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CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Guides, Science by

What Science says about Cannabis Trichomes

Trichomes are responsible for producing cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis.

In fact, almost all of the medical benefit of cannabis comes from trichomes. Compounds like THC and CBD are prescribed by doctors to treat maladies from cancer to headaches.
Trichomes (trichs) are at the heart of the cannabis consumers quest. They are the workhorses that produce the medical miracles that cannabis is known for.
That is because all of the chemicals doctors have discovered in cannabis that treat disease and pain are produced in tiny structures called trichomes. Without trichomes, cannabis wouldn’t be able to help people.
Need to cure some cancer? Cannabis can help because of trichomes. Looking to take the edge off with a quick toke? Better have THC rich trichomes loaded in that bowl or the effort is wasted.
 
Trichomes

So what are trichomes exactly?

 
Trichomes are basically tiny chemical factories that cannabis plants create during the flowering process. These factories produce a potent mix of chemicals known as cannabinoids and terpenes.
 
Most of the 85 cannabinoids found in cannabis are non-psychoactive, meaning they don’t get you high. Yet they do have significant scientific and medical applications that go way beyond getting stoned.
 
Cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system to produce a variety of positive effects. Research shows that THC and CBD act as neuroprotectants, increase neurogenesis, and can even relieve depression.
 
Terpenes on the other hand are the chemicals responsible for smells. Limonene is the terpene responsible for the smell of lemons while myrcene is what gives mangos their smell. Yet both terpenes along with a slew of others can be produced by trichomes.
 
So what does a trichome look like? It is a small hair-like structure produced in the flowers, leaves and stem of cannabis plants. Their main purpose is to protect the plant from dangers like insects or fungus.
 
Not to be confused with the pistils, trichs are small. Ranging from only 15-500 microns in size, individual trichomes are almost impossible to see with the naked eye. After all, a human hair is only 100 microns across.
 
Being small doesn’t stop them from creating the potent smell associated with cannabis though. Terpenes produced by trichs can be incredibly powerful, filling the air for miles around with the sweet smell of ganja.
 

 There are many interesting nuances about the science of trichomes. 

 
The chemicals that trichs produce have some amazing properties as well. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD act as neuroprotectants, increase neurogenesis, and relieve depression. Contrary to the fear-mongering of the last few decades, consuming cannabis can protect the body.
 
And don’t assume that people need to be blazed out of their minds in order to receive a benefit. Most of the 85 cannabinoids found in cannabis are non-psychoactive, meaning they don’t get you high.
In fact, even some forms of THC like THC-A and THC-V don’t get people high. The compounds simply can’t fit into the brains receptors responsible for the feeling of getting high.
Even though a person may not consciously feel the effects, cannabinoids and terpenes produced in trichs have a synergistic quality. The compounds work with each other to magnify the potency of the others.
Take Myrcene as an example. This terpene is found in and  responsible for the smell associated with mangos. Myrcene is also one of the most prevalent terpenes in cannabis.
Besides smelling nice, myrcene also helps THC bypass the blood-brain barrier. Basically letting people get high faster and with less cannabis. The effects of cannabis comes down to the ratio of terpenes and cannabinoids that the trichomes have in them at the time.
The specific ratio of cannabinoids and terpenes inside of trichs changes as the terpene develops. This makes timing the harvest a critical step of the process.

Trichome care — what to know about aging and handling of the plant.

 
So how do people know when a trichome is ready? They look for some of the signs of mature trichomes. These signs include a strong odor and a milky color.
 
As the cannabis plant enters the flowering process, it starts producing vast quantities of trichs.  Strong odors will develop as the initially clear trichomes begin their chemical foundries.
 
Immature trichomes often have high levels of CBD instead of THC. As a trichome matures, it will begin to cloud up and become milky. Once they have matured, THC becomes the most common cannabinoid.
 
Life for a trichomes doesn’t stop once it hits maturity though. They continue to develop as long as the plant sticks around. Trichomes that have lived past their prime also continue to change color.
 
As a trichome moves into old age, the color shifts from milky white to dark amber. The color reflects the chemical decomposition of THC. As the trichomes age, they break down THC into CBN.
 

How do people get the most value from trichomes?

 
Trichomes are produced during the flowering process of the cannabis plant. Once produced, trichomes develop over several months before being ready to harvest.
 
Harvesting before trichomes are fully developed will limit the potency of the final product. That makes the best time to harvest the plant at the final stages of the flowering stage.
 
Even though all plants are able to produce trichs, they don’t all do it evenly. The female plants produce the significantly more than the males, especially when unpollinated.
 
Pollinated cannabis plants divert a great deal of energy to producing seeds instead of trichs. This is why many growers remove male plants from their crop before moving into the flowering process.
 
Things like ensuring adequate nutrients, preventing pollination, high enough levels of light and preventing pests all contribute to heavy trichome yields. Genetics also play a major role in trichome development.
 
Sometimes strains can produce more trichomes than others. Strains like Durban Poison and Haze take a long time to grow and are known to produce less than strains like Critical Cure and Green Crack.

Other times, a plant needs a little extra push.

Adding  extra CO2 to a grow room can also increase the growth rate of cannabis which leads to additional trich production.
 
Many growers implement a CO2 burner in their rooms to ensure a constant abundance of gas for the plants to use in making more trichomes. This technique can add a significant amount of trichomes compared to other methods.
 
Growers can also extract the trichs from harvested plants in order to produce a stronger product. The extraction process can be simple or complex but the goal is the same: separate the trichomes from the rest of the plant.
 
Methods like ice baths, dry sifting and using chemical solvents have all been developed to try and isolate the trichomes. The isolated trichomes are essential for products like BHO, CO2 and PHO.
 
Truly, the trichome is the key player in the cannabis game. Without trichs and the chemicals they produce, cannabis would not be cultivated around the world.
 
Hopefully, legalization will continue to progress and more people will get to learn about how important the trichome really is. Thanks for reading.
 

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CategoriesAnalysis/Opinion, Guides, Medical, Science by

THC vs. CBD: What Do They Do?

Have you ever wondered what THC and CBD are?

For those who don’t know, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) are potent chemical compounds produced in the trichomes on cannabis flowers. Trichomes are the small mushroom looking structures that sparkle like crystals in the light. Cannabis with a high concentration of THC or CBD is prized over just about anything else.
The states that allow cannabis sales require licensed retailers to prominently display the THC, CBD and possibly several other three letter words for everything with cannabis in it. People are always talking about how potent cannabis has become compared to times past and equating it with the THC and CBD content. This all points to THC and CBD being important, but why?
To start, cannabinoids are a group of compounds that our bodies and plants produce naturally. There are over 85 different cannabinoids identified so far with more just waiting to be catalogued. They are called cannabinoids because when Raphael Mechoulam  first identified them back in 1964, they were in the cannabis plants the Israeli doctor was studying.
Science has shown that our own bodies produce and process cannabinoids in immune and nerve cells. Humans are not unique in this ability to process cannabinoids either. The systems needed can be found in many mammals including dogs and cats.
Some animals simply can’t process THC and CBD. Insects like bees and ladybugs don’t have the right systems to be affected by the cannabinoids produced in cannabis. So even if insects or reptiles get covered in cannabinoids, it can’t get them high.
Science is discovering that the connection humans have to cannabis goes down to the molecular level. Continued research into the structure of THC and CBD has revealed that they are structural isomers. Essentially, they have the same basic parts but get arranged in a different way.

How do THC and CBD Work?

Cannabinoids like THC and CBD are able to bond with a special network or system of receptors in our cells. This system is present in most mammals, that is why cats and dogs will respond to cannabis in similar ways as you and I.
The specific receptors responsible for how weed makes us feel are called the CB1 and CB2 receptors. They were named after the different cannabinoids they are specialized to work with. I agree it’s not a very interesting name but being as simple as possible makes for easier science.
This system is called the endo-cannabinoid system. Endo for inside and cannabinoid for the type of chemical they work with. Cannabinoids like THC and CBD activate the receptors by mimicking the  neurotransmitters our bodies naturally produce called anandamides. Our bodies can’t tell the difference and accept the imposters without question. Yet each cannabinoid has a unique effect.

  • CB1 receptors respond to THC and are responsible for the psychoactive effects of cannabis. They are present in most of the brain and play a role in vital functions like; memory, mood, sleep, appetite and pain sensation. Cancer, insomnia, PSTD, MS, and many more disorders respond positively to CB1 stimulation.
  • CB2 receptors respond to CBD and are responsible for the anti-inflammatory effects of cannabis. They are found in immune cells and help reduce inflammation. Since inflammation is an immune response that is believed to be a factor in many diseases and conditions, controlling it can have life altering effects for people.

THC Ladybug

How are THC and CBD different?

THC is psychoactive, meaning it affects consciousness. Things like irritability, hunger and pain are all tied to brain function. THC reduces activity in the hippocampus, the part of the brain where memories are formed/stored). It also inhibits the amygdale, the part where the fight or flight instinct is stored/triggered.
If enough THC is added to the hippocampus, it can lead to a build-up of anxiety. Feelings of paranoia often accompany this negative reaction as the brain tries to deal with the elevated levels of cannabinoids. While no deaths have ever been recorded from weed alone, consuming cannabis does lead to reduced activity in certain parts of the brain.
While reducing brain activity is normally a bad thing, trauma and chemical imbalances can lead to hyperactivity in these brain areas. Conditions like PTSD and anxiety are examples where THC is one of the best treatments available. In fact, the VA recently made strides toward incorporating treatments into the framework of our military.
CBD is a totally different beast. It’s non-psychoactive, meaning it doesn’t affect consciousness directly. Yet it has been shown to have many beneficial properties. Things like swelling, decreased blood flow and seizures are all treatable by CBD.
Besides calming muscle spasms, CBD is able to counteract the psychoactive elements of THC. They have a balancing duality and because of their chemical similarities, it only takes a little acid to transition from THC to CBD and back again. Several companies have successfully synthesized cannabinoids already but it appears that the best effects come from natural plant sources.

How do we use THC and CBD?

Given that our bodies are hard-wired to benefit from cannabinoids, how do we get more? The oldest and most reliable way is to smoke some of the cannabinoid-rich trichomes that cover the cannabis flower. Vaporizing, eating and creating topical creams are also common ways to consume cannabinoids.
Modern extraction techniques exist that can produce almost 100% pure THC from raw plant matter. While this is the most potent/efficient way to consume THC, most commercial products range from 60-80%. Part of the reason lower percentage extracts are more common is the high cost of extremely pure THC or CBD comparatively.
Most people today consume cannabis in the form of food or concentrate to treat a malady or illness. Research has shown THC from smoking weed to be a neural-protector and helps slow/prevent Alzheimer’s. Cannabis can also provide relief to people suffering from neural conditions like Parkinson’s and Cerebral palsy. Patients often find more relief from their tremors, seizures and chronic pain than through other treatments.
Cannabinoids also play a part in the success of traditional cancer treatments like chemo therapy by stimulating appetite, relieving depression and reducing pain. While these benefits may seem minor, the increase in quality of life to these patients is measurable. Over time, the body will adapt to elevated cannabinoid levels so monitoring dosing is important.
Higher concentrations of THC and CBD are often needed for treatment of life threatening illness than can be found in raw cannabis. Over the centuries, this problem has been solved by refining the raw flower into concentrates. Products like BHO, PHO, RSO and CO2 extracts are excellent sources of concentrated THC to modern consumers.
Thanks for reading.