CBM Cannabinoid – Researchers Discover Medicinal Properties

2020 has brought with it many surprises, some good, some bad and some worse, but in the world of cannabis some interesting moves have been made. Earlier on this year, the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry in Italy published a study in a journal called Molecules. This study was published after a certain strain of hemp, Carmagnola, was found to have a high concentration of the CBM Cannabinoid; Cannabimovone. This cannabinoid was discovered in recent years, although no further research was done as it was originally only found in incredibly small amounts in various strains.

You might be wondering what CBM is and what it can be used for. If you’ve heard of THC or CBD, then you already know what it is; it’s a cannabinoid found in much smaller concentrations than the more popular THC and CBD. Cannabinoids are compounds that cannabis plants secrete in their flowers, and they are also responsible for the medicinal and psychoactive effects that cannabis can produce when consumed in different ways.

It’s common knowledge these days that CBD and THC (among other cannabinoids) are capable of producing a wide range of medicinal effects that are capable of relieving pain, lowering inflammation, and in certain concentrations, treating anxiety and insomnia. These compounds interact with our endocannabinoid system, essentially imitating endocannabinoids. This system is divided into two types of receptors; CB1, which can be found in the brain, and CB-2 which is distributed around the body. Different cannabinoids interact with these receptors in different ways, which is why certain strains can relieve pain whereas others may be more suited for mental activity. So, what does CBM do?

The Importance of the CBM Cannabinoid

In March of 2020, a group of Italian researchers published an article in Molecules regarding CBM and the possibility that it could be used to treat a certain type of diabetes, which is an illness that is known for presenting as too much sugar in the blood. This can happen when the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin, which regulates blood-sugar levels, or when your body can’t process sugar correctly due to either a genetic connection or obesity. This is where the endocannabinoid system comes into play.

These scientists and researchers discovered, via a 3D rendering, that CBM connects to CB2 receptors, specifically two types of “Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors” called PPARα and PPARγ, activating them partially. These receptors essentially control cell creation in the human body’s main organs and in the fatty tissue which regulates hormones, while also regulating the metabolism. The researchers have been quoted saying “[…] These findings support CBM as a new bioactive compound potentially useful for the treatment of insulin resistant disorders,” which essentially means that this newly investigated cannabinoid could be a potential treatment for type 2 Diabetes.

In fact, studies show that activating PPARγ receptors has the capacity to help treat various neuro-inflammatory conditions such as Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis. CBM is a cannabinoid that is most likely going to have a big part to play in cannabis-related medicine in the future; as of now, it’s only been found in large amounts in Carmagnola hemp plants, which are an Italian landrace strain, although scientific advances may allow it to be bred with other strains or genetically modified in order to create even larger amounts, or even replicated in a lab.

Further CBM Cannabinoid Investigation

While cannabis is legal for recreational and medicinal use in most of the US and various countries around the world, and is still in the process of legalization in many more places, it still has certain red tape surrounding it which hinders scientific research. In the US, cannabis is classified federally as a schedule I drug alongside other drugs such as LSD and heroin, described as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse”.

This leads to an incredible amount of red tape and restrictions when trying to get permission to run medical, clinical trials, including issues such as where to source the cannabis from, and how they’ll be acquiring it, etc. According to federal law, the cannabis must be that which was grown for research by the government at authorized facilities, which is old cannabis that’s much weaker than strains available today. This makes it incredibly hard to get any research done, which leads to many people using cannabis without having access to the necessary information, and this is something that seems to be a theme around the world.

The Future of Cannabimovone as Medicine

There are certain US researchers that have managed to get around the restrictions, conducting their research in vehicles due to not being given campus space, using volunteers to measure the effects of certain cannabinoids. However, these tests aren’t controlled and definitely aren’t efficient, leaving many questions unanswered and many evidence that requires further study in a controlled environment, which researchers simply can’t access without jumping through ropes as well as using weak, government-supplied cannabis that won’t produce accurate results.

There is evidence that cannabinoids can help with varying issues, from pain and inflammation, to treating withdrawal symptoms and chemotherapy side-effects, and anecdotal evidence for many other treatments such as certain cannabinoids’ anti-viral capacities and many other claims that have been made over the years. The fact that CBM interacts with and activates receptors that are very closely involved in insulin and metabolism regulation should be enough on its own to warrant further research into a compound that could possibly help treat an issue that over 9.3% of the world’s population struggles with. Unfortunately, regulations around the world need to advance and begin to declassify cannabis before researchers can conduct proper trials.

Other Cannabinoids of Note

To date, at least 113 cannabinoids have been isolated in cannabis, with THC and CBD being the most well-known compounds. However, throughout recent years, more cannabinoids have been found to hold important medicinal properties, such as CBG and CBN.

CBG, Cannabigerol, has been discovered to be a cannabinoid from which other cannabinoids are created. In fact, CBG often turns into CBD and THC. It’s thought to have similar medicinal properties to CBD, although it’s important to note that it works best in conjunction with CBD. In fact, most CBD oils and creams include a certain amount of CBG.

CBN is a cannabinoid that’s non-psychoactive and occurs when THC degrades over time, which means that it can be found in higher concentrations in older cannabis buds. Out of the limited studies that have been done regarding CBN, it has been found to potentially have antibacterial properties, cause appetite stimulation and act as a neuroprotectant, although these trials were done on rats and human testing has yet to be done.