There’s a lot of discussion—and misinformation—out there about synthetic cannabinoids, so we wanted to take a quick look at this misunderstood class of molecules to separate fact from fiction. Here are three things that people need to know about synthetic cannabinoids.

3 Fast Facts on Synthetic Cannabinoids

 

#1. Cannabinoids produced using fermentation are the same as naturally occurring cannabinoids
Demetrix’s cannabinoids produced using fermentation are identical to cannabinoids found in nature. They have the exact same molecular structure, which means they are the exact same compound. It is impossible to tell the difference between a cannabinoid that was produced in yeast, and one that was produced in a hemp plant. The only difference is that they were made in a different way: One grew from a seed, the other was created with yeast through a fermentation process.

 

#2.  Synthetic cannabinoids are not natural compounds
Strictly speaking, synthetic cannabinoids are not found in nature.  We refer to such compounds as “synthetic” because they are man-made and chemically constructed. They are designed to act on the same human receptors as naturally occurring cannabinoids, hence the term “synthetic cannabinoids.” To be clear, these compounds are not the same as the cannabinoids found in the plant. Most synthetic cannabinoids you hear about are not legal and have not passed through any regulatory or safety measures; making them extremely dangerous.

 

Since cannabinoids like CBD, CBG and THC are naturally found in hemp and cannabis plants, they cannot be synthetic cannabinoids by definition, regardless of how they are produced.

 

Some people mistakenly believe that cannabinoids are “synthetic” if they are not created using traditional agricultural methods. But cannabinoids found in the plant made with fermentation are the exact same compounds as cannabinoids extracted from the plant. Under no circumstances are naturally occurring cannabinoids synthetic.

 

#3. Fermentation is natural process 
While producing cannabinoids with yeast and fermentation sounds like incredibly complex science, it’s a method that has been used for decades to produce many ingredients we use every day. Just as humans have used yeast and fermentation for thousands of years to make bread and beer, it is also used to more sustainably produce food ingredients, fragrances and pharmaceuticals -just to name a few.

 

Fermentation also has the benefit of being faster, more affordable, and more sustainable than agriculture for producing cannabinoids and hundreds of other natural products.

 

Making the world a better place
At Demetrix, we believe in the power of science to make the world a better place.  Cannabinoids have incredible potential to have a positive impact on millions of people and animals. We’re using our industry-leading fermentation platform to make these rare ingredients accessible for a range of innovative new health and wellness products.  Want to learn more?  Visit us at www.demetrix.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.