The Ultimate Guide to CBDA » Emily Kyle, MS, RDN

Are you ready to take your cannabis education to the next level? Welcome to your one-stop guide to the fascinating world of CBDA, also known as cannabidiol acid. If you want to know about the potential benefits of this compound, how it differs from CBD, or how to incorporate it into your health plan, you are in the right place.

Why You’ll Love This Guide

Ever feel overwhelmed by all the different names in the world of cannabis? You are not alone!

Today, let’s talk about a little-known substance in the community of cannabis-cannabidiol acid (CBDA) and how you can incorporate it into your health plan.

To understand CBDA, we first need to know a little about cannabinoid acids.

These compounds are the raw forms of cannabinoids found in cannabis plants before they are activated by a process known as decarboxylation.

When you smoke, vape, or ingest, you are actually converting cannabinoid acids into their active forms, such as THC and CBD.

This process is what gives us the ‘high’ associated with THC.

While THC is popular for its psychoactive effects, CBDA is gaining recognition for its potential health benefits.

Today, we’re going to discuss what happens if you don’t denature your flower, especially a CBD-dominant flower, in hopes of keeping the cannabinoid acid CBDA intact so you can reap its many benefits.

🚀 Check Your Knowledge

What Are Cannabinoid Acids?

Before becoming the active cannabinoids that most of us are familiar with, such as THC and CBD, these compounds begin as cannabinoid acids.

These acids, which reside in the plant’s trichomes, include THCA, CBDA, CBNA, CBGA, and CBCA.

Trichomes Trichomes are small, hair-like trichomes that are mostly found in the buds or flowers of green or dried cannabis, although they can be found in varying amounts in sugar or in the leaves of the plant.

Think of trichomes as a tiny treasure trove of beneficial compounds!

When these trichomes are present in growing, immature, or newly established plants, they contain cannabinoid acids.

Over time, these cannabinoid acids can break down into active forms through natural decarboxylation, which occurs when the plant is exposed to heat, light, air, UV, and other environmental factors.

🍪 To put it simply, one member of my Well With Cannabis community explained it like this: CBDA is cookie dough, and CBD is dough.

THCA vs. CBDA

Among the various cannabinoid acids, THCA and CBDA are the most widely available.

However, it is important to remember that these two compounds are completely different and must be present first in the plant’s genome.

To learn more about THCA, check out our other articles focusing on its health benefits.

What is Cannabidiol Acid (CBDA)?

CBDA stands for cannabidiol acid, a cannabinoid acid found in the trichomes of raw or dried cannabis plants.

What’s unique about CBDA is that it comes from cannabis that dominates CBD and usually falls below the Federal legalization limit of 0.3% THC, making it accessible and legal to grow in many states.

This means that it is growing in popularity as people learn more about the potential benefits of both CBDA and CBD.

CBDA vs. CBD

You’ve probably heard of CBD oil, which many people use for its various health benefits. But did you know that CBDA is a natural precursor to CBD?

CBDA is naturally present in the plant before decarboxylation, which turns CBDA into CBD.

Both CBDA and CBD are non-alcoholic, meaning they won’t give you a ‘high’ feeling. However, that doesn’t mean they are useless!

Research suggests that both CBDA and CBD may offer some unique health benefits that make them worth exploring.

What Are the Benefits of CBDA?

As published in International Journal of Molecular Sciencesgrowing evidence supports the idea that CBDA has many health benefits, from anti-nausea properties to pain relief and even anti-tumor effects.

Let’s take a closer look at some of these benefits.

CBDA for Nausea and Vomiting

Another common use of CBDA is as a treatment for nausea and vomiting.

Many members of the Well With Cannabis community have reported unequivocally using CBDA to reduce symptoms associated with chemical-induced nausea, cyclic vomiting syndrome, and cannabis hyperemesis syndrome.

Thankfully, emerging scientific evidence supports these inexplicable reports.

Research published in British Journal of Pharmacology found that CBDA shows promise as a natural treatment for nausea in rat studies and has significant anti-vomiting potential.

CBDA for Pain and Inflammation

Pain management is another area where CBDA shines. Many members of the community use CBDA to treat acute and chronic pain.

Research supports these claims; research published in Drug Metabolism and Behavior suggests that CBDA is a selective inhibitor of COX-2 activity.

Wait, Emily, what did you just say?

Inhibition of COX-2 activity means that CBDA provides similar pain relief compared to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

💡 This makes CBDA a promising natural alternative to over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin and ibuprofen. (which have potential side effects).

CBDA for cancer

CBDA also shows potential in fighting cancer.

Research published in Textbook of Toxicology shows that CBDA may have anti-tumor properties, especially in breast cancer patients.

Although more research is needed, these findings are incredibly promising, especially considering that nearly a quarter of a million people are diagnosed with breast cancer in America each year.

How to Use CBDA

There are several ways to incorporate CBDA into your health plan.

The key is to avoid heat, as it can facilitate the decarboxylation process, converting CBDA into CBD.

Here are some options to consider:

Raw Cannabis Leaves or Juice

One of the best ways to use CBDA is through raw, fresh cannabis leaves or flowers.

Like other dark green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach, green cannabis is nutritious and contains chlorophyll.

You can add green leaves to salads, make cannabis pesto, or even juice.

However, it is important that you consume clean, raw marijuana to avoid potential pathogens such as salmonella and E. coli, especially for those who are immunocompromised.

Dried Cannabis Buds or Kief

Another way to use CBDA is by using CBD-infused cannabis buds or kief.

To preserve CBDA, skip the decarboxylation process altogether.

You can then extract the CBDA from the flower by simply using the base plant.

I have a guide to using ground flowers in cooking; In this case, skip the decarb process.

Feel free to try different recipes to create a CBDA-rich product, starting with a CBD-rich flower and making sure no heat is introduced.

Make a CBDA Tincture

Another option is to use the undiluted flower to make an alcohol-based tincture that does not require heat.

The only side effect of this method is that the alcohol may activate or release other cannabinoids, facilitating the conversion from CBDA to CBD.

If you make an alcohol-based CBDA tincture, consider using it within 30 days to maintain freshness and potency.

The conclusion

CBDA offers a world of potential health benefits, from relieving nausea and pain to showing anti-tumor properties.

You can take advantage of these benefits by understanding how to incorporate CBDA into your health plan.

Whether eating raw leaves or exploring dried buds, the key is to avoid heat to preserve the CBDA.

If you’d like to explore the benefits of CBDA further, consider joining my CBD, THC & Me Workshop.

Here, you’ll find resources, support, and a network of like-minded people interested in the health benefits of cannabis.

Sign up today and take the first step towards a healthy, balanced life.

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