This archived announcement introduced our CBD RAW oil range and the research questions surrounding cannabidiolic acid, commonly abbreviated to CBDA.
The launch described three CBD oils made using a process stated to achieve 60% decarboxylation, with the intention of retaining CBDA. That historical process figure is not the CBDA concentration of a finished oil. The relevant product specification and batch analysis are needed to establish how much CBDA and CBD an individual oil contains; this announcement does not provide those measurements.
The original range was offered through our online shop. The collection now shows the products currently listed, so an archived launch should not be treated as confirmation that every original variant remains available.
What is CBDA?
CBDA stands for cannabidiolic acid. It is chemically related to CBD and is its acidic precursor: decarboxylation converts CBDA into CBD. Heat can accelerate this conversion. The two compounds therefore need to be distinguished when reading a product analysis or a research paper; a finding about one cannot automatically be applied to the other.
CBDA contains a carboxyl group, written as COOH, with one carbon, one hydrogen and two oxygen atoms. During decarboxylation, carbon dioxide is released and CBD is formed; this conversion does not release hydrogen gas. Research into the mechanism and kinetics of CBDA decarboxylation describes the chemical changes involved.
The conversion can occur gradually over time and is accelerated by heating, including during smoking or vaping cannabis material. Its rate depends on temperature, time and the sample’s composition. More heat is not simply better: the chemistry study also observed CBD degradation after a certain point. These observations explain processing and storage considerations; they are not instructions to heat or inhale a finished oil.
CBDA and breast-cancer cell research
A laboratory study examined CBDA in cultured human breast-cancer cells. It investigated genes associated with metastasis, the spread of cancer. It did not test CBDA treatment in patients or demonstrate that an oil prevents cancer from spreading in the body.
After 48 hours of exposure, the researchers observed lower COX-2 expression and increased expression of SHARP1, also called BHLHE41. The paper cited COX-2 expression in approximately 40% of invasive breast cancers as background context. That percentage was not a response rate for CBDA treatment.
The paper also cited an estimate that metastasis accounts for approximately 90% of breast-cancer deaths. This explains the research interest; it is not evidence of improved survival or prognosis with CBDA. The authors called for further investigation beyond cell cultures.
CBDA and inflammation research
Laboratory findings involving the enzyme COX-2 do not establish an anti-inflammatory benefit in people. The paper also discussed conflicting enzyme-inhibition results between studies.
Although COX-2 is a target for some established anti-inflammatory medicines, sharing a research target does not make CBDA equivalent to those medicines or prove that it treats arthritis.
CBDA, nausea and vomiting in animal models
A study in animals found reduced toxin- and motion-induced vomiting in house musk shrews and reduced conditioned gaping, a nausea-related behaviour, in rats. The researchers reported greater potency than CBD in these experimental settings. Potency in an animal model is not proof of greater effectiveness for people, and the study did not test the retail oils introduced here.
The experiments supported a role for enhanced activation of 5-HT1A serotonin receptors in the effects on conditioned gaping in rats. The researchers did not establish that the same receptor mechanism explained the effects on vomiting in shrews.
These findings identify questions for further research, including chemotherapy-related and anticipatory nausea. They do not establish a human treatment, an effective consumer dose or a reason to replace prescribed anti-nausea care with a CBDA oil.
CBDA, stress and anxiety: a research question
The original discussion also raised stress and anxiety as possible research areas because CBDA shares some chemical and experimental features with CBD. Similarity is a starting point for investigation, not evidence that the two compounds have identical effects. The studies discussed here do not demonstrate that CBDA treats stress or anxiety in people. Separate clinical evidence would be needed to assess benefits, risks and appropriate use for that purpose.