CBD & THC

If you’ve ever met me then you’ve probably heard about the knee problems I have come across through the years. For those that haven't had the chance to hear any stories or see any scars, my left knee has been through three surgeries and four (documented) injuries. As for pain, it’s a pretty much constant battle, that is why I have become such a heavy advocate for CBD. Oxycodone and Ibuprofen were pretty prominent in my life during those surgeries, and after living off of these for a while I decided to do a little research. Did you know that consuming Ibuprofen for long and frequent amounts of time, your body can develop problems in the kidney and liver, bleeding in the stomach, and even increased heart attack risk at young ages. I’m way too young for any of that, and honestly nobody should have to deal with these things. Opioids on the other hand are such additive substances and control so many peoples lives daily. What could be substituted that would help the body and not destroy it at the same time?

Cannabidiol is one of a few prominent and naturally occurring cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant. Although CBD comes from the cannabis plant, it does not have any psychoactive affects. Instead quite the opposite occurs in THC, focusing mostly on immune health and pain management. It has been found that CBD has a positive affects, like enhancing activity, on a few non-endocannabinoid signaling systems, such as RNA receptors (RNA is an essential substance to life) and serotonin receptors. CBD and THC are made up of the exact same molecular structure, however the arrangement of these molecules allows for the different effects on the body. Due to their chemical design being almost identical to the endocannabinoid system in our body, it allows for interaction with our receptors.

The main receptors highly affected by CBD and THC are CB1 and CB2 receptors. If you’ve never heard of these, they are pretty main components in the endocannabinoid system and are located throughout the body. CB1 can be found pro-dominantly in the central nervous system and the outermost layers of tissue. CBD will travel through the body to locate these elements to help regulate feelings of well-being. Hence CBDs involvement in pain management without having any additive drawbacks. THC on the other hand strictly binds to receptors located in the brain, that help regulate pain, mood, and a few other things that we will get into.

Did you know CBD is derived from the hemp plant and the marijuana plant, while THC is solely extracted from the marijuana plant. The first main plant is the Hemp plant. These tend to be light in foliage and skinnier in size compared to Mary J. In order for hemp plants to be considered legal in the U. S. they must contain no more than .3% THC. Hemp fibers can be used in our everyday life for many things and seeds from the plants have many health benefits as well.

Now the Marijuana plant on the other hand is a little more familiar to people in the medicinal world nowadays, since its sudden sweep in popularity and acceptance. These plants normally contain greater than .3% THC and are found to be rich and thick in foliage, with thicker stalks. The plants can produce several rich CBD strains that tend to have higher levels of THC components, considering the percentage of THC varies in Marijuana plants. This does not mean that all Marijuana plants will contain high levels of CBD. You can find some plants that contain 0%. All in all, products that come from these plants will tend to have varied levels of THC and CBD and yes are intended to get you high.

When consuming the two (CBD and THC) at the same time however they will counteract. CBD will bind to your cannabinoid receptors and block THC from binding and activating these same receptors. Now I am not saying you shouldn’t use the two at the same time, but if you want a less intense psychoactive effect then find higher levels of CBD to balance out or soften that euphoric buzz. Not everyone reacts the same to these compounds, like any other medicine, peoples interactions vary. If you are not one to ever get “too high” or side effects of THC don’t affect you in many ways than keep doing you. I do still recommend looking into CBD if THC isn’t fully helping in all the ways you need. But if you do get paranoid or feel a strange body dysphoria having consumed THC, then CBD could be your best friend. Not only does CBD counteract the euphoria associated with THC, it will also enhance THC’s pain killing abilities. I read this best put in Martin Lees’s ‘Smoke Signals’, “CBD is the yin of THC’s yang.” They may battle but they still use each other in everyday life.

Alright so the main difference between our two topics here is the high people experience from one and not the other. Now you probably know most people consume THC in order to reach levels of euphoria, or high. This is all fine and dandy, however if you're using or not using CBD believing it to be “diet weed” then we need to have a talk. CBD is not a “diet” for anything, it is a powerful natural medicine, that is not meant to impair you in any way. Forming from Earth itself, we use this compound for pain management, reducing anxiety and depression, benefits to heart health, alleviating cancer-related symptoms, neurological disorder treatments (epilepsy, autism, etc), and possibly so much more. Even though CBD is not meant to get you high, consuming high does’ of it could lead to feelings of heightened relaxation and even a sort of vibration or tingle that runs throughout the body, almost like your body is high. While your brain could be clearer than you have noticed in a while, leading to increased focus and drive. THC on the other hand is intended to have psychoactive affects, or get you high. This is just one of its usages in Medical Marijuana today. Since CBD and THC are similar in a lot of ways, they do have a few of the same uses, anxiety, nausea, and pain. THC does have a few benefits in itself, such as help with insomnia, low appetite, and glaucoma. Yes THC gets you high, no CBD does not. They have their own agendas in human body interaction.

Thank you for indulging in a little CBD and THC talk with me. If you have any questions please contact us on the Kontact page located at the top of the page. Also if you’re wanting me to cover some things or even further explain, just us up!