2018 found that CBGA might be able to stop an enzyme called aldose reductase (ALR2).
A high quantity of ALR2 is usually found in people with diabetes and is thought to cause many problems, including heart disease. That means that CBGA might have supportive benefits for those with diabetes.
CBDA, CBGA, and COVID-19
Perhaps the most exciting finding of all is that CBDA and CBGA might have supportive benefits for COVID-19. Earlier this year (2022) a research paper was released from Oregon State University claiming CBDA and CBGA can keep the SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering cells.
Basically, the SARS-CoV-2 virus can infect people because of its spike proteins. These spike proteins are like arms that search for a specific receptor called human ACE2 (hACE2).
These hACE2 receptors are found mainly in the lungs and around the body. Once the spike proteins of the virus touch the hACE2 receptors, they can grab hold of and subsequently infect human cells.
The thing is, according to the research, CBDA and CBGA can connect to the spike proteins. That means that, according to their study, the cannabinoids block the virus and keep it from attaching and infecting human cells.
Where Do I Find Wellness Products With CBDA and CBGA?
If you’re searching for wellness products that have the acidic forms of CBDA and CBGA, then look no further than Sky Wellness. Sky Wellness crafts the best CBD and CBG products on the market.
Every product is produced GMO-free, gluten-free, and is grown right here in the USA. Not only that, but Sky Wellness already has versatile products that include both CBDA and CBGA!
One of the top products packed with CBDA is Sky Wellness’ 900mg CBDaF! Softgels. These softgels are infused with a full spectrum of cannabinoids, including CBGA, for a balanced wellness profile.
If you’re looking to lend supportive benefits to your immune system, then check out Sky Wellness' CBD and CBG Immunity Softgels in 750mg or 125mg sizes.
The Immunity Line delivers all the supportive benefits of both CBD and CBG with a hefty dose of both. Even better, the Immunity line's Softgel products also include CBDA and CBGA for an even wider range of supportive benefits.
As a testament to Sky Wellness’ quality, every product is 5-panel lab-tested. That ensures that you’re getting a safe product and the full dose of cannabinoids you are looking for.
Why Choose Sky Wellness Products?
Choosing Sky Wellness is easy because they make robust, diverse, and safe wellness products. Instead of only offering basic CBD products, Sky Wellness keeps an eye on what’s happening with cannabinoid research.
That’s especially true of the recent CBDA, CBGA, and COVID-19 research that we talked about earlier. The news has been going wild with the buzz of the recent findings, but as a company, Sky Wellness only stands behind research that can be proven. As CEO of Sky Wellness, Thom Brodeur, puts it:
“The buzz in the media over these past several weeks has been about connecting the dots between CBD and COVID prevention or support. As one of the fastest growing makers of more than 100 CBD products, Sky Wellness takes product efficacy and marketing claims and research very seriously. To us, the exciting part is that there is more research to do, more ground to cover and more to discover that may - like this recent research suggests - show us use cases and value for CBD and its derivatives that have been right under our noses all this time.”
That means that Sky Wellness is ready to respond to ongoing research and make better wellness products as time goes on. For now, Sky Wellness is already ahead of the curve, and you can start trying the supportive benefits of lesser-known cannabinoids like CBDA and CBGA—today.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer. All opinions expressed in this blog post are the author's own and do not reflect the view of Sky Wellness or its brands/affiliates.
