The call of the jungle: What is CBDP and what are its effects?

A cannabis plant containing CBDP at sunset
A cannabis plant containing CBDP at sunset

   

   

What is CBDP? The unrevealed secrets of the rainforest

Despite the fact that the cannabis jungle is teeming with cannabis plants, only a handful of adventurers might be lucky enough to spot the phytocannabinoid CBDP, as it is found in cannabis, but only in minute quantities.

So how was he discovered? Thanks to state-of-the-art techniques such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS). Italian researchers, who also discovered THCP, identified CBDP as a natural phytocannabinoid in 2019, isolated it from the cannabis plant and named it cannabidiophorol, or CBDP for short.

Does this abbreviation remind you of any other substance you have come across in your wanderings? If CBD springs to mind, you're right. CBDP is the heptyl homologue of the well-known CBD (cannabidiol). The term homologue refers to chemical compounds of the same type that share similar chemical structure and properties. While CBD has a 5-membered lateral tail, CBDP has a 7-membered one.

 

The jungle of cannabis plants in which CBDP is found

Laboratory expedition: production of CBDP

Although CBDP is present in minute concentrations in the plant, direct extraction from cannabis to meet commercial demand is not only costly but also unfeasible. No one has yet discovered a strain of cannabis with a high concentration of CBDP in these wooded areas, so this cannabinoid is produced under laboratory conditions, outside the wild.

Behind the production of CBDP is a chemical process called isomerisation. In this reaction, a molecule, ion or fragment of a molecule is converted into an isomer that has a different structure. CBDP is produced by isomerisation from CBD isolate, which is the purest form of cannabidiol in the form of crystals with 0% THC content.

Although cannabinoids such as CBDP, THCB, THCH and THCJD can be found in the wildest parts of the hemp forest, cannabis products are only born in the lab. And because natural CBD is the starting material for CBDP, it is referred to as a semi-synthetic cannabinoid, just like, for example, H4CBD, HHC, HHCP, THCB, THCH and THCJD.

Revealing the effects of CBDP

Early reports from researchers suggest that the effects of CBDP are stronger than those of CBD and that it is not psychoactive.

In reviewing the science, we can note a 2018 study that suggests that the longer the side chain of cannabinoid compounds, the more effective the binding in the endocannabinoid system (ECS) in our body. The idea of this study has spread among some travelers who are inclined to think that CBDP might have better binding to the CB2 receptors in the ECS than CBD. However, this theory has been challenged by an Italian research team who stated in their study that CBDP shows a low ability to bind to both CB2 and CB1 receptors.

In the cannabis library, we also find a 2021 study by an Italian team looking at the potential against breast cancer. The study suggested that the effects of CBDP are similar to those of CBD, but arguably more potent, and it seems that it could be useful in fighting breast cancer cells. It also looks like CBDP could enhance the effect of some cancer drugs already in use. When CBDP was administered together with CBD, it enhanced each of these effects, which could possibly be related to the so-called entourage effect. This phenomenon is explained as the combined effect of compounds acting in synergy.

From the thicket of hitherto unexplored effects, hints of CBDP's antioxidant, antiepileptic and anti-inflammatory properties stand out.

However, it is currently not possible to draw any conclusions about how and by what force CBDP acts on receptors in the ECS. Although CBDP shows promising therapeutic potential, we need to wait for further research to confirm this.

Pitfalls: what are the side effects of CBDP?

In a dense tropical forest, we can be surprised by various traps in the form of dangerous animals, insects and impermeable vegetation. Just like in the jungle, we must be careful when going on a cannabinoid quest, and be aware that every substance comes with a risk of side effects.

CBD is generally considered a well-tolerated and safe substance. Adventurers usually report only rare encounters with side effects, which occur especially at high doses. We can therefore expect that similar side effects may occur with CBDP.

Some may experience a dry mouth, as if wandering in the desert without a drop of water, others may feel tired and sleepy, experience changes in appetite and mood swings. Sometimes dizziness may occur, as when a traveller swings high on a liana, or abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

Even though you are tackling the same routes as other adventurers, bear in mind that cannabinoids affect everyone differently, the intensity of side effects will depend on the health, age, body proportions, metabolism and tolerance of the explorer, but also on the product and dose.

From the jungle to the marketplace: What CBDP products are available?

The cannabinoid CBDP is no longer just a hidden jungle issue, travelers report that it is also showing up in civilization, most commonly:

  • CBDP vapes - vaporizing pens can be in the form of disposables (usually last about 500 to 600 coats, some can be refilled), or refillable with liquid or with replaceable cartridges.
  • Cartridge - pre-filled cartridges in a combination of CBDP and CBD distillate in various concentrations and flavours, usually supplemented with natural terpenes.
  • CBDP hash - hemp concentrate made from the pollen of technical hemp and CBDP distillate.
  • Flowers - sticks of technical hemp infused with distillate, usually a combination of CBDP and CBD distillate in different concentrations, strains and flavours.

 

Dark bottles, products with cannabinoid CBDP

Back to civilisation

The phytocannabinod CBDP exists naturally in the cannabis plant, but only in trace amounts. The designation CBDP led us to the more famous CBD, which is a heptyl homologue of cannabidiol. It is produced in the laboratory from a CBD isolate that is converted into CBDP through a process called isomerisation. It is referred to as a semi-synthetic cannabinoid.

The experience of explorers who have already taken this route suggests that CBDP may be more potent than CBD and that it does not have psychotropic effects. It should be added that there is still a lack of research in this untouched area of scientific enquiry to clarify the overall impact of cannabidiol on the body and its therapeutic potential.

It is important that every explorer has sufficient information in advance in the form of a laboratory analysis that verifies the purity of cannabis products.

   

Author: Canntropy 🌴

   

   

Photo: Shutterstock

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