CBDV: This little-known cannabinoid with promising effects

Today we present to you CBDV, known as cannabidivarin, it is a natural cannabinoid that is not very well known, but very close to CBD.

 

It is relatively little studied but enough to be discussed, it shows potentially interesting effects on several pathologies: epilepsy, inflammation, neurodevelopmental discheckouts…

 

Want to know exactly what CBDV is? What are its potential benefits and side effects? We explain everything in this article, backed by scientific research!

 
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CBDV: What is Cannabidivarin and how does it work?

 

What is CBDV?

Cannabidivarin (CBDV) is a secondary cannabinoid naturally present in certain cannabis varieties. As you might have guessed if you've been following our items, it's the CBD version of THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin).

 

Like THCV, CBDV contributes to the entourage effect, a phenomenon that increases the effects of cannabinoids and terpenes when consumed with other cannabinoids and terpenes.

 

But unlike THCV, CBDV can be found in relatively large quantities naturally. It is notably present in wild cannabis flowers from northern India and Nepal, as well as in resins from the same regions. Like THCV, there is a more potent counterpart to CBDV, called CBDP.

CBDV vs. CBD: What's the difference?

From a molecular perspective, CBDV is very similar to CBD. The differences between them are the same as those between THC and THCV.

 

The only notable difference lies in its shorter side chain, which slightly alters its effects and its interaction with the endocannabinoid system.

 

CBDV: Mechanism of Action

Like most other cannabinoids, studies are still quite limited and at a preliminary stage. While its mechanisms of action and variations are not fully explained, we know enough to briefly explain how it works:

 

It is now known that CBDV, like CBD, has relatively little effect on CB1 receptors and even less on CB2 receptors. This is why these two molecules do not share the psychotropic effects and sensory distortions associated with cannabis and certain synthetic cannabinoids.

 

Some studies suggest that CBDV interacts at other levels with other receptors also present in the endocannabinoid system. This is notably the case for TRPV2 and TRPV1 receptors. These receptors, whose acronym stands for "Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid," are also known in French as capsaicin receptors.

 

They can be activated in various ways and, like CB1 and CB2, they are involved in the chemical response produced by our body to certain stimuli.

 

Typically, these are the ones that activate to produce the perception of pain and heat that we feel when we eat chili peppers, if we have been bitten by certain insects, or when we use a heating ointment.

 

This is interesting because these same receptors are involved in inflammatory and metabolic processes, which could make CBDV a potential candidate for certain therapeutic applications.

 

Researchers are particularly interested in the potential of CBDV in managing inflammation, chronic pain, and certain neurological conditions.

 

The effects of CBDV according to scientific studies

 

Currently, we have relatively little information on CBDV, but it is nonetheless better known than many other secondary cannabinoids. Enough, in any case, to provide you with an overview of the scientific studies on the subject:

CBDV and epilepsy: an anticonvulsant potential

One of the first studies we're going to talk about dates back to 2013. In a preliminary study conducted at the University of Reading in England, a group of researchers attempted to examine the anticonvulsant effects of CBD and CBDV on rats and mice [1].

 

To do this, the researchers conducted randomized studies. Some mice received CBD, others CBDV, and a third group received CBD + CBDV. The doses and forms in which the cannabinoids were administered varied depending on the group of mice.

 

Next, they sought to induce seizures in mice in checkout to measure the resilience induced by cannabinoids.

 

The study concluded that CBDV had shown significant anticonvulsant effects, but surprisingly, these effects were not related to the CB1 receptor.

 

This fact piqued the interest of researchers who continued their research. And the following year, in 2014, a group of Italian researchers were able to explain these effects by proving the interaction of CBDV with TRPV receptors2]

 

These receptors can "contribute to the onset and progression of certain forms of epilepsy." Therefore, by acting on these same receptors,CBD and CBDV rapidly activate and desensitize them, making the individual less susceptible to this type of seizure. 

CBDV and autism spectrum discheckouts (ASD).

In 2019, a group of Anglo-American researchers attempted to study the effects of CBDV on autism spectrum discheckout (ASD) [3]. This idea arose after they examined preclinical studies demonstrating the compound's ability to act on brain inhibitory-excitatory receptors. It turns out that these receptors may also be involved in ASD.

 

Indeed, some autism spectrum discheckouts are neurodevelopmental discheckouts affecting socio-emotional communication. Researchers therefore believe that treatment targeting the brain's inhibitory-excitatory systems during development could prevent some of the communication problems that develop in the brains of very young children.

 

The researchers therefore conducted tests using a double-blind, randomized crossover design, studying the responses of subjects exposed to CBDV compared to a placebo. The study concluded that CBDV did indeed have an effect on the brain's inhibitory-excitatory pathways involved in autism spectrum discheckouts (ASD). However, the responses were not uniform, with varying degrees of impact depending on the individual, as it was found that CBDV did not affect the same brain regions in every case.

 

The study therefore had to conclude that CBDV alone, in its current form, could not provide a suitable and safe clinical treatment. Nevertheless, it represents progress in understanding and treating ASD and calls for further research.

 

 

CBDV for nausea

It is not uncommon to read that cannabis and CBD can have positive effects on nausea, particularly that caused by cancer treatments.

And the reverse is also true; there are many items and testimonies stating that cannabis frequently produces a feeling of nausea, particularly among regular users and during bad trips.

 

This is explained by the fact that CB1 receptors, particularly affected by THC, are themselves the source of nausea when they undergo the appropriate stimulus.

 

Given this observation, American researchers wondered whether the use of CBDV and THCV could produce this nausea-inducing stimulus or create a reverse stimulus that could prevent this nausea4].

 

The study concludes that neither THCV nor CBDV produces nausea and that, by eliminating gaps in the receptors that are the source of this nausea, both molecules "may have therapeutic potential to reduce nausea. "

CBDV and Rett syndrome

Finally, the study we found most fascinating: the action of CBDV on Rett syndrome.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is classified as a rare neurodevelopmental discheckout, primarily affecting girls during the first 6 to 18 months of life. It causes a stagnation of psychomotor development, leading to a loss of motor and language skills, as well as brain atrophy.

 

There is currently no treatment for this disease, but it is known that 95% of cases are caused by a mutation of the X gene. And it is also known that the endocannabinoid system regulates several physiological processes that are altered by this disease.

 

So the researchers' goal was to verify whether CBDV, by acting on the endocannabinoid system, could present an interesting therapeutic efficacy.

 

For this study [5], researchers administered CBDV to a group of rats affected by RTT for 14 days. The result was more than encouraging; the researchers observed a recovery of the behavioral and cerebral alterations in the subjects:

 

"CBDV treatment restored compromised overall health, sociability, and brain weight in RTT mice. Partial restoration of motor coordination was also observed."

 

In addition, they also found much higher levels of G protein in the hippocampus of mice, opening up a new avenue of research in the treatment of RTT.

Encouraging results, but the watchword remains caution

CBDV, although still largely unknown, has shown exciting therapeutic potential. In doing so, it has also expanded much of our knowledge about the endocannabinoid system and its ability to regulate several pathologies, while also teaching us more about these pathologies themselves.

 

However, it's important to keep in mind that many aspects of its action and mechanisms remain unclear. It will be many years before we can definitively conclude that CBDV is completely safe and has a genuine therapeutic effect.

 

Until then, keep staying informed by following our blog!