Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a compound found in cannabis that doesn't have the intoxicating effects of THC.
It's been used by many people with epilepsy, inflammation, and chronic pain to help ease symptoms without bringing about a psychoactive high. But now more than ever, CBD is becoming more widely available for recreational use.
The most popular way to consume CBD is through vaping products like oils or vaporizers. It can also be ingested in food like edibles and tinctures that are made with hemp oil, it’s even possible to add it to your bathing water!
What are the benefits of CBD and is it right for you?
CBD vs THC: What Are the Side Effects?
If you have ever taken cannabis before, whether through smoking or eating edibles, then you are probably aware of some of the side effects that can come with these methods of consumption. But, if you have never smoked or eaten anything even slightly cannabis-related before, CBD and THC can still have some effects on you in certain situations.
Take time to familiarize yourself with the risks that come with consuming cannabis, and then decide if they are a risk that is fit for you.
THC affects the brain by binding to cannabinoid receptors. CBD, on the other hand, doesn't have any psychoactive properties of its own.
People often experience different effects from different strains of cannabis plants based on their concentration of CBD or THC, and these two compounds work together synergistically in many cases.
There are a handful of side effects related to THC that may occur when using it recreationally (including paranoia, anxiety, and increased heart rate), but there are minimal effects from CBD when used in these same ways.
When it comes to medical marijuana, THC has some undesired side effects. People who are concerned about the possible negative effects of THC can actually look for strains that contain 0 CBD and high amounts of CBD. These can help to mitigate any side effects while still allowing the benefits of medicinal cannabis.
Many of the side effects of smoking cannabis are not necessarily related to what is absorbed into your body but more about how it affects your lungs. This means that when combined with the many other health risks associated with smoking cigarettes—such as lung cancer—then you have a very dangerous combination at hand.
CBD vs THC: Is There a Dilemma?
Many people consider CBD and THC as two separate cannabinoids, but they aren't in fact two different compounds at all.
The reason why they act in such a way isn't fully understood, but it is thought that it is related to their ability to bind with receptors in the body called cannabinoid receptors. This is an area that the medical and recreational marijuana industry are still trying to fully understand and unlock.
THC is a cannabinoid, yes, but it has some psychoactive properties. For this reason, some people would never consider THC as a part of medical marijuana, but CBD is thought of as the opposite.
CBD is often used to help with anxiety, insomnia, and inflammation without causing any “high” effects on users in most cases. CBD can also be isolated from THC using a process called “winterization” that removes the cannabinoids from cannabis plants while keeping the terpenes intact.
CBD vs THC: Are There Options?
The main difference between CBD and THC is that they both have very different effects on people and work in different ways to help ease symptoms of epilepsy, pain, inflammation, and anxiety.
For this reason, many people worry that CBD doesn’t have the same effects as THC does. However, many types of cannabis products containing only one of these compounds exist already.
For example, you can find vape pens or tinctures containing a variety of different strains of cannabis plants with varying levels of CBD and THC, as long as they do not contain any other psychoactive chemicals.
While there are many options for consuming CBD and THC, some people may find it more difficult to get their hands on them than others. Here are some concerns:
- How much cannabis is actually being produced for use in the United States when compared with other countries like Canada or Europe that import the majority of their cannabis products.
- There is a small but growing market of CBD companies that sell CBD products in other countries online due to the lack of legal weed stores in the U.S.
- The CBD products you find online may not actually contain enough CBD in them to be beneficial.
- Many people also have to worry about whether or not their choice method of consuming CBD is safe, especially if it is hemp oil they are using for food or oil.
CBD vs THC: Is It Safe?
You might think that taking CBD with THC will cause you to feel more effects than if you were just taking a product with only one of them. But in fact, the opposite is true. THC is known to cause a more powerful high than CBD, which means that when you take them together you could experience unwanted side effects.
When it comes to the safety of these compounds, there hasn’t been much research at all. This is why it’s so difficult for people to make any sort of educated decision about taking them together without any real evidence behind them.
There is some conflicting information on whether or not they are both safe together—some websites show that they can be and others say that they can’t. As far as we know, there hasn’t been any studies done on this topic yet.
THC and CBD in their purer forms are both very safe to take, but when mixed together they might not be so safe. The only way to be sure is to look for products that contain ONLY CBD or THC and do not contain any other ingredients.
CBD vs THC: How Do You Take It?
If you want to use CBD and THC together, you can find it in a variety of different types of products. You can buy cannabis products that have high levels of each cannabinoid or just one.
These include:
- edibles
- tinctures
- capsules
- balms
- lotions
- oils
- sprays
The most popular way to take CBD and THC, however, is in a joint or spliff. This is also the most controversial way of taking them together because some people are concerned about the effects that would have on someone who has never taken cannabis before.
So to be safe, it's best to do your research, find as much information as you can, and to use in moderation.