Protective Effects of CBD on the Brain: Explained Unless you’ve just beamed down from another planet, you must have already heard about CBD. Short for cannabidiol, CBD is a compound derived from marijuana, which medical researchers believe might have a wide range of therapeutic benefits.  Note that the cannabis plant produces at least 115 pharmacologically valuable compounds. These compounds are otherwise known as cannabinoids. Other popular cannabinoids besides CBD include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabigerol (CBG), cannabinol (CBN), and cannabichromene (CBC). Of the 115+ cannabinoids in marijuana, CBD and THC are the two most popular and widely studied ones. Collectively, these two compounds make up about 40% of all marijuana extracts.  Tetrahydrocannabinol…