Why always nature?
Today, cannabinoids can be produced synthetically without any problems and are even cheaper than natural hemp extracts. But can the laboratory product hold a candle to nature?
Hemp: a complex plant
The cannabis plant contains numerous cannabinoids: tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), cannabinol (CBN), cannabigerol (CBG) or cannabichromene (CBC) are only the best known. Neither their individual effects nor their interaction have been sufficiently researched. Even the human body produces cannabinoids: the endocannabinoids. The human body thus has an endocannabinoid system that can interact with cannabinoids. Many functions of the body are related to the endocannabinoid system - sleep, appetite, memory, and many others. Cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD) can now be produced synthetically. But are synthetic cannabinoids equal to the natural variety?
Artificial cannabinoids are cheaper
The synthesizing of natural compounds is an important branch of the pharmaceutical industry. Aspirin, for example, is the result of the industrial synthesis of a natural active ingredient. The active ingredient salicin can be extracted from the leaves and bark of the willow tree. The aspirin from the pharmacy contains the synthesized version of the active ingredient, acetylsalicylic acid. And of course we could still treat the complaints for which we reach for aspirin with natural remedies based on the willow as a medicinal plant.
Synthetic CBD in the form of a very pure, crystalline powder is usually used as the active pharmaceutical ingredient. On a molecular level, there is no difference to the herbal CBD. The production of the synthetic active ingredient is a simple process for the pharmaceutical industry, and the quality can thus be standardized. Synthetically produced, a substance like cannabidiol is cheaper than if it has to be extracted naturally from the plant. Even though consumers usually prefer natural extracts - purely emotionally - mass-produced synthetic substances are ahead in terms of price.
The production of natural CBD is associated with costs and risks
Despite the greater effort, many manufacturers of cannabis products nevertheless often rely on natural CBD - even if the production is more costly and incalculable: Maintaining the plantations is expensive and labour-intensive. Natural cultivation is fraught with additional risks, for example, there are usually limits on THC concentrations that may not be exceeded. As a natural product is subject to fluctuations in THC content, there is a risk of losing the entire harvest if these are exceeded. The use of artificial cannabinoids excludes this risk.
Entourage effect: the whole is greater than the sum of the parts
The advantage of isolated components is obvious: the targeted use of an active ingredient for humans. I have a vitamin C deficiency, so I take vitamin C. Or my body needs more vitamin D, then I take vitamin D. But practice shows that, firstly, it is not always so clear what we are lacking and, secondly, that the isolated substance does not have the same effect as when it interacts with other substances. Just as little does a telephone call replace a personal relationship, so little does a vitamin C tablet replace an apple or an orange. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
In cannabis research, this is called the "entourage effect"; it states that a mixture of plant substances has a higher biological activity than the isolated pure substance itself. In other words, we don't know for sure if CBD is not more potent if we consume THC or certain plant-derived terpenes or flavonoids along with the CBD. We only know: This or that did me good - but why exactly? For this reason, Heimat products always contain whole flowers, not just isolated components. Experience teaches us that we may see a small section more clearly under the microscope - but that this is not the whole truth. Every plant is an orchestra. Just like the human organism. Let them play together.
