Cannabinoids are interesting therapeutic molecules because they do not act the same as most pharmaceutical drugs. Rather than strongly binding to a single target in the body, many cannabinoids only weakly connect with targets or affect receptors in a process called allosteric regulation. They also reinforce each other’s behavior, with the presence of one cannabinoid causing increased sensitivity to the activity of another. These findings could help explain the results of a 2015 study published in the journal Pharmacology & Pharmacy, where researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem compared the efficacy of isolate CBD vs. a full spectrum extract from the CBD-rich ‘ACDC’ chemovar. The results showed whole-cannabis extracts provided significantly more pain relief, as well as stronger anti-inflammatory properties and increased inhibition of compounds that are known to cause neurodegenerative diseases. This panel will discuss when isolated CBD therapies may be appropriate while comparing other situations when a full entourage of cannabinoids and terpenes may be more appropriate.
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