The Mystery and the Magic of THCV
We continue to gain appreciation for the awesome healing benefits of the cannabis plant, even as scientists know very little about her magic. Researchers have spent years learning about THC and CBD, 2 of more than 100 cannabinoids found in cannabis. All those other cannabinoids are found in much smaller quantities in the plant, hence referred to as minor cannabinoids. THCV is one of those minor cannabinoids typically found in less than .05%, if found at all, in most cannabis plants. Plants considered high in THCV - 2% - are rare. That means THCV is hard to find.
Hard to find, and yet so worth it. Crone Grown grew plants this year containing an unprecedented amount of more than 5% THCV! Since people haven’t been able to experience the effects of such a large amount of THCV interacting with all the other cannabinoids this plant grew, we gave away our whole plant tinctures to over 75 of our Crone Grown friends who agreed to provide their reactions to us so that we could share those reports and learn together.
The reports coming in to Crone Grown regarding the effects of this plant are truly inspirational
The reported benefits include: increased energy, mood-boosting, motivating, invigorating, increased focus and concentration, alert, inspires creativity, clear-headed, appetite suppressing, uplifting, pain-reducing with less THC, assists with executive function like getting through my to-do lists, makes me feel like myself again.
In recent years, corporate interest in this cannabinoid has grown. Studies are showing great potential for THCV’s use in pain,[i] particularly chronic neuropathic pain[ii], as well as epilepsy and schizophrenia.[iii] It’s being studied for treatment of obesity and diabetes, assisting with blood sugar regulation, improving glucose intolerance and insulin insensitivity.[iv] Other studies have been promising for seizure prevention and for delaying neurodegenerative symptoms in Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and ALS.[v] And because THCV has been shown to stimulate bone growth, it’s being studied for the treatment of osteoporosis and arthritis.[vi] It’s even proven itself effective against acne and other skin conditions. [vii]
Corporate interest has also been piqued by the potential of this cannabinoid for all of the above reasons, not the least of which is THCV’s appetite suppressant qualities[viii]. However, most products coming onto the market use isolates of THCV, not whole plant products. Readers of Crone Grown understand that whole plant remedies are far more powerful and effective than products made from isolates.
How we managed to obtain the seeds to grow these incredible plants is a feel-good story about a heroic farmer
So, if THCV is so inaccessible, how did Crone Grown end up with these fabulous plants that produced over 5% THCV, along with 10% THC? Here’s where my hero cannabis farmer comes into the story. Seven years ago, Jade, a legacy cannabis grower out in California, was searching for cannabis with higher amounts of THCV for a woman who was seeking THCV to reduce the seizures her young daughter was suffering. After searching the cannabis cultivation networks for THCV plants, Jade was discouraged:
"It became clear that there were no publicly available THCV genetics, and the very few people who had THCV-producing cannabis genetics, they weren't sharing it.... They were actually building businesses based on THCV with the intent of hoarding their THCV genetics, and their business model was to be the exclusive source of THCV."
- Jade
Not to be dissuaded and believing, as we do, that no one corporation or person should own the rights to or knowledge about this plant, Jade did what any hero would do. He started selectively breeding landrace cannabis strains himself until he was able to get the THCV amounts up to previously unheard-of levels ranging from 5-8%! After 5 years of breeding he made these seeds available to the California public, for free, creating a public domain project, encouraging others to share their knowledge and experiences so that all people might learn more about the effects of THCV. In other words, the complete opposite of the corporate cannabis models that are taking hold as prohibition lifts. As our hero noted:
“ Maybe empire-building, proprietary ownership of cannabis genetics, and chasing dollars and Ferraris is not appropriate for this sacred spirit plant."
Of course, we agree! And in May 2022, Crone Grown was able to obtain these seeds. We may be the only ones east of California that have the “Free the V” strain Jade created. Our plants responded to our well-loved and regeneratively tended NY soil. We were so grateful to Jade for his work and to be able to get a hold of these seeds, that we created our own public crowdsourcing of information here in NYS, giving away tincture in exchange for personal experiences in order that we might extend the work and the spirit that Jade began.
We made two different types of tinctures from this plant. One is in its raw state, meaning we didn’t heat up the cannabis so as not to activate the THC in the plant, enabling one to feel the effects without the psychoactive high feeling of THC. The other tincture is activated and is mildly psychoactive, depending upon the dose you take. Both tinctures contain all the cannabinoids these plants grew because we understand the far greater value of whole plant remedies to your endocannabinoid system.
Personally, I have never found a cannabis strain that is so captivating and inspiring to experiment with. Whether I’m using the raw non-psychoactive tincture or the activated tincture, whether I’m micro-dosing or macro-dosing, or of particular fascination is mixing this strain with other cannabis strains- again either in its raw or activated form- and even mixing and matching raw with activated, no other strain has provided me with such remarkable results. There’s so much more to say, but you’ll all have to experiment on yourselves. I’ll leave you with this from Jade:
“THCV provides a clear, uplifting and focused effect that inspires creativity and productivity. It’s happy weed.”
[i] The plant cannabinoid Delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin can decrease signs of inflammation and inflammatory pain in mice, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20590571/
[ii] The New Cannabinoid from the Ancient Past: THCV, https://www.greenbridgemed.com/blog/the-new-cannabinoid-from-the-ancient-past-thcv. This is from a blog post written by Dr. Allan I. Frankel, an internal medical doctor and one of the world’s leading authorities on dosed cannabis medicine.
In addition to mood disorders, we have evidence that THCV will also be effective as a neuropathic remedy. Neuropathy can take the form of severe pain, loss of feeling, or weakness. In our practice, we conducted an observational trial of nearly 100 patients with neuropathic pain. For a good number of these patients, neuropathy was the end result of diabetes, chemotherapy, shingles, traumatic nerve injuries and more. After treatment with a transdermal application of THCV, nearly 75% of the patients showed significant relief. In the not-so-distant future, we will be repeating the study in a more formal and controlled manner, and we expect the results will be similar. In other words, THCV used both systemically and topically can help treat neuropathic dysfunction.
See also, this study for, inter alia, the positive entourage effect of CBD and THCV combination in protecting neurons in mice: Role of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabivarin on Paclitaxel-Induced Neuropathic Pain in Rodents, https://assets.researchsquare.com/files/rs-1189466/v1/6d778896-109b-4959-b11c-5f07fdc2a7e7.pdf?c=1647359612
See also, The plant cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin can decrease signs of inflammation and inflammatory pain in mice, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2931567/ which found that THCV has therapeutic potential both as an anti-inflammatory agent and for the relief of inflammatory, or indeed, neuropathic pain.
[iii] The phytocannabinoid, Δ9-tetrahydrocannabivarin, can act through 5-HT1A receptors to produce antipsychotic effects, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4337703/
Our findings suggest that THCV can enhance 5-HT₁A receptor activation, and that some of its apparent antipsychotic effects may depend on this enhancement. We conclude that THCV has therapeutic potential for ameliorating some of the negative, cognitive and positive symptoms of schizophrenia.
[iv] THCV improved glucose tolerance and helped regulate insulin levels to stabilize blood sugar levels. The study concluded that THCV could represent a new therapeutic agent in glycemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Efficacy and Safety of Cannabidiol and Tetrahydrocannabivarin on Glycemic and Lipid Parameters in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Parallel Group Pilot Study, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27573936/
See also, Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV): a commentary on potential therapeutic benefit for the management of obesity and diabetes, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338959493_D9-Tetrahydrocannabivarin_THCV_a_commentary_on_potential_therapeutic_benefit_for_the_management_of_obesity_and_diabetes
See also, The CB1 Neutral Antagonist Tetrahydrocannabivarin Reduces Default Mode Network and Increases Executive Control Network Resting State Functional Connectivity in Healthy Volunteers, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772823/
[v] Research supports THCV’s ability to suppress tremors associated with illnesses such as ALS, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy. Moreover, research indicates that THVC could reduce not only the frequency but also the severity of seizures when they occur. A study in the Epilepsia journal entitled, Δ⁹-Tetrahydrocannabivarin suppresses in vitro epileptiform and in vivo seizure activity in adult rats, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20196794/, found that THCV worked when taken during a seizure as well as prior to seizures as a preventive measure.
See also, Symptom-relieving and neuroprotective effects of the phytocannabinoid Δ9-THCV in animal models of Parkinson's disease, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3165958/ finding that because THCV can bind with both the CB1 and CB2 receptors of the body’s endocannabinoid system, THCV can reduce muscular tremors associated with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and ALS, and has also been shown to reduce the brain lesions that occur in the later stages of Alzheimer’s.
[vi] Role of cannabinoids in the regulation of bone remodeling, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3499879/
By acting on cannabinoid receptors located within the skeletal endocannabinoid system, THCV has been shown to slow or prevent some forms of bone degeneration, and may actually promote the growth of new bone cells. As researchers learn more about this process, and the ways in which THCV binds to the receptors that regulate bone mass, it is being increasingly studied for its potential in treating osteoporosis and other degenerative bone-related conditions.
[vii] Differential effectiveness of selected non-psychotropic phytocannabinoids on human sebocyte functions implicates their introduction in dry/seborrhoeic skin and acne treatment, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27094344/
See also, Cannabinoids as Anti-Acne Agents, https://www.lavvan.com/cannabinoids-as-anti-acne-agents-white-paper
[viii] Synthetic Cannabinoids, Organic Cannabinoids, the Endocannabinoid System, and Their Relationship to Obesity, Diabetes, and Depression, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327916263_Issue_4_1000219_Mol_Biol_an_open_access_journal_Dawson
THCV is under much study for its appetite suppressant quality. Some research indicates that low doses (5 to 7.5 milligrams) can reduce appetite, but keep in mind that studies rarely use whole plant remedies so we must always take these studies for their limited, but useful contribution to our knowledge.
See also, Two non-psychoactive cannabinoids reduce intracellular lipid levels and inhibit hepatosteatosis, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25595882/
