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CBD vs THC

Nov 20th 2020

CBD vs THC

CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) are the two most well-known phytocannabinoids found in cannabis and cannabis oils. While research is still being done into the medicinal properties of both, many people still choose to use CBD and THC, both together and separately, for various effects. Let’s take a quick look at both.

Does CBD Get You High?

Both CBD and THC come from cannabis. Hearing that word, “cannabis,” has certain connotations linking it to recreational marijuana used to get high. While it is true that some cannabis plants and products will get you high, not all of them will. THC is the psychoactive compound found in marijuana, and THC is what causes users to get high.1 There are many other chemical constituents found in the cannabis plant aside from THC, the most renowned being CBD. CBD is non-psychoactive.1 So does CBD get you high? No CBD does not.

The 2018 Farm Bill made clear distinctions between hemp and marijuana. It defined “hemp” as any cannabis plant containing less than 0.3% THC. Any cannabis plant containing more fell under the legal definition of “marijuana.”2 Cannabis grown as hemp, containing less than 0.3% THC, will not get you high.

But does CBD oil get you high? Well, that depends. Does it contain more than 0.3% THC? There are some CBD oils available in legal states that contain high levels of THC. There are even some marijuana oils in these states that don’t contain any CBD. If the hemp extract oil contains less than 0.3% THC, it will not get you high.

How Do CBD and THC Work?

Both THC and CBD interact with the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is innate to almost all animal life.3 While THC and CBD both interact with this system, their effects on the system can obviously be different, though there is overlap.

The endocannabinoid system has shown evidence to modulate the following:

  • Anxiety and stress3
  • Inflammatory conditions3
  • Pain3
  • Metabolism3
  • Neurodegenerative conditions3
  • Pulmonary function3
  • Cardiovascular function3
  • Neuroinflammation (which has strong links to epilepsy)4

Should You Choose CBD Oil or THC Oil?

So which should you choose? It mostly depends on what effect you are looking for, and what is legal in your state. While hemp and hemp products containing less than 0.3% THC are federally legal, there are still a few states where they are illegal on the state level.2 Recreational THC is only legal in a handful of states currently.

The best answer to which oil should be chosen is: why choose? A full-spectrum CBD oil will contain both, in addition to other minor cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes. Complete Hemp’s full-spectrum CBD oil contains less than 0.3% THC, is federally legal, and will not get you high. It has long been hypothesized that receiving everything mentioned above produces an “entourage effect,” a synergistic effect, with a more effective result than taking any individual component.5 Simply put, THC can make CBD work better, and CBD can make THC work better.

If you would prefer pure CBD oil, check out Complete Hemp’s CBD isolate.

Complete Hemp also offers the following:

References

1Meissner H, Cascella M. Cannabidiol (CBD) [Updated 2020 Jul 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2020 Jan-.

2https://www.healthline.com/health/hemp-vs-marijuana

3Silver RJ. The Endocannabinoid System of Animals. Animals (Basel). 2019 Sep 16;9(9):686. doi: 10.3390/ani9090686. PMID: 31527410; PMCID: PMC6770351.

4Cheung KAK, Peiris H, Wallace G, Holland OJ, Mitchell MD. The Interplay between the Endocannabinoid System, Epilepsy and Cannabinoids. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;20(23):6079. Published 2019 Dec 2. doi:10.3390/ijms20236079

5Ben-Shabat S, Fride E, Sheskin T, Tamiri T, Rhee MH, Vogel Z, Bisogno T, De Petrocellis L, Di Marzo V, Mechoulam R. An entourage effect: inactive endogenous fatty acid glycerol esters enhance 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol cannabinoid activity. Eur J Pharmacol. 1998 Jul 17;353(1):23-31. doi: 10.1016/s0014-2999(98)00392-6. PMID: 9721036.