The application of these products is different from using a traditional topical product. Alpine Dispensary’s transdermal sprays are designed to penetrate the skin and blood vessels to enter the bloodstream. Always clean the area that you are going to apply the product to and make sure that you are rinsed and dried. The ideal place to apply the product will be where your veins or arteries are close to the skin. For example, you can use the crevice of your arm at your elbow or the capillaries in your wrist. Flex or tense up your muscles to get your veins closer to the skin and then simply spray the liquid. Afterward take the wrist of your opposing arm and rub it in to the crevice of your elbow or against your opposite wrist. By using your wrist as the applicator you are exposing more blood vessels and thus allowing more opportunity for the cannabinoids to pass into your bloodstream and deliver rapid results.

The research on CBDp and THCp is still in its infancy. In order to compare the effects of these two distinctly different sprays, I want to go back to what we know about the well researched cannabinoids THC and CBD to draw some parallels. I’ll start with CBDp because the results of the test applications I performed on myself were different from what I expected. Typically, that is a sign that we’re on to something new. I’ve also talked a lot more in blogs about THCp. I have to give my usual disclaimer before I talk about this. I’m not a doctor or a lawyer. I am not sanctioned to give any type of medical or legal advice. I’m simply reporting anecdotal results with our products from use by the Alpine Dispensary crew, our extended social network and myself with CBDp, THCp, or any other cannabinoid.

When we talk about CBD and CBDp the difference in the structure of the molecule is subtle. CBDp has a heptyl alkyl side structure, meaning simply that it has an extra hook at the end giving it more binding capability. The hook is created by two extra carbon atoms and 4 additional hydrogen atoms. CBD does not bind with the CB1 and CB2 receptors in the same way that THC does. What we learned in the Nature journal paper published in December 2019 is that THCp, because of the long heptyl alkyl side chain, has a binding affinity with CB1 that is 300 times stronger than that of THC ∆9 with its shorter more rigid pentyl alkyl side chain (2). Since CBDp has the same longer more flexible side chain as THCp, that led me to the two questions: What receptors does CBD bind to? And will CBDp have 300 times the binding affinity with those receptors?

I found a lot of supporting evidence that CBD binds to the 5ht1a and 5ht2a Serotonin receptors. What I need to understand better was what these receptors do when activated by serotonin. I discovered a paper in the National Institute of Health Archives from 2009 called The Expanded Biology of Serotonin in the 2009 Annu Revu Med. Berger, Gray and Roth discuss how serotonin is more than a feel good chemical. The following is paraphrased from their text: Serotonin is primarily found in the digestive tract, blood platelets and the central nervous system. It is made in the pineal gland when we consume the amino acid tryptophan. Serotonin is a mood stabilizer, relieves anxiety, mitigates pain and inflammation, it helps you know when you are full or hungry. Serotonin plays a role in the wake/sleep cycle in combination with melatonin (3). One reason that we achieve many different types of relief from CBD is that it works through many different systems in the body. 

When CBD plugs in to the Serotonin receptors it does pretty much the same things serotonin does. One study from the journal Pain published in January of 2019, shows how CBD uses the 5ht1a receptor to address anxiety. The same study showed that CBD uses the TRPV1 channel to mitigate pain (4). If CBDp binds to the 5ht1a and 5ht2a receptors with a stronger affinity than does CBD, it could account for the results that I got from spraying it on a few friends and myself. I’ve taken daily CBD for years in an oral capsule and also use a CBD vape. I understand what the difference is when I take CBD and when I don’t. We’ve always said with CBD: “It’s more about what you don’t feel” meaning that your anxiety, overthinking, concentration issues slip away without you even noticing. With CBDp I felt the reaction real time and it was quick. 

I admit that I have anger management issues. I think it’s in my genes. I’ve worked hard to learn to control it. Sometimes in the moment, I still find myself falling short of my best behavior and get bent out of shape over the smallest things. One morning before work something happened that set me off. I saw this as an opportunity to test the Revive CBDp spray that I had brought home. We know that people report CBD reduces anxiety and regulates mood. I used 3 squirts in the crevice of my arm and rubbed it in with my opposing wrist. Then I added two more. I wanted to feel and see if this worked to pull me out of the madness. When I get mad I have to fight my adrenaline and circular thoughts. Sometimes it ruins my whole day and I can only reset with a long nap. I’m often my own worst enemy. I decided I would give myself a legitimate chance to get over my episode and promised myself I would try to simply ‘let it go’ and get on with my business. I walked around the house after applying the spray and continued to get ready for work. I accidentally cleaned out my car while I planned the rest of my day in my head. Thirty minutes later I realized I had forgotten to be mad and had to think hard to remember what I was mad about. When I realized the sequence of events and thought about my experience over the previous thirty minutes I was blown away. I went from a virtual meltdown to calm and calculated, quickly. I was finally able to take an alternative path and be better for myself. I knew that my mission that day was to share the experience and look for other unhappy or angry people and see if I could turn their day around.

I rolled into our Alpine Express location in downtown Helen, Georgia and consulted with Ganja Granny and Wild Child. Unfortunately, my temper problems are well known, both of them have witnessed it a couple of times. When I told them about what happened to me with the spray they were shocked and decided to give it a try. The crowds were thick and the lines were long, we all know how it is dealing with the recurring thoughts of life on a stressful workday. I gave them three spritzes a piece and watched them rub it in. I went on about my way and told them to report back. Two hours later I learned that the Revive CBDp transdermal spray had officially received its first epithet; Ganga Granny and Wild Child labeled it the “Happy Spray”. 

I attribute these effects to CBDp’s interactions with the 5ht1a serotonin receptor. We know CBDp is the same molecule as CBD with a longer more flexible tale. We know that CBD binds with 5ht1a and 5ht2a. We could perceive stronger more rapid effects from CBDp mentally and physically than we do with CBD with lower doses of CBDp. I’ve tried this spray on several people since and we keep getting the same results. Even with microgram doses of CBDp we are witnessing realtime physical response. I have two proposed theories for physicians to investigate in regard to how CBDp works to dispel rapid onset anxiety or anger management. Number one is an increased binding affinity with the 5ht1a receptor typically associated with serotonin which evokes a stronger response than CBD. Number two the bioavailability of the molecule is going to be considerably higher because the DMSO is carrying the CBDp straight into the bloodstream and avoiding first pass metabolism in the liver. Now our stories solely revolve around anxiety and anger management. I didn’t have anyone with inflammation problems that I was able to test it on so far. If you do and want to volunteer come down to one of our two Helen, Georgia locations and let our budtenders know.

I also propose that CBDp will have a stronger binding affinity with all of the receptors that CBD binds to. In regard to the ECS response on CB1 and CB2 the results are harder to identify with CBDp. We know that CBD does not bind with CB1 and CB2 in the same way as THC. THCp was shown to have stronger binding affinity with both of these receptors than THC. The relationship of THC and Dopamine is through CB1 interaction. The relationship is complex and just like CBD it involves several other channels in the body. An article from the November 17, 2016, of the journal nature describes the interactions of THC with the Dopamine system in detail (5). My experience with THCp suggests there could be stronger interaction with this system, I’ve notice warmth in my muscles and an extra sense of power when I move objects or walk from place to place. That sounds a little like Dopamine doesn’t it? What I’ve noticed with the THCp transdermal was not the same as I noticed with the CBDp spray. The THCp spray gave me an energetic boost and did take care of my nerve pain. The CBDp spray helped me rectify my attitude and gave me clarity and focus.

I’ve talked a fair amount about the effects of THCp in my other blogs about vaping it and the most recent one for the Divinity THCp sublingual drops. Clinical research, trials and experiments have not been performed on either of these cannabinoids. My experiences are certainly not to be mistaken for medical advice or the definitive conclusion about the effects of these products. The study of the Endocannabinoid system has proven one thing for sure and that each human being will have a unique response to cannabinoids. Two people taking the exact same product in the exact same amount can have completely different results. That precept signifies the primary function of the ECS. Could we then presume that each of those responses per individual is different because each one needed different things to balance out that particular body? The key with THCp and CBDp and any other cannabinoids is to start slow and work your way up until you get a feel for what the compounds are going to do in your body. I’ve experimented enough with THCp and CBDp personally to believe that they each seem to be amplified versions of THC and CBD in my body respectively. Another thing I’ve learned is that as we begin to use all of the cannabinoids pulled from the hemp plant we need to consider all the possible pathways that are being stimulated in the body and not simply the ECS.

Another source that I use frequently to scout out potential answers to explain the effects I’m feeling is the book Cannabis Is Medicine by Dr. Bonni Goldstein. In Chapter 4, The Medicinal Effects of Phytocannabinoids, Dr. Goldstein provides an outline of known research regarding the pathways that cannabinoids use and the unique properties associated with them.  One fundamental idea she talks about is “phytocannabinoids have the ability to interact with many biological targets.” This ability is called “compound promiscuity”. Both THC and CBD use way more than the Endocannabinoid system to achieve the end result of homeostasis. In addition to CB1 and CB2, THC binds to certain serotonin receptors, glycine receptors, PPARs, TRP channels and several GPR receptors. CBD is an inverse agonist of CB1 and CB2 and binds to a side site of those receptors. This can cause some interference with THC at CB1. CBD does bind to 5ht1a and 5ht2a serotonin receptors as we discussed, PPARs, TRP channels and the adenosine receptor. Dr. Goldstein also talks about the inverse agonism of cannabinoids at these different sites and the many different ways that cannabinoids balance the body out (6). Many years will pass before all of the potentialities and pathways of cannabinoids will be revealed. We know that many conditions are the result of an inactive Endocannabinoid System. By turning on to Cannabis we give ourselves a better chance at overall health and peace of mind.

Revive CBDp and Elevate THCp transdermal sprays are revolutionary new products developed by our lab partners. They are unique to Alpine Dispensary and are the first of their kind. The use of DMSO is common but few folks have put it together with cannabinoids to deliver the near instant relief you get through inhalation without all of the unwanted attributes of smoking or vaping. These products are discrete and deliver fast acting relief to the mind and body when you need it most. Please visit one of our two locations in Helen, Georgia, send us an email, or give us a call at 1-855-420-HEMP for more information on any of our quality products. 

Works Cited

1. Elisia I, Nakamura H, Lam V, Hofs E, Cederberg R, Cait J, Hughes MR, Lee L, Jia W, Adomat HH, Guns ES, McNagny KM, Samudio I, Krystal G. DMSO Represses Inflammatory Cytokine Production from Human Blood Cells and Reduces Autoimmune Arthritis. PLoS One. 2016 Mar 31;11(3):e0152538. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152538. PMID: 27031833; PMCID: PMC4816398.

2. Citti, C., Linciano, P., Russo, F. et al. A novel phytocannabinoid isolated from Cannabis sativa L. with an in vivo cannabimimetic activity higher than Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol: Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabiphorol. Sci Rep 9, 20335 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56785-1

3. Berger M, Gray JA, Roth BL. The expanded biology of serotonin. Annu Rev Med. 2009;60:355-66. doi: 10.1146/annurev.med.60.042307.110802. PMID: 19630576; PMCID: PMC5864293.

4. De Gregorio D, McLaughlin RJ, Posa L, Ochoa-Sanchez R, Enns J, Lopez-Canul M, Aboud M, Maione S, Comai S, Gobbi G. Cannabidiol modulates serotonergic transmission and reverses both allodynia and anxiety-like behavior in a model of neuropathic pain. Pain. 2019 Jan;160(1):136-150. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001386. PMID: 30157131; PMCID: PMC6319597.

5. Bloomfield MA, Ashok AH, Volkow ND, Howes OD. The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the dopamine system. Nature. 2016 Nov 17;539(7629):369-377. doi: 10.1038/nature20153. PMID: 27853201; PMCID: PMC5123717.

6. Goldstein, Bonni MD. Cannabis Is Medicine: How Medical Cannabis and CBD are Healing Everything from Anxiety to Chronic Pain. 1st ed. New York (NY): Little Brown Spark, Hatchett Book Group; September 2020 p. 112-136

Article Written By:

J.C. Dyer

Mojo Coordinator

"Early in my working life, I joked with some people that one day I would make Mojo Coordinator an officially recognized job title. What does a Mojo Coordinator do? I stealthily and silently use my vision, intuition, diverse skillset and enhanced sensory perception to observe and facilitate seamless workflow, communication, productivity, efficiency and camaraderie."