When people think of cannabis extracts, their attention usually goes directly to CBD, THC, or perhaps CBG. But according to researcher and producer Peter Vermeul, the true quality of a Full Spectrum extract begins much earlier — deep underground, in the living ecosystem around the roots of the plant.

In an extensive scientific article, Peter Vermeul shows why cannabis is much more than just a plant with cannabinoids. It is a living biological network in which soil life, bacteria, fungi, genetics, and plant communication all work together. It is precisely this collaboration that can determine the final quality of a Full Spectrum CBDa oil.

For us at CBD & Herb, this fully aligns with why we work with the organic Full Spectrum extracts from CBD Spain. Not only because these extracts are rich in cannabinoid acids such as CBDa, CBGa, and CBDVa, but especially because the complete plant is central.

Cannabis is not a factory

One of the most important insights from the article is that cannabis is not a “chemical factory” that automatically always produces the same substances. The plant constantly reacts to its environment:

• soil quality
• microorganisms
• light
• temperature
• stress
• nutrition
• genetics

All these factors influence the production of so-called secondary metabolites. These are substances such as cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and sterols — precisely the substances that make Full Spectrum extracts so special.

According to the cited research, cannabis roots actively communicate with bacteria and fungi in the soil. The plant even “selects” which microorganisms are welcome around the roots. This network is called the rhizosphere: a living communication zone between plant and soil.

Why soil life is so important for Full Spectrum CBDa oil

The modern cannabis industry often focuses on yield, percentages, and rapid production. But the research Peter Vermeul refers to shows that soil life may have a major influence on:

• the stability of cannabinoids
• the ratio between CBD and THC
• the presence of terpenes and flavonoids
• the natural balance of the extract

That is important, because an extract can only retain what the plant actually built up during growth.

In other words: a rich Full Spectrum extract is not created in the laboratory, but in a healthy living plant.

The hidden collaboration between roots and the microbiome

A fascinating part of the article is about the cannabis microbiome. Researchers discovered that different cannabis varieties also have different bacterial communities around and even inside the roots.

This means that genetics and soil life together determine how a plant develops.

Peter Vermeul has therefore emphasized the importance of:

• stable mother plants
• organic living soils
• controlled growing conditions
• preservation of natural cannabinoid acids
• minimal processing of the extract

This vision also forms the basis of the extracts from CBD Spain: plant-identical Full Spectrum oil in which the natural composition of the plant is preserved as much as possible.

Why cannabinoid acids such as CBDa are receiving more and more attention

Unlike many commercial CBD products, the extracts from CBD Spain still contain the original cannabinoid acids such as:

• CBDa
• CBGa
• THCa
• CBCa
• CBDVa

More and more research is focusing on the possible role of precisely these original plant substances within the endocannabinoid system and other biological processes in the body.

According to Peter Vermeul, the power of cannabis does not come from a single isolated substance, but from the natural collaboration between cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other plant components — often described as the entourage effect.

Why this topic is important for the future of natural health

The article also shows that science is still very much in development. The studies do not prove that one specific bacterium automatically produces more CBDa. But they do show that cannabis is much more complex than was thought for years.

And that is perhaps the most important message.

The future of medicinal cannabis probably lies not in isolated molecules or artificially composed extracts, but in understanding the complete living system of the plant.

As Peter Vermeul describes it:

“Cannabis is not a single molecule. Cannabis is a biological network.”

Read the full article by Peter Vermeul

This blog is a summary of the extensive scientific article by Peter Vermeul about cannabis, bacteria, fungi, and the microbiome of the plant.

For anyone who really wants to delve into the science behind Full Spectrum CBDa oil, living soil cultivation, and the natural synergy of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, the full article is absolutely worth it.

• Cannabinoids, Bacteria and Fungi an underestimated collaboration - pdf NL
• Cannabinoids, Bacteria and Fungi an underestimated collaboration - pdf EN