Within every human body, there lies a system that regulates a wide range of functions such as sleep, mood and appetite. Known as the endocannabinoid system, it is primarily made up of two types of receptors, CB1 and CB2 that are located across our body, from the brain to the gut. This system was only discovered in the late 80s, but in recent years has become the subject of countless studies thanks to its role in regulating so many functions and systems.
When there is dysfunction in this system, or there is an endocannabinoid deficiency, the body becomes unbalanced which contributes to illness and degenerative disease. Thanks to research and deeper human understanding, we now know that compounds found in cannabis such as THC and CBD interact with the receptors in this system, helping support it by keeping it in balance and functioning correctly. But it isn’t just CBD that helps keep this system in check. Compounds called terpenes are found in cannabis, fruits, plants and herbs, and they too interact with our ECS. Even if you’ve never smelt cannabis or tried CBD, you’ve experienced the power of terpenes in the smell from pepper, lavender, oranges or pine trees.
Terpenes are often considered something of an ‘unsung hero’ in cannabis, after all, they have a number of therapeutic properties, but they’re also what give cannabis strains their unique profile, effects and smell. It was while studying the medicinal benefits of cannabis that Dr. Lee Know, the founder of Cannanda, felt drawn towards these compounds; He noticed that two cannabis strains with the same cannabinoid profiles could have such different effects, and it was terpenes that were responsible for this difference. Inspired, he created a line of products that would leverage the therapeutic properties of terpenes, allowing users to improve a wide range of health conditions in a similar way to cannabis and CBD.
“CBD is wonderful and certainly has its place in the market, but Cannanda’s CB2 range offers a low-cost alternative option that many claim works even better than CBD.” Dr Know tells us while introducing the brand, “it’s also a great add-on for anyone already using CBD, Cannanda CB2 often helps CBD users get by with less CBD and can also boost the effectiveness of CBD, especially if they are developing what some heavy users are reporting – CBD tolerance.”
Terpenes are often thought of as the active components of essential oils, however, essential oils contain many other compounds such as alcohols, ethers and aldehydes. Cannanda creates carefully-crafted blends using isolated terpenes in their products to target the desired therapeutic end-point, boosting both the effectiveness and safety of these blends when compared to essential oils. These blends were each developed after several years of R&D and relied on Dr Know’s years of experience gained during product development consulting for some of the largest and most respected brands in the natural health industry in North America.
So is Cannada a replacement for CBD? Dr Know sees the Cannanda CB2 range as an alternative, or a way of lending your CBD a helping hand: “It doesn’t necessarily mean one is better than the other. For example, a pharmacy will offer multiple types of painkillers since some people will find acetaminophen works best for their body, while others will find ibuprofen works better. This is what we call interindividual variability, and will also apply to cannabis and terpenes. CBD is thought to have about a 33% success rate, one in three users will find it helpful compared to an estimated 70% success rate for the Cannanda CB2 products, where two out of three people find it helpful.”
This, Dr Know tells us, is likely due to the more direct action of Cannanda CB2, which works through direct activation of the body’s CB2 receptors. CBD, on the other hand, does not activate cannabinoid receptors, and works more indirectly, requiring many other factors to be in place for it to deliver its therapeutic promise. Because terpenes have a more direct effect on the CB2 receptors, users are more likely to see reductions in pain, inflammation, anxiety and depression.
Thanks to this scientific approach, the brand has picked up a number of accolades in its native country, Canada. The brand picked up a Best New Company award, while the Cannanda CB2 line has won an Innovation Award, and for two years in a row received the Best Stress Supplement award. The UK has recently started to get to grips with CBD, the ECS and the health benefits of all the compounds found in cannabis, so what makes Cannanda a good choice for consumers here? “The UK might just be hearing about Cannanda for the first time but these are tried and tested products and formulations that have found a respectable following across the globe. Any retail outlet that sells CBD should consider Cannanda CB2 to offer their customers an effective alternative if they find CBD just didn’t deliver the benefits that they thought.”
Try the unique terpene blends of Cannanda CB2® yourself, exclusively available in the UK at: https://greenterpenes.co.uk/
