So you’ve probably heard about all the wonderful and diverse healing properties the cannabis plant has to offer. Perhaps you’re even considering using CBD as a way to reclaim your health naturally, but still have some confusion about the topic and the cannabis plant as a whole. These misconceptions have excluded you from the beauty that the cannabis wellness space has to offer.
Don’t panic y’all! Understanding the fundamental difference between CBD and THC will help undo all that by providing you with the clarity necessary for your journey into natural health and wellness.
Now, cannabis is a fantastically complicated plant that is made up of hundreds of chemical compounds called cannabinoids.
Both CBD and THC are part of this cannabinoid family and can bind to specific receptors already present in your body, making up something called the endocannabinoid system. While cannabinoids are found within various plants in nature, cannabis is the only plant that contains both CBD and THC.
CBD is Cannabidiol, which is a naturally-occurring compound found in the stems, leaves, and flowers of the hemp plant, better known as Cannabis Sativa. CBD is one of the most critical cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. This abundant non–intoxicating cannabinoid is being extensively studied and celebrated for its diverse healing properties.
THC or ‘delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol’, the compound cousin of CBD, is the main psychoactive component in the cannabis plant. In other words, THC is the stuff that will get you ‘high’. The most important detail is that, unlike THC, CBD will not intoxicate you. This is because, even though CBD and THC have the same chemical formula, their atoms are arranged in a slightly different way.
This slight difference in structure is is what causes THC to have a psychoactive effect on the brain, while CBD doesn’t. So essentially, if you choose to use CBD for health purposes you are more likely to experience an elevation of your discomfort, with little to no effects on your ability to think and function normally.
Whereas some folks have reported that, sometimes, high doses of THC have intensified their pain symptoms. While others have had a real hard time dealing with the psychoactive side effects of THC, which in turn robs them of the compound’s healing potential.
So when y’all go around experimenting with THC for pain relief, try to be mindful of this and start with small amounts.
That being said, CBD can help prevent some of the intoxicating effects of THC. By binding itself to the cannabinoid receptors, CBD keeps THC from activating said receptors. This means a way less-intense ‘high’ and is exactly why folks trying this out for the first time prefer products with a mix of CBD and THC.
So now you know that CBD and THC are both cannabinoids found in cannabis and that both cannabinoids lay claim to healing benefits. The most important difference is that THC will have psychoactive effects while CBD will not.
Now you’re ready to make your own decisions about CBD and THC and take your first steps toward reclaiming your natural health!
And more important questions answered in our FAQ!