Not Just CBD: Cannabinoids, Terpenes and More
When we describe Sunsoil, we sometimes use the analogy of a concert.
CBD is the headliner—the one whose name is written in big letters and flashing lights. But there’s also hundreds of supporting acts found in hemp: cannabinoids, terpenes, and phytonutrients.
At Sunsoil, we work hard to preserve this natural diversity of compounds.
That’s why we developed whole-plant infusion, our unique method of making CBD oil.
We simply infuse hemp in coconut oil, thereby absorbing the CBD and other compounds in their naturally occurring ratios. Nothing is ever added or removed. It's just as nature intended.
Cannabinoids
You’ve heard of CBD and THC. But hemp also contains measurable amounts of other cannabinoids, including cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), and cannabinol (CBN).
What do these minor cannabinoids do, exactly?
The truth is: we don’t know for certain. Early evidence shows that certain cannabinoids could help with inflammation or sleep issues—and that together they could have a synergistic effect with CBD (this has been nicknamed the “entourage effect”). But these early findings have yet to be confirmed by rigorous clinical studies.
If you’re curious, you can look at the cannabinoid profiles of our products on our lab reports.
Terpenes
Terpenes are compounds found in plants that give them their characteristic aromas—such as pine (pinene), lavender (linalool) and citrus (limonene).
Many terpenes are believed to have therapeutic benefits.
Cannabis sativa plants are rich in terpenes. Over 120 terpenes have been discovered in them. Some of the most commonly found are myrcene, β-caryophyllene, α-humulene, α-pinene, limonene, and linalool.
Like cannabinoids, the clinical research on terpenes is in its early stages. Early research suggests that some of these terpenes have anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain relieving) properties, among others. This would further suggest an "entourage effect" from the supporting compounds in hemp.
What It Means For You
The clinical research on cannabis is in its early days—limited in many ways by the uncertain legal and regulatory environment for hemp and cannabis. As such, there’s not much we can definitively say about the benefits of CBD or any of the other compounds in hemp.
As a consumer, what’s important to know is how the CBD oil you’re taking differs from others. Does it just contain CBD (as is true for CBD "isolate" products)? Or does it contain some of these supporting compounds, as well?
At Sunsoil, we make products that preserve hemp in its closest-to-natural state. Rather than using CO2 or ethanol to process hemp into CBD, we developed a method that preserves the plant.