Out of the 113 cannabinoids found in the hemp plant, CBD and THC are only two. There was a time when cannabis was preferred to contain higher THC so that users could purchase it from the black market and enjoy how it altered their mood.
THC is known for being the drug everyone should avoid because of how it induces psychoactive properties. But not everyone is interested in doing nothing and just resting on the couch, unable to move, busy daydreaming about the love affair between bees and boots.
This brings us to cannabidiol, which is also known as CBD. Now this ingredient doesn’t have the high effect. It just calms one down and improves his mood in a controlled manner. It also comes with loads of medicinal properties – say at least a 100 of them.
Some of these include its ability to help with sleep, epilepsy, neurogenerative diseases, and depression. Now for a long time CBD remained under the wraps; scientists have only discovered it some 50 years back.
This means that for years cannabis with a high content of THC has been bred and CBD has been ignored which has lead to less strains with high cannabidiol. But does this mean that we need to now only grow hemp that contains more CBD and wipe out THC from the equation? Not really.
The Entourage Effect
Both THC and CBD can improve each other’s effects. Some reports show that THC also has medicinal properties. And together they have a synergistic effect. What’s that, you ask? Basically, THC and CBD both interact with the brain’s receptors and bind with them.
When together, they boost each other and deliver better benefits. This explains why the best products are those that contain the right proportions of CBD and THC.
What Does Other Research Say About This?
A study presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 71st annual meeting in Philadelphia found that older adults who used a one-to-one ratio of THC to CBD for improving their chronic condition experienced minimum side effects. This suggests how important it is to have a proper proportion of both the cannabinoids for best results even when it comes to medical ailments.
Another study published in the Journal of Palliative Medicine found that cancer patients use medical marijuana that contains more THC than CBD. Another study points out that THC has more therapeutic properties than CBD.
And to clear out some confusion, it is also essential to note that as per a report published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, some effects of THC on the brain are buffered when CBD is also present in the formula. This shows that both THC and CBD are valuable separately but even more so when used together.
Key Takeaway
Several studies have pointed out that cannabidiol formulas that also contain a wee bit of THC in the right quantity are even more effective. THC, though psychoactive, has some medicinal use and when along with CBD it is also mostly safe.
