CBD Versus THC - what is the difference?
Medicinal Cannabis will be legal by this Autumn! Hoorah!
We are delighted to hear that Medicinal Cannabis will be available in the UK by this Autumn, to those who would benefit from it.
As we are asked on an almost daily basis "What is the difference between your oil and then one that children like Billy Caldwell needed for his condition?" or "Can CBD oil make you high and is it addictive?". We thought we give you the low own.
We need to be clear from the outset that we are not able to speak about the medicinal benefits of our products, we sell them as food supplements, however here is what we can say.
Firstly Billy Caldwell required 1 part THC to 50 parts CBD and it was this one part of THC that took it over the legal limit for the UK, which is 0.5% (ours is below 0.2% or trace) and this amount won't show on a drugs test.
Can CBD make you high?
CBD (Cannabidiol) can come from either the hemp or marijuana plant however crucially it lacks psycho-active properties and can’t make you ‘high’ no matter how much you take. Unlike THC which is the psychoactive part of the marijuana plant that makes high, CBD does not.
So when CBD is taken on its own you will experience none of the sensations of being ‘high’. This is the single most important property of the cannabinoid from the legal perspective.
Is CBD addictive?
The World Health Organization (WHO) Expert Committee on Drug Dependence (ECDD) have released a report on CBD showing evidence that not only is CBD safe but highlighting that it isn’t addictive. The report also highlights that no public health problems, like driving under the influence, have been associated with CBD.
“In humans, CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential,” wrote the World Health Organization, a U.N. agency that focuses on public health.
CBD is safe, non-addictive and non-toxic for humans even when consumed at high doses, and does not interact with receptors found in the brain stem, which controls breathing and heart rate. There are no known serious side effects of taking too much CBD and research has concluded that extremely high doses of 1,500mg a day, are well tolerated.
The US Government owns the CBD patent. You can read what they say about it on their website.
The patent report states; No signs of toxicity or serious side effects have been observed following chronic administration of cannabidiol to healthy volunteers (Cunha et al., Pharmacology 21:175-185, 1980).
CBD is not an addictive substance nor does it have any psychoactive properties meaning people can stop taking it at anytime without any withdrawal effects.
How does CBD / Cannabidiol interact with the body?
All of the 60-plus cannabinoids unique to the Cannabis plant interact with our bodies thanks to a network of neurons called the endocannabinoid system/cannabinoid receptors in the brain.
The endocannabinoid system runs throughout your body which is loaded with receptors that bind to the cannabinoids you introduce to your bloodstream when you consume cannabis in all of its forms. It’s the chemical interactions of those bonds that create a wide and largely unknown series of responses in your body.
And even though CBD / Cannabidiol has no toxicity for humans, meaning it doesn’t make you intoxicated (i.e. high), it reacts with the endocannabinoid system.
CBD v THC
Speaking of CBD and THC it's important to know the difference between these two distinct compounds that interact with the body in very different ways. THC directly binds to CB1 receptors in the body, which are mainly found in the brain and nervous system. Once you know this it's no big surprise to learn that this CB1 receptor activation is responsible for the "high" from smoking cannabis and that CBD does not directly bind with this receptor. Instead CBD interacts with other receptors and pathways in the body.
The Entourage Effect
CBD and THC have been described as "sister molecules" and one of the most interesting aspects of cannabinoid science is the "entourage effect," which says that cannabinoids are more effective together than they are alone in isolated preparations. This is part of the reason why when you're looking for cannabis products experts recommend full-spectrum products (which include some of the other cannabinoids and terpenes of the plant) whilst steering clear of isolates which only contain the single compound and are generally less effective and more difficult to dose.
CBN, THCA, CBDA and other Cannabinoids
CBD and THC get a lot of the fame but there are actually a bunch of cannabinoids worth learning about. Cannabinol (CBN), which was actually the first cannabinoid to be discovered, is often used specifically for sleep. In addition, two compounds called tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) cannabidiolic acid (CBDA)—known as the "parent" molecules of CBD and THC, seem to have their own set of healing properties and are both non-psychoactive. Other cannabinoids include cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV). Unfortunately, many of these cannabinoids have barely been studied which is why we are unable to refer to their benefits medicinally.
Thank you for reading our blog and if you are interested in trying any of our products please use the code CB20 for a 20% discount on your first order at checkout.
