What Is The Difference CBD vs THC
- admin
- March 19, 2023
- 5:35 pm
CBD vs THC?
The rise of cannabidiol (CBD) products came after the United States made hemp legal in 2018. For years hemp got a bad reputation for its close genetic relationship to marijuana. The two plants look very similar and are found in the same genus, cannabis. The differences are complicated, but it mainly boils down to chemicals.
According to Healthline.com, “Hemp and cannabis come from the Cannabis sativa plant. Legal hemp must contain 0.3 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) or less. THC is the main psychoactive compound in cannabis that produces the elevated sensation. It can be consumed by smoking cannabis.” Typically, CBD products don’t get you “high,” and they deliver many other benefits.
Chemical Makeup
Healthline.com outlines the chemical makeup of both CBD and THC. “Both CBD and THC have the exact same molecular structure: 21 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. A slight difference in how the atoms are arranged accounts for the differing effects on your body.” They can also both interact with your body’s cannabinoid receptors. That interaction is what causes changes to your mental state.
What Happens In Your Head
In our brains, we have a cannabinoid called CB1. THC binds with it to yield an elevated feeling. On the other hand, CBD binds to CB1 weakly, if at all. When taken with THC, CBD can bind to the CB1 receptor and reduce some of the effects of THC.
CBD can reduce some of THC’s harshness when taken alongside it. CBD has reduced stress, anxiety, and even depression when taken alone. You also do not have to smoke or vaporize CBD products, which are more suitable for your lungs.
Medical Effects
The FDA has approved a CBD-based medicine called Epidiolex, which is a subscription medicine that supports people suffering from epileptic seizures. Many also report that CBD helps them with seizures, inflammation, pain, psychosis or mental disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, nausea, migraine, depression, and anxiety. It does so in gentler ways.
THC also reportedly aids with pain, muscle spasticity, glaucoma, insomnia, low appetite, nausea, and anxiety.
Consult a medical professional before using THC or CBD to treat severe mental or physical illness. Also, consult your doctor if you are taking prescription medications. Research about these substances is constantly evolving, and just because a group of people reports an effect associated with one or the other does not mean it will be the same for you.
There can be side effects associated with both CBD and THC. Be aware of appetite changes, fatigue, weight loss, dizziness, and diarrhea.