Our previous article delved into the science of CBC and its safety. In this article, we focus more on research findings from scientific and clinical studies discussing the potential health benefits of CBC when administered in the body.

Antimicrobial activity

Most members of the cannabinoid family possess an excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial effect, which may come in handy in fighting fungi and bacterial infections. The strong activity of CBC on a variety of acid-fast, gram-negative, and positive bacterial species has been reported. In this research, scientists tested the antibacterial and antifungal activity of CBC, its homologs and isomers on acid-fast, gram-negative, gram-positive dermatophyte, and yeast-like and filamentous fungal species. While CBC produced an excellent activity on the bacterial strains used in the research, the antifungal activity was moderate to mild.
There are also reports of CBC acting to limit the growth and spread of viral cells. Some analogs of CBC like daurichromenic acid (6b) have received most of the attention due to its bioactivity. It was discovered to play active roles as a potent HIV1 inhibitor and may elicit toxic roles to the cells producing them. Please note that the molecular and phytotoxic activities of daurichromenic acid have not been fully understood or explored.

Anti-inflammatory Properties

The inflammatory roles of CBC and its analogs cannot be overemphasized. Information from research has shown how they can serve to reduce swelling (edema) and inflammations linked with the intestinal tract. The anti-inflammatory properties of CBC tend to be higher than those experienced in other cannabinoids.

Analgesic Properties

Since CBC can also interact with the endocannabinoid receptors, it tends to offer some analgesic effects to users. Although this pain-relieving property may not be as strong as what is obtained in THC, the presence of CBC can also contribute to the overall analgesic effects experienced in the use of cannabis-based products. The analgesic properties of CBC are produced as a result of interacting with several targets involved in the pain circuit. Its non-psychoactive nature makes it one of the few cannabis-based compounds to be utilized for pain relief without worrying about possible psychoactive effects or feeling high.

Anti-Depressant

There are possible cases of reaction between CBC and other members of the phytocannabinoids to contribute to the overall mood-elevating activities of the cannabis plant. This property may come in handy in fighting against depression and other mood-related conditions. CBC activates a different pathway of activity from THC and may produce better results with no side effects.

 

Promotes the Growth of Brain Cells

The role of CBC in increasing the viability of developing brain cells via neurogenesis has been reported. This can assist in promoting brain and neural health in humans.

Anti-Proliferative

This involves the role of CBC and other cannabinoids in inhibiting the growth and spread of cancerous tumors. In most cases, this property results from the interaction of CBC with anandamide. Anandamide is one of the indwelling cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) that primarily acts on CB1 receptors to control neuronal activities. CB1 receptors possess a wonderful property that can fight against cases of human breast cancer. Since CBC can inhibit the uptake of anandamide, it tends to increase its half-life, thus making it more active against cancerous and tumor cells.

Conclusion

One major challenge experienced when it comes to the utilization of the numerous benefits of CBC is in how we can extract it. CBC occurs only in minute quantities in the cannabis plant, thus making it difficult to obtain in large quantities. It is mostly concentrated in tropical strains of cannabis known as the Phoenix tears.

Please note that CBC is safe for use and does not elicit harmful effects like THC. It has a wide potential range of activities. Don’t forget to contact our team of experts if you have questions on the use of CBC and its potential health benefits, our team of experts would love to hear your questions.

1 TURNER, C. E., & ELSOHLY, M. A. (1981). Biological Activity of Cannabichromene, its Homologs, and Isomers. The Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 21(S1), 283S–291S. doi:10.1002/j.1552-4604.1981.tb02606.x
2 Ijima M, Munakata R, Takahashi H, Kenmoku H, Nakagawa R, Kodama T, Asakawa Y, Abe I, Yazaki K, Kurosaki F, Taura F. (2017) Identification and characterization of daurichromenic acid synthase active in anti-HIV biosynthesis. Plant Physiology, 174, 2213-2230
3 Izzo A, Capasso R, Aviello G, Borrelli F, Romano B, Piscitelli F, Gallo L, Capasso F, Orlando P, Di Marzo V. (2012) Inhibitory effect of cannabichromene, a major non-psychotropic cannabinoid extracted from Cannabis sativa, on inflammation-induced hypermotility in mice. British Journal of Pharmacology, 166, 1444-1460
4 Davis WM, Hatoum NS. Neurobehavioral actions of cannabichromene and interactions with delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Gen Pharmacol. 1983;14:247–52
5 El-Alfy, A. T., Ivey, K., Robinson, K., Ahmed, S., Radwan, M., Slade, D., … Ross, S. (2010). Antidepressant-like effect of delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids isolated from Cannabis sativa L. Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior, 95(4), 434–442. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2010.03.004
6 Prenderville, J. A., Kelly, Á. M., & Downer, E. J. (2015). The role of cannabinoids in adult neurogenesis. British journal of pharmacology, 172(16), 3950–3963. doi:10.1111/bph.13186

Anthony Tribunella

Having experienced the benefits of CBD first hand when it was starting to gain popularity, Anthony decided to spend his working life championing it to the public and his peers in the wider CBD community. As a CBD innovator himself, Anthony likes to remain at the leading edge of scientific and product development to ensure that the potential of CBD has every chance of being fully realized.

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