Hemp Supplements
According to a number of US hemp market experts, the market value of retail sales of only CBD supplements derived from the hemp plant exclusively in the US has increased from $ 170 million in 2016 to nearly $ 20 billion in 2021.
Despite the stigma imposed on the Ukrainian patient / consumer that the maximum healing effect from the exclusive medicinal properties of the hemp plant can be obtained exclusively through the use of pharmacological preparations based on the properties inherent in the plant inherent in the plant, markets are exponentially developing in the world that predetermine the use of various constituents of the plant. as nutraceuticals, various additives, cosmetic preparations, as well as other goods, the price of which does not depend on the value of the patent embedded in them. The market for various additives (biologically active, food, feed) is rapidly developing in economically developed countries, which are based on either the exclusive therapeutic properties of individual plant elements or the "entourage effect". Observing the development of the national market for various additives, which are based on the exclusive healing properties of the hemp plant, it makes sense to focus on the foundation within which this industry is growing all over the world.
Bioactive compounds in hemp
Hemp seeds are widely used all over the world as a source of raw materials for various additives. The grain of the plant has a pleasant nutty taste and is a valuable source of essential fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and fiber, as well as essential amino acids contained in the easily digestible proteins edestine and albumin. Hemp oil is mostly (> 90%) composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids known for their beneficial effects on cardiovascular diseases, oncology, and inflammatory conditions. Cannabis sprouts can also be eaten. Compared to hemp seeds, hemp seedlings are characterized by a higher content of polyphenols, flavonoids and flavonols known for their positive cardiovascular and metabolic effects.
The cannabis inflorescence is rich in biologically active cannabinoids such as cannabidiol (CBD), which, among others, has strong anxiolytic, antispasmodic and anticonvulsant effects. Dietary supplements containing cannabidiol account for approximately one third of the global CBD market, which has already reached several billion dollars. The ongoing research has identified hundreds of different compounds with potential biological activity, including over 120 terpenoids, 100 cannabinoids, 50 hydrocarbons, 34 glycosidic compounds, 27 nitrogenous compounds, 25 phenols, 22 fatty acids, 21 simple acids, 18 amino acids, 13 simple ketones, 13 ethers and lactones, 12 simple aldehydes, 11 proteins, glycoproteins and enzymes, 11 steroids, 9 trace elements, 7 simple alcohols, 2 pigments, and vitamin K.
Published studies using an optimized cannabis chemical characterization method identified 189 lipids, including 52 phospholipids and 80 sulfolipids, and 147 compounds belonging to the classes of flavonoids, proanthocyanidins, and phenolic acids. The most studied of the 100 non-psychoactive cannabinoids found in cannabis are cannabidiol, cannabichromene, cannabigerol, cannabinol, cannabicyclol, cannabilsoin, and cannabitriol. Part of their biological activity can be explained by their interaction with the endocannabinoid system, which includes two cannabinoid receptors associated with the G-protein (CB1 and CB2) and two endogenous ligands (anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol).
The endocannabinoid system is physiologically involved in the regulation of appetite, pain, mood, memory, inflammation, insulin sensitivity, and fat and energy metabolism, with a wide range of potential therapeutic effects for the treatment of pain, neuropsychiatric disorders, neurological diseases and inflammatory bowel processes, which can help the activation of CB1, as well as for the treatment of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and liver or kidney disease, which may benefit from CB1 antagonism.
The most famous and "promoted" element used in various kinds of supplements, ubiquitous in all economically developed countries at the moment is cannabidiol (CBD, CBD). That is why the main attention in recent years has been paid to this particular drug-free cannabinoid, which in terms of the spectrum of its therapeutic properties competes with a huge number of other elements of the plant.
Features of cannabidiol
It should be borne in mind that according to the estimates of a number of experts in the American hemp market, the market value of retail sales of CBD supplements derived from the hemp plant exclusively in the United States increased from $ 170 million in 2016 to almost $ 20 billion in 2021.
CBD has a wide range of biological effects, including anticonvulsant, anxiolytic, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and anticancer effects. The anti-inflammatory effects can be explained by the activity of inverse agonism against the CB2 receptor, which suppresses the migration of immune cells in both macrophages and human neutrophils. Cannabidiol may also show potent and specific activity against neuroinflammatory processes that are implicated in a number of neurodegenerative disorders.
CBD also demonstrates anti-tumor activity shown in several preclinical models (among five different cannabinoids including CBD, CBG, CBC, cannabidiolic acid and THC acid, cannabidiol has shown the strongest anti-tumor activity on a panel of different types of cancer cells).
As an herbal, biologically active compound with a high therapeutic index and an overall excellent safety profile, CBD is currently being marketed as a dietary supplement to the maximum. Cannabidiol is used as a healing agent to treat sleep disorders, social phobia, PTSD, substance abuse, and addictions, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and Parkinson's disease.
Despite the high consumption of CBD as a supplement, there is little or no evidence from preclinical and clinical studies examining the effects of cannabidiol as a dietary ingredient. Although there are no adequate trials evaluating the effects of CBD when administered as a dietary supplement in large populations and over a long period of time, clinical data suggest that an acceptable supplement dosage for adults could be 5 to 10 mg / day. - dose range for testing cannabis CBD supplements as part of a healthy diet.
Commentary of the specialists of the Association "Ukrainian technical hemp"
The use of various therapeutically active constituents of the hemp plant in the production of various kinds of supplements will expand in the coming years as demand grows with huge social, economic and health consequences. Unfortunately, in our country at the moment, the above-mentioned segment of the modern cannabis market can develop exclusively on the basis of hemp grain, its derivatives or synthetic substances that mimic the reaction of the human body to natural cannabinoids.
During the specialized round table “ Exponential growth of the market for unconventional therapeutically active elements of hemp ” held as part of the training of the next course for students of “ Hemp University ”, a separate panel will be organized in which speakers will focus on the development of the global and national market for hemp supplements with significant therapeutic properties.