Yo yo yo, check it out! There’s a new cannabinoid on the block, and its name is CBM, aka cannabimovone. This dope extract was recently discovered in industrial hemp from Carmagnola and scientists are getting hype about its potential benefits. Keep reading to learn all the sciencey details about this fresh cannabinoid.
As science gets deeper into the chemical makeup of the cannabis plant, we keep finding more interesting substances. Over the past 20 years, researchers have been analysing and categorising more phytocannabinoids beyond just THC and CBD. They’ve also accepted that other compounds like terpenes and flavonoids are relevant in determining the final effect of a given strain.
At Roscommon Acres, I’m super invested in staying up on this research and sharing it with our homies. I’ve already put you onto two promising “new” cannabinoids: THCV and CBG. But now lets talk about CBM, which works differently than THC and CBD.
CBM was discovered earlier this year in the Carmagnola hemp strain from Italy. It’s a minor cannabinoid that hasn’t been studied much before now. A group of Italian universities and research centres published a study on CBM in March 2020 in the journal Molecules. The last time CBM was researched was back in 2010 when it was determined to have a similar biological profile to CBD.
These researchers identified and characterised CBM using a combined computational and functional analysis method along with 3D modelling to understand how it binds to human receptors. Under lab conditions, they found that CBM can increase genes that regulate adipocyte differentiation (aka fat cells) and prevent insulin signaling impairment. In layman’s terms, this means CBM might be useful for promoting healthy insulin levels and metabolism.
CBM binds with various receptors in the human body, with a particular affinity for PPARγ. These receptors are involved in regulating hormone levels as well as internal organ cell generation. They also play a fundamental role in energy homeostasis, lipid metabolism, and metabolic regulation. Unlike THC and CBD, which are antagonists of these receptors, CBM acts as an agonist of the PPARγ receptor.
This new study represents a step towards a better understanding of how CBM and cannabinoids in general interact with human receptors that aren’t part of the endocannabinoid system. Future research on CBM might reveal even more useful properties. Other cannabinoids like THC and CBD are known to interact with metabolism, so maybe CBM can be included alongside other cannabinoids and terpenes in comprehensive cannabis extracts.
This kind of research highlights why it’s important to have full-spectrum cannabinoid products that contain minor cannabinoids to improve the effect of THC and CBD. So far, CBM has been found at relatively high levels in Carmagnola hemp. This could encourage breeders to cross this cultivar with other strains to create new varieties with useful contents of CBM. In the meantime, the cannabinoid has already been synthesised in a lab along with its close relative anhydrocannabimovone.