Cannabis Information

With countries worldwide slowly legalizing cannabis, research is finally growing and we’re constantly finding out more about the 120+ cannabinoids in the marijuana plant, namely CBDV, otherwise known as Cannabidivarin. 

People are looking beyond conventional THC or CBD and seeking out new cannabinoids like this one, and in this article, we will explain why CBDV is worth looking into. The laws have limited public access and therapeutic research on non-psychoactive cannabinoids. Fortunately, we’re discovering more and more cannabinoids that are non-psychoactive and still have the healing properties of cannabis.

So, what is CBDV?

Cannabidivarin (CBDV) is a Varin cannabinoid first reported in a benzene extract from a Thai cannabis variety referred to as “Meao” in 1977, and identified for the first time in 1969 Vollner et al. CBDV is a homolog of CBD and is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid. As you can see below, The slight difference here is the propyl chain that CBDV carries. 

Like CBD, cannabidivarin has 7 double bond isomers and 30 stereoisomers. There is a side-chain shortened by two methylene bridges. The biggest difference between CBD and CBDV is their concentrations in the cannabis plant. You can find trace amounts of CBDV in high-quality full-spectrum and broad-spectrum extracts that help to produce the entourage effect.

Varin cannabinoids (technically called varinolic cannabinoids) are a subfamily of cannabinoids that feature three carbons on their alkyl side chains. The most well-known examples are THCV, CBDV, CBGV, and CBCV. There are also acid forms of THCVA, CBDVA, CBGVA, and CBCVA.

CBDV exists in very small quantities. Recently, several African landrace strains (which are genetically pure and unimpacted by experimentation) of Cannabis indica were found to have CBDV and the related THCV in concentrations closer to 4%. There are also plant breeders creating high CBDV and THCV strains of hemp and marijuana — but the current record still sits below 7% CBDV. 

What are the medicinal effects?

Epilepsy

Due to the rise in popularity of CBDV, researchers are trying to discover its medical benefits. In 2014, GW Pharmaceuticals finished a Phase 1 clinical trial of its CBDV test product (known as GWP42006). The clinical trial explored the use of CBDV as an anti-epileptic drug. The company continues to research CBDV heavily. You won’t feel a psychoactive ‘high’ from CBDV. Instead, you can expect it similar effects to CBD. The lack of a ‘high’ means we can use CBDV similarly, which is still being researched.

GW were set to enter Phase III trials in late 2019 but had to terminate the study because of the pandemic. They’re currently recruiting for a new trial, and the CEO Justin Gover made the following statement;

“CBDV represents an additional product pipeline opportunity as a next-generation epilepsy therapy.”

This study follows the completion of a Phase 1 trial in 66 healthy subjects in 2014. In this trial, CBDV was well tolerated even at the highest tested dose and no significant side effects were observed. Most importantly, following this trial, There were no serious or severe adverse events, nor any withdrawals due to adverse events.

Rett Syndrome

As you may know, Rett syndrome (RTT) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by severe behavioral and physiological symptoms with no cure available to date. A study was done on mice with CBDV being administered for 14 days. The study restored compromised general health status of the mice, the sociability, and the brain weight in RTT. While more studies are required, this shows great promise for the medical use of CBDV.

Autism

Some of the most interesting recent research into CBDV has been around the subject of autism. This condition, which affects more children and adults every year, is still being researched to find effective medications. The use of CBDV for autism has rapidly gained popularity over the last two years.

The study suggests that CBDV targets subcortical excitatory glutamate systems both in autistic and neurotypical adults. This study compared the effects of CBDV in neurodiverse patients and neurotypical patients. They noted a higher degree of difference in ASD patients with elevated glutamate. Very little benefit was reported on those with normal glutamate levels.

Some studies have even shown that people diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have below-average anandamide levels in the brain, one of the body’s endocannabinoids. 

Pain

In this study, patients underwent two successive treatment phases (4 weeks each) and were treated with CBDV. While the study wasn’t necessarily conclusive, it did explore the potential utility of CBDV for neuropathic pain. 

While CBDV research is increasing, so far there are no guarantees that cures or applications have been or will be found. The existing CBDV studies and research papers indicate grounds for medical optimism that previously may not have existed. With the growing interest in the industry, there’s endless potential. Fortunately, there should not be severe restrictions on CBDV, considering its lack of psycho-activity. 

CBDV and the endocannabinoid system:

CBDV interacts with the endocannabinoid system (ECS) the same way as CBD. However, it’s thought to have about 25% of CBD potency. CBDV does not stimulate the ECS as CBD and THC do; it has a modulating action instead. According to the British Pharmacological Society;

“CBDV and all the acids inhibited DAGLα.”

DAGLα is an enzyme responsible for the synthesis of the endocannabinoid 2-AG.

Is CBDV Legal? 

CBDV is legal in the United States, as long as it is produced from Hemp rather than marijuana. This is because CBDV derived from marijuana is illegal on a federal level and is considered a schedule 1 drug by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). Some states have legalized marijuana for medicinal or recreational use. The states that have legalized marijuana have also legalized its derivatives, including CBDV. 

CBDV derived from hemp containing no more than 0.3 percent THC is considered legal on a federal level due to the 2018 Farm Bill. This Bill gave states the power to further regulate hemp products, which some states have by restricting any traces of THC. Although hemp-derived CBDV is difficult to find, it’s legal in all states as long as it abides by the state THC regulations. 

What is the difference between CBDV and CBD?

As previously mentioned, the molecular structures between CBD and CBDV are different, which impacts their chemical responses. Furthermore, CBDV can be used to develop THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) when it’s exposed to an acidic environment. CBD doesn’t have this same ability to transform into THC. When dealing with CBDV vs CBD, both cannabinoids share huge similarities that could be a massive hit in the medical industry because of the therapeutic effects offered. Above all, CBD and CBDV both interact with the endocannabinoid system, but CBDV binds with the cannabinoid receptors and CBD simply interacts or blocks the receptors.

Based on all the information provided, it’s clear why Cannabidivarin might be the next significant cannabinoid the world will witness, and we can only hope that research increases to increase the use of CBDV globally.

It’s a new year, and with the new year comes new laws that are to take effect, and for the cannabis and vape industry - these laws may not be as promising for the future of the industry. We’ve seen several states take a stance against vaping specifically, and added to the list are Illinois and Oregon. This article will cover everything you need to know about what this means for the vape community in these states moving forward.

Illinois

As of January 1st, 2022, the state of Illinois has passed a new bill, namely Illinois Senate Bill 00512 - The “Preventing Youth Vaping Act” which was sponsored by Sen. Julie Morrison and Rep. Bob Morgan. This bill is as the name suggests; a bill that creates additional restrictions and regulations on e-cigarettes, aiming to prevent vaping by children. So, what does this act mean for Illinois?

First of all, the law defines an e-cigarette as;

• A device using a battery or other mechanism to heat a solution, resulting in vapor for inhalation.
• Any container of a substance that is intended to be used in the device or used to refill the device.
• Any substance that is intended for use in the device.

According to the Illinois attorney general, the act is intended to do the following;

“Address the epidemic levels of youth e-cigarette usage by prohibiting companies from marketing products to minors.”

The state has clearly stated its interest and belief in encouraging the youth to live vape-free. While vaping is a controversial topic in regards to health, the state has a strong stance in stepping towards keeping these products out of the hands of anyone younger than 21 years old. This bill, however, also poses a challenge to the industry by limiting companies from directing their advertising and marketing.

While most people may stand by the age-restricted purposes of this bill, this legislative change poses nuanced difficulties to companies that offer these products and results in fines of up to $25,000 as well as a 1-3 year prison sentence if found guilty. The bill complicates marketing these products by stating the following rules:

1. Companies can not market vape products as modified risk tobacco products
2. Companies can not market a vape product as providing smoking cessation benefits unless approved by the FDA.
3. Companies can not market vape products in a way that appeals to or encourages any person under the age of 21 to use them.

As online tobacco and e-cigarette sales continue to grow, the new law and restrictions as listed above seek to prevent minors from purchasing e-cigarettes by requiring online retailers to take steps to ensure that purchasers are at least 21 years old. The state goes as far as urging the FDA to ban flavored tobacco products and to strengthen e-cigarette guidance by prioritizing enforcement actions against flavored e-cigarettes.

The only exception currently stands for the following;

“Electronic cigarettes first sold prior to August 8, 2016 and for which a premarket tobacco product application was submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration by September 9, 2020”

e-cigarettes that utilize synthetic (tobacco-free) nicotine or CBD-containing e-cigarettes, for example, that arguably are not tobacco products under federal law, would not be considered adulterated in Illinois for not having authorized PMTAs.

Oregon

As of January 1st, 2022, the state of Oregon passed House Bill 2261 which prohibits remote sales of inhalant delivery systems. This new legislation prevents any businesses involved in selling vape products from shipping or mailing any products that may have been purchased online or by other distant means. This means that the only sales permitted are in-person sales.

These restrictions do not, however, apply to freight forwarders or motor carriers. Apart from that exception, no retailers or businesses may sell smokable tobacco products unless the purchase was made face-to-face.

‘Inhalation delivery systems’ refers to anything that is one of the following;

“A device that can be used to deliver nicotine in the form of a vapor or aerosol to a person inhaling from the device; or a component of a device described in this paragraph or a substance in any form sold for the purpose of being vaporized or aerosolized by a device described in this paragraph, whether the component or substance is sold separately or is not sold separately.”

According to that description, the following products fall into the Oregon HB 2261 Shipment ban:

• Bottled e-liquid (with or without nicotine)
• Closed-system ENDS (e.g. pod/cartridge or disposables) pre-filled with non-nicotine and nicotine-containing e-liquids
• Open-system devices
• Open-system/Open-tank ENDS device

This means that the legislation appears to restrict the DTC sale of most types of vapor products.

The implementation of this bill was put forward due to the FDA reporting that 3.6 million middle and high school students were current users of e-cigarettes In 2020. While the FDA finalized a rule in 2016 that included ENDS in the definition of a tobacco product, the majority of regulation of these products is left to the states. Supposedly, despite the current regulations that were passed in 2017 - the state insisted that the regulations still make it relatively easy for minors to obtain products online.

A device is considered adulterated if:

1. It consists of any poisonous, deleterious or filthy substance that may render injuries to health.
2. It is held or packaged in containers composed of any poisonous or deleterious substance.

Considering these new legislations, it is clear that further restrictions are being imposed on the states around the U.S. and pose challenges to the vapor industry. While these new bills are proposed to provide a safer environment for minors, it should be asked whether this is a step forward or a step backward in the industry.

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As many of you know, curing and drying are processes that can significantly impact the taste and general quality of your cannabis crop. Properly drying and curing your fresh cannabis stash is paramount to prevent harsh smoke and prevent mold contamination from taking place.

Harvesting your cannabis is only half the work. Post harvest operations are arguably just as important as pre-harvest. Many believe that curing and drying are the same things, which they aren’t. Black Tie CBD has been asked why we haven’t released our 2021 strains, and the answer is simple; we believe in a low and slow curing process that ensures quality to the end product that we offer you.

Below, we’ll share our answers to some frequently asked questions on the drying and curing processes, so you can maximize the flavor and potency of your stash - as well as better understand how post-harvest processes are done correctly.

The importance of drying cannabis

Freshly harvested cannabis buds contain significant moisture, which needs to be dealt with before smoking. Essentially, drying also converts THC from its non-psychoactive, crude, acidic form to its psychoactive neutral form.

Cannabis flowers are full of active components; The resin glands contain THC, CBD and other cannabinoids. The issue is that when your plants are recently harvested, they’re still quite green and most of the THC is inactive. Drying marijuana means reducing the water content of the buds to 10-15%, depending on the desired crispiness of the final product.

A dry shouldn’t be too quick or the outside of buds will appear dry but the insides won’t be, leaving chlorophyll within; too long, and buds could develop mold.

How do you dry cannabis?

The drying procedure usually depends on the trimming process that you use;

• Dry trimming
• If you’re trimming plants after they’ve been dried, then you’ll be able to hang them from a line or hanger. Hanging is preferable as it prevents buds from becoming misshapen. To test if the plants are ready for trimming, you can try bending a branch. If it bends, it needs more drying. If it snaps, it is ready for trimming and curing.

• Wet trimming
• If you trim the plants before drying, you’ll have smaller plant parts to dry and need to use a rack. You can check when buds are ready for curing by squeezing them. If they still feel wet or moist, they likely need more time before moving on to curing.

Dying cannabis involves focusing on:

• The drying method used.
• Temperature.
• Moisture levels.

What are the drying methods?

Hang Drying Cannabis

Hang drying is a cost-effective solution for cannabis cultivators with a limited budget and involves exposing your cannabis to the open air. To hang-dry your cannabis, your branches are hung upside down from an elevated position and dried. You must regularly monitor the temperature and airflow of the room for the best results.

Choosing a cool, dark place to dry your buds is essential. Ensure that your flowers are spaced adequately for airflow to carry moisture particles away without attracting mold. Hang-drying is great, but requires a lot of environmentally controlled space.

This process usually takes anywhere from 1-2 weeks.

Using a drying rack

When preparing cannabis for commercial purposes, trimming machines are usually used, so this method is ideal. A drying rack is great for keeping the yield organized, and there is far lower risk of contamination or mold. While this option is more pricey, it is the ideal piece of equipment when it comes to drying weed correctly. Using a drying rack with a large surface area for the buds allows for more airflow, meaning that the moisture is taken away in far less time.

Again, this is a process that takes upwards of 10 days. If the snapping sound of your bud is crispy and sharp, then you know that your weed has been dried properly.

While you may be looking for a faster drying process, If buds are dried too quickly, chlorophyll and other pigments, starch, and nitrates are trapped within plant tissue, making it taste “green,” burn unevenly and taste bad. However, slowly dried buds taste sweet and smoke smooth. Taste and aroma improve when pigments break down. Slow even drying–where moisture content is the same throughout stems, foliage and buds– allows enough time for the pigments to degrade.

How to perfect the drying process:

As stated above, we focus on a slow drying process. We hang entire plants to dry; allowing the process to take place over time. We remove large leaves and stems (fan leaves) in the field as fresh leaves are easier to work with. The plants are then hung until they reach an ideal moisture content. At that point they buds are hand-trimmed and placed into curing.

Temperature:

We place importance on circulation and ventilation as this helps us control the heat and humidity of the room. The ideal air temperature is between 65 and 75°F (18-24°C), and humidity from 45-55%. Any temperatures lower may slow drying and increase the threat of harsh smoke, and any temperatures higher may cause the buds to mold.

Similarly, any lower than suggested humidity causes a speedy dry period, causing the retention of chlorophyll and giving the weed a terrible taste and odor.  The most important thing to note is that different climates are required for growing cannabis and drying it.

Hanging:

Due to the quantity of cannabis that we dry, we use a large space for drying. It is ideal to cut the plants at the base and remove the large leaves - then hang them on the drying lines in the drying facility. Branches should be cut from 12-40 inches, with each branch manicured and hung.

Manicured branches should be hung to dry for a few days before being bucked from the stem and placed on drying screens to allow the bulk of the moisture to dissipate. Once it is all on screens, the buds should be turned daily to ensure even drying. It is also adequate for manicured buds to be placed in boxes to dry, but the drying pace is slower due to the limited airflow.

Drying time:

Drying can take between five to seven days depending on temperature, humidity and bud density. The larger, denser buds can take around four days longer, so it’s important to check your buds to determine the proper moisture content. If you want to check the readiness, bend the stem and ensure that it snaps rather than folds; this generally indicates that it is ready to cure.

The importance of curing cannabis:

The curing process is possibly the most overlooked aspect of producing cannabis. During curing, moisture continues to draw from the center of the bud toward the outside.

Curing your bud is similar to the aging process of products like wine and cheese. Instead of a fermentation process, the main focus is on humidity with curing weed. Because even-though most moisture has evaporated and left the cannabis during the drying of the plants, there’s still some moisture left in the weed. Any friction and rough handling of the buds will knock off valuable resin glands and diminish the cannabinoid content.

The first week of curing affects potency as it evenly removes moisture within the bud so virtually all the THC is psychoactive, which is what most people are after. Curing also allows buds to dry enough that mold does not grow when buds are stored. Well-cured buds have an even glow when burned and smoke smooth. It is essentially not enough to simply keep your weed in a jar and say that it’s been correctly cured.

The process of curing cannabis:

The first step to curing your cannabis is to cut the stems into lengths less than 30-45 cm and then place them into an airtight container, ideally with a rubber seal. Any Ziploc or plastic bags are not ideal - some growers say that plastic imparts an undesirable flavor on the buds and is not impervious to oxygen.

Once the buds are enclosed, a microclimate is created, and the buds get an even spread of moisture. Once the buds are enclosed, they should be stored in a cool, dry, and dark place. Check on your buds at least once per day for two weeks. Use a hygrometer to check relative moisture in the container during the curing process. If you don’t have a hygrometer handy, you can gently squeeze to feel if they are moister than before.

During this check-up, keep your jars open to allow for air exchange, and inspect each bud individually for signs of mold. If you find an infected bud, make sure to remove it from its jar immediately to avoid the fungus spreading. If buds are sticking together in clumps when you try to shake the container, it means they still have too much moisture and need to be dried further.

Ideal conditions for drying cannabis:

Humidity

You want to stabilize the relative humidity at around 45-55% when the buds are placed in an enclosed container. This is the correct environment to cure your cannabis buds to perfection.

Temperature

65-75

Light

None

If buds are too dry:

leave them in the container and let excess moisture escape out the top by opening the container for a few minutes every few hours before closing the lid again.

If buds are too moist:

If you live in a normal to dry climate, you may be able to get away with just leaving the top off the jars for 1-4 hours. If you live in a humid climate, you may have to take the buds out of the jars and lay them out until the outsides begin to feel dry again.

The curing process is most important during the first two weeks and can take over six months for the highest quality outcome. It’s clear that this process is incredibly long when done correctly, which is why we release our new strains later than most other companies. We place the utmost importance on a long process that ensures the highest quality outcome.

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