Looking for the rawest form of CBD oil? Look no further than CBDa oil, the all-natural precursor to everyone’s favorite cannabinoid.
Cannabidiolic acid (CBDa) is the precursor to cannabidiol (CBD). In other words, it’s a “parent molecule” to CBD.
In fact, CBDa only becomes CBD after its been exposed to heat. Therefore, a CBDa oil is one of the rawest forms of CBD oil you’ll find on the market.
Still, like other CBD products, it can be difficult to distinguish a high-quality CBDa oil from a low-quality one. For this reason, we developed a list of the best CBDa oils currently on the market.
We’ve often discussed how the cannabis plant is made up of over one hundred cannabinoids, with the two most abundant being cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Yet, the cannabis plant doesn’t directly produces these cannabinoids.
Instead, it produces precursors, such as cannabidiolic acid (CBDa) and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCa). It’s only when these precursors are exposed to heat or sunlight that they go through a process known as decarboxylation and turn into the cannabinoids we’re familiar with.
For this reason, CBDa is essentially the rawest form of CBD available.
Similarly to CBD, it’s precursor CBDa doesn’t produce psychoactive effects (a “high”). Some people prefer it simply because it’s more natural and unadulterated in comparison to traditional CBD. Furthermore, CBDa may produce benefits not seen in CBD oils.
Still, it can be difficult to distinguish high-quality CBDa from low-quality. For this reason, our list of the best CBDa oils helps to distinguish reputable products.
| Extract Type | Full-spectrum |
| Total Cannabinoid Range | 300mg - 4500mg |
| Potency Range | 1mg - 10mg per drop |
| Price Range | $26.00 - $246.00 |
| Value ($/mg) | $0.05 - $0.09 per mg |
| THC Content | <0.3% |
| Lab Report | View Report |
| Flavor Variations | 1 |
| Potency Variations | 3 |
| Extract Type | Full-spectrum |
| Total Cannabinoid Range | 1000mg |
| Potency Range | 34mg per serving |
| Price Range | $60.00 |
| Value ($/mg) | $0.06 per mg |
| THC Content | <0.3% |
| Lab Report | View Report |
| Flavor Variations | 1 |
| Potency Variations | 1 |
| Extract Type | Full-spectrum |
| Total Cannabinoid Range | 2000mg |
| Potency Range | 68mg per serving |
| Price Range | $99.00 |
| Value ($/mg) | $0.05 per mg |
| THC Content | <0.3% |
| Lab Report | On individual product pages |
| Flavor Variations | 1 |
| Potency Variations | 1 |
| Extract Type | Full-spectrum |
| Total Cannabinoid Range | 600mg - 3000mg |
| Potency Range | 10mg - 25mg |
| Price Range | $39.95 - $219.95 |
| Value ($/mg) | $0.06 - $0.07 |
| THC Content | <0.3% |
| Lab Report | View Report |
| Flavor Variations | 1 |
| Potency Variations | 2 |
| Extract Type | Full-spectrum |
| Total Cannabinoid Range | 2400mg |
| Potency Range | 80mg per serving |
| Price Range | $90.00 |
| Value ($/mg) | $0.04 per mg |
| THC Content | <0.3% |
| Lab Report | View Report |
| Flavor Variations | 1 |
| Potency Variations | 1 |
As of this time, research concerning CBDa and its potential health benefits is even slimmer than that of CBD. Therefore, we don’t currently have concrete evidence to suggest that CBDa can help you with any health condition. Still, some research has pinpointed that CBDa may be able to fight against:
Even though CBDa isn’t completely understood, some researchers believe it may have potential beyond that of CBD. For this reason, more research is underway, with more CBD brands coming out with CBDa oils.
In January 2022, CBDa and CBGa started garnering attention due to a published study suggesting it may prevent COVID-19 from infecting human cells.
More specifically, this study looked into hemp’s cannabinoids in order to see which were best at binding to spike proteins found in SARS-CoV-2. Since these proteins are what cause a COVID-19 infection, it’s believed that outside forces attaching to them may prevent infection in a human.
Ultimately, the researchers determined that CBDa and CBGa had the best results when binding to these spike proteins. With that, the study authors concluded that these cannabinoids “have the potential to prevent as well as treat infection by SARS-CoV-2.”
Still, this evidence isn’t enough to suggest that you should use CBDa oil for a COVID-19 infection. We need more research to properly understand the relationship between CBDa, CBGa, and COVID-19.
CBDa serving sizes are largely the same as CBD. Therefore, if you’re doing some research on how much CBDa you should take, you can always refer to CBD dosage suggestions.
If you’re new to CBDa, we recommend starting small and working your way up. This will give you an idea of how CBDa makes you feel and how much you’ll need to meet desired effects. Furthermore, since CBDa is often paired with CBD (and other cannabinoids), you’re likely receiving a stronger dose of hemp extract per serving.
It’s standard to base your CBDa serving size on your body weight. For a more detailed analysis, please refer to our dosage chart (keep in mind, the estimated dose factors in other cannabinoids, including CBDa, CBD, CBGa, and CBG):
| Body Weight | Mild Dose | Moderate Dose | Strong Dose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 85 - 149 lbs | 10mg | 25mg | 50mg |
| 150 - 229 lbs | 20mg | 38mg | 75mg |
| 230+ lbs | 30mg | 60mg | 90mg |
In order to determine the best CBDa oil for sale online, we followed a criterion that ensures quality and safety. If you plan on purchasing CBDa oil from another brand, we highly recommend following similar criteria:
CBDa oils can become contaminated either in the cultivation or extraction process, usually with heavy metals or pesticides. While companies take a number of measures to prevent contamination, they aren’t always successful. So, in order to ensure success, a CBD brand will run its products through a third-party lab test.
This will produce results known as a Certificate of Analysis (CoA). Beyond contaminants, a CoA will also reveal a product’s cannabinoid profile. All reputable CBD brands will be transparent about their lab reports. Furthermore, we prefer brands that run every batch of products through a lab test, keeping CoAs up-to-date.
If you’re not sure how effective a product is going to be, you can always take a look at customer reviews to get first-hand experiences. For our list, we only featured products that had positive customer reviews.
CBDa oils are made using simple ingredients – typically hemp extract and carrier oil. For this reason, CBDa tinctures allow for a broader audience to enjoy them in comparison to gummies, capsules, and topicals. Still, in order to ensure these products meet your dietary needs, we highly recommend reading an ingredient list before purchasing.
Not to mention, CBDa oils are sometimes made with other active ingredients (such as CBG or CBGa). If you’re not sure how these other active ingredients will affect you, we recommend doing some research prior.
CBDa (and all cannabinoids) have their potencies measured out in milligrams (mg). Simply put, the larger this number, the stronger a product is. In order to create a diverse list, we ensured a variety of different potencies. If you’re new to CBDa, we recommend starting small. However, if you’ve been taking CBDa for some time, we have stronger options available.
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Both cannabinoids are effective, but both also have their strengths. For example, CBDa is reportedly better for nausea whereas CBD may be better at boosting mood and reducing anxiety. Still, more research is necessary to understand whether or not CBDa or CBD is better for specific health conditions.
No! CBDa oil contains non-intoxicating effects, which means it will not produce psychoactivity when you consume it.
CBDa can be found in a number of products, from oils to capsules to topicals, both online and in-store. If you plan on purchasing a CBDa product, we recommend following our criteria to ensure quality and safety.
