Today, you’re getting a list of the best CBDA products.
Other names for CBDA oil are raw CBD oil or raw hemp oil.
CBDA stands for cannabidiolic acid is the precursor compound of CBD.
Although there are not many CBDA products on the market yet, there are a few worthy enough for your consideration.
We rated 5 CBDA products on the following metrics:
- Cannabinoid-profile (CBDA being the most important cannabinoid);
- Terpene-profile;
- Transparency;
- Our test-results;
- Value, and;
- Taste.
Our rating system is a weighted rating system, and cannabinoid-profile, terpene-profile, and transparency hold the most weight in the total rating.
Let’s get started.
Quickly go to…
1. Endoca Raw CBD Oil (Best Overall)
Endoca is an old-timer in the CBD industry.
It’s one of the first commercial CBD oil producers.
It’s also one of the few European CBD brands that are widely available in the U.S. Their hemp is sourced in Denmark and their products are produced there as well.
When it comes to regular CBD oil, Endoca has great quality products. But compared to a lot of other options in the U.S., they’re a bit overpriced.
However:
When it comes to raw, unheated extracts, Endoca Raw CBD oil is among the best you can get.
While most ‘CBDA’ oils have CBDA:CBD ratio of 1:2 or higher, meaning they contain more CBD than CBDA…
This oil contains very high levels of CBDA. The CBDA:CBD ratio is around 1.5:1.
This means there’s more CBDA inside this oil than CBD.
This is the only true CBDA oil on the list.
And the best part?
It’s a true full-spectrum CBDA oil. This oil contains a wide variety of hemp-derived cannabinoids and terpenes.
Not only do various studies suggest that all hemp-derived cannabinoids and terpenes act together as a ‘synergistic shotgun’ to create many beneficial effects (1) …
Individually, they have uniquely beneficial effects as well (2).
No matter the cannabinoid…
Full-spectrum cannabinoid products are where you can find the best effects.
Up next…
2. +Plus CBD Raw Formula (Most Convenient)
This product is another raw CBD product.
However, when you look at the cannabinoid-profile, you’ll see that it contains significantly more CBD than CBDA.
The ratio of CBDA:CBD is around 1:3, meaning there’s significantly more CBD than CBDA.
This means that this isn’t a completely raw hemp extract. A true raw hemp extract should have more CBDA than CBD.
Also when you compare the full cannabinoid-profile to the cannabinoid-profile of Endoca’s raw oil, for example, you’ll see that this oil contains a much narrower variety of hemp-derived cannabinoids in detectable levels.
The only other cannabinoid other than CBD and CBDA that’s present in detectable levels is THC (0.09%).
So, it’s officially a full-spectrum CBDA oil. However not on the same level as Endoca for example.
One good thing about this product is that they’re capsules.
After using cannabinoid products for many years, I’ve come to the conclusion that capsules are the most convenient way to use these types of products.
Here’s why:
- They’re easy to dose. A capsule always contains the same quantity of cannabinoids.
- You can’t spill;
- They’re easy to take while you’re out.
Pulling out a bottle of CBD oil, measuring a dropper, and putting the contents of the dropper under your tongue, just isn’t the most discreet way to use CBD products.
Capsules like these are just more convenient to use than a bottle of CBDA oil.
Next up…
3. MONTKUSH Raw CBDA Oil Drops (Honorable Mention)
This is another full-spectrum raw hemp extract.
Besides CBDA and CBD, this CBDA oil contains detectable levels of the following compounds:
- THC;
- THCA;
- CBG;
- CBGA;
- CBC.
The levels of minor cannabinoids are lower than those of Endoca CBDA oil.
However, the CBDA concentration is higher than Endoca’s oil. Not necessarily in absolute terms, because Endoca has a very potent version of its raw CBDA oil…
But when we look at the CBDA:CBD ratio, this product has an even much higher ratio of 6:1. This product contains 6-times more CBDA than CBD.
One thing I don’t like about this product is that although it comes with a third-party lab-test report, the report only shows the cannabinoid-profile.
There are no pesticide, microbial, heavy metal, or residual solvent tests publicly available.
And MONTKUSH is a relatively new player in the CBD industry.
For full transparency, we would’ve really liked to see these tests made publicly available.
That being said…
Based on the information that is available and our tests, we think it’s a trustworthy product and therefore have an easy time recommending it.
How to Choose a CBDA Product
If you want a pure CBDA product, realize that these are currently very hard to find.
The only true CBDA product that we have tried and actually has more CBDA than CBD, is the raw oil from Endoca.
Most so-called CBDA products contain more CBD than CBDA.
A lot of other ‘CBDA’ products contain more CBD than CBDA. But that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s highly probable that the combination of CBD and CBDA is more effective than either cannabinoid alone.
Even more effective is when there are even more cannabinoids present. Therefore, always strive to go for a true full-spectrum CBDA product.
When it comes to cannabinoid products in general, it’s extremely important that you get your products from a brand that regularly published third-party lab-test reports that show:
- Full cannabinoid-profile;
- Preferably a terpene-profile;
- Heavy metal test;
- Pesticide test;
- Residual solvent test, and;
- Microbiological test.
If you ingest contaminated cannabinoid products you risk harming your health.
What’s the Difference Between CBD and CBDA?
CBDA stands for cannabidiolic acid. It’s the acidic form of CBD.
It’s the precursor compound of CBD.
Cannabis plants, whether they’re of the hemp variety, or marijuana variety, contain cannabinoids mostly in their acidic forms.
For example:
Marijuana contains a lot of THCA. When you burn or heat marijuana, the THCA gets decarboxylated instantly and converts into THC.
With CBDA it’s the exact same process.
The decarboxylation process converts CBDA into CBD, usually through heating.
Any raw, unheated or unprocessed hemp extract can contain very high levels of CBDA.
What Are the Benefits of CBDA?
Although CBDA much less well-researched than CBD, at least a dozen studies show that CBDA is associated with health benefits as well:
- Pain-reducing and anti-inflammatory effects (3, 4, 5);
- Anti-tumor effects (6, 7), and;
- Anti-nausea effects (8, 9).
These are also benefits attributed to CBD.
Interestingly, there’s also one study that found taking a combination of CBDA and CBD leads to higher blood concentrations of CBD than taking CBD alone (10).
Based on this study, we can say that CBDA has more to offer than simply its own beneficial effects:
CBDA can potentiate CBD.
Whether you’re taking CBD oil or CBDA oil, both oils profit from having many additional hemp-derived cannabinoids and terpenes in them.
What Are the Side Effects of CBDA?
Because cannabidiolic acid hasn’t been studied extensively, both acute and long-term side effects in humans are currently unknown.
When it comes to nausea, based on animal studies, we can say that it’s unlikely that prolonged CBDA use leads to tolerance.
In one study, researchers administered repeated doses of CBDA for 7 days to test its efficacy against nausea (11). They found that CBDA kept being effective in reducing nausea at the end of the 7th day, indicating that at least in these 7 days, no tolerance developed.
Whether the same holds true for humans and/or other conditions, needs further research.
How much CBDA Should You Take?
CBDA dosages haven’t been studied with humans.
There have been various animal studies that looked at dosages, but it’s impossible to extrapolate dosages used in animal studies to humans. Animals have vastly different metabolisms than humans, especially when it comes to cannabinoids.
We do know that in beagles, the CBDA has a 2- to 3-fold higher absorption rate than CBD (12). Whether the same holds true for humans needs further research.
What's Next…
Go to our CBD Hub to learn more about CBD-related topics.
Scientific References:
- Dawidowicz, A. L., Olszowy-Tomczyk, M., & Typek, R. (2021). Synergistic and antagonistic antioxidant effects in the binary cannabinoids mixtures. Fitoterapia, 153, 104992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2021.104992
- Lucas, C. J., Galettis, P., & Schneider, J. (2018). The pharmacokinetics and the pharmacodynamics of cannabinoids. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 84(11), 2477–2482. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.13710
- Izzo, A. A., Borrelli, F., Capasso, R., di Marzo, V., & Mechoulam, R. (2009). Non-psychotropic plant cannabinoids: new therapeutic opportunities from an ancient herb. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 30(10), 515–527. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2009.07.006
- Ruhaak, L. R., Felth, J., Karlsson, P. C., Rafter, J. J., Verpoorte, R., & Bohlin, L. (2011). Evaluation of the Cyclooxygenase Inhibiting Effects of Six Major Cannabinoids Isolated from Cannabis sativa. Biological and Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 34(5), 774–778. https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.34.774
- Takeda, S., Misawa, K., Yamamoto, I., & Watanabe, K. (2008). Cannabidiolic Acid as a Selective Cyclooxygenase-2 Inhibitory Component in Cannabis. Drug Metabolism and Disposition, 36(9), 1917–1921. https://doi.org/10.1124/dmd.108.020909
- Ligresti, A., Moriello, A. S., Starowicz, K., Matias, I., Pisanti, S., de Petrocellis, L., . . . di Marzo, V. (2006). Antitumor Activity of Plant Cannabinoids with Emphasis on the Effect of Cannabidiol on Human Breast Carcinoma. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 318(3), 1375–1387. https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.106.105247
- McAllister, S. D., Murase, R., Christian, R. T., Lau, D., Zielinski, A. J., Allison, J., . . . Desprez, P. Y. (2010). Pathways mediating the effects of cannabidiol on the reduction of breast cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 129(1), 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-010-1177-4
- Rock, E. M., Connolly, C., Limebeer, C. L., & Parker, L. A. (2016). Effect of combined oral doses of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) on acute and anticipatory nausea in rat models. Psychopharmacology, 233(18), 3353–3360. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-016-4378-7
- Bolognini, D., Rock, E., Cluny, N., Cascio, M., Limebeer, C., Duncan, M., . . . Pertwee, R. (2013). Cannabidiolic acid prevents vomiting inSuncus murinusand nausea-induced behaviour in rats by enhancing 5-HT1Areceptor activation. British Journal of Pharmacology, 168(6), 1456–1470. https://doi.org/10.1111/bph.12043
- Eichler, M., Spinedi, L., Unfer-Grauwiler, S., Bodmer, M., Surber, C., Luedi, M., & Drewe, J. (2012). Heat Exposure ofCannabis sativaExtracts Affects the Pharmacokinetic and Metabolic Profile in Healthy Male Subjects. Planta Medica, 78(07), 686–691. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0031-1298334
- Rock, E. M., Sullivan, M. T., Collins, S. A., Goodman, H., Limebeer, C. L., Mechoulam, R., & Parker, L. A. (2020). Evaluation of repeated or acute treatment with cannabidiol (CBD), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) or CBDA methyl ester (HU-580) on nausea and/or vomiting in rats and shrews. Psychopharmacology, 237(9), 2621–2631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-020-05559-z
- Wakshlag, J. J., Schwark, W. S., Deabold, K. A., Talsma, B. N., Cital, S., Lyubimov, A., . . . Zakharov, A. (2020). Pharmacokinetics of Cannabidiol, Cannabidiolic Acid, Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid and Related Metabolites in Canine Serum After Dosing With Three Oral Forms of Hemp Extract. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7. Published. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.00505
