CBD vs THC and the Entourage Effect
THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) are the two most abundant compounds found in cannabis and thanks to the rapid legalization of medical marijuana, they are also the most talked about. Most are already familiar with THC and its benefits: it’s the ingredient that gets you “high” and can help with conditions like pain, low appetite, glaucoma, nausea and many more benefits. Thanks for the rapid acceptance of medical marijuarna, in recent years CBD has made a name for itself as THC’s counterpart that can also help pain and nausea, as well as seizures, migraines and more – but without the feeling of getting high.
CBD vs THC
Since its prohibition by the federal government for its psychoactive effects in 1937 (yes, we know 1937 is a long time ago …), marijuana has been associated with its intoxicating effects and its medical benefits have largely been ignored by mainstream medicine. In 1964 this psychoactive ingredient was discovered, isolated and given a name: THC. And though research in the medical benefits of THC has been ongoing independently, since then the stigma around “THC = getting high” stuck.
Enter CBD. CBD was discovered before THC though its medicinal benefits were not understood until until the 1970s when it was recognized for its pain-relieving qualities without the intoxicating effects of its counterpart. Present in both the marijuana and hemp plants, researchers were able to isolate the cannabinoid to create CBD-rich supplements and even recreate the molecular structure to create the FDA-approved synthetic drug, Epidiolex, to treat severe epileptic conditions.
As medical applications for marijuana started gaining traction, CBD became the darling of cannabis wellness with its natural healing abilities and non-psychoactive effects. CBD was the “good” cannabinoid, while THC was the “bad” cannabinoid … or so it seemed until continued research started uncovering the medical usages of both as independent components, how the two – along with other components in cannabis – worked together and how all of it interacted with the human body.
The Entourage Effect
To date there are 113 known cannabinoids in the marijuana plant as well as other compounds such as terpenoids (that give plants their particular scent), flavonoids (that give plants their color) and more. Until recently it was thought that the components could work independently in the human body and that each could be purified to treat the corresponding condition. However, in researching how these components create favorable health outcomes, it is becoming clearer that they actually work better together to boost the benefits that each on their own might generate. In medical marijuana circles, this synergy is known as the Entourage Effect.
To understand what the entourage effect means specifically for THC and CBD, we need to take a few steps back and look at the endocannabinoid system …
Cannabis components interact with the bodily system known as the endocannabinoid system, a complex system of communication between the body’s cells to help maintain homeostasis, or a balancing between different biological functions. It was discovered when researchers began looking into how cannabis worked and why it had so many medical applications across so many bodily systems and functions. Cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids act as chemical messengers through receptors that lie on the cell’s surface and can help the endocannabinoid system work more efficiently. While the body can produce its own cannabinoids, the addition of plant-based cannabinoids helps support this system of communication especially when endocannabinoid deficiencies occur.
More research is needed to understand the roles other cannabis components play in the entourage effect, but what we do know is that THC and CBD – the two most abundant – are the main players and benefit greatly when both are present.
THC + CBD = BFF
The reason for the synergistic relationship between the two cannabinoid is how they interact with endocannabinoid receptors – the two primary ones being CB1 that largely promotes messaging with the brain and nervous system, and CB2 that is primary responsible for messaging with the immune system and pain management.
THC combines with the CB1 receptors extremely well which is why taking THC-rich cannabis will make you feel high. CBD combines well with the CB2 receptors which can explain to benefits for pain management, inflammation and seizures. But CBD doesn’t combine well with CB1 receptors, rather it alters their composition making it more difficult for CB1 to combine completely with THC, resulting in patients having amplified benefits without the euphoric, high feeling when taking CBD with THC together. Additional studies have also shown CBD decreasing the appetite-triggering that is associated with THC and THC can increase the pain-fighting properties in CBD.
Think of it like getting fit: exercising on its own will get results, so will cutting down on calories and drinking more water on their own. But when you put everything together – exercising, cutting down on calories, drinking more water and even adding more protein to your diet, decreasing simple carbohydrates, sleeping better, meditating and so on … your results will be greater and come faster.
The same is true with cannabis. When combining the whole plant, instead of concentrating on just one component, results are faster and amplified.
How do I know what dosage of THC and CBD I should take?
So while it’s exciting that using THC with CBD will increase its effects, it also presents medical marijuana patients with the question of how much of what is best. Every human body is uniquely intricate and different and the same goes for the endocannabinoid system within and every ailment it affects us. The general rule for starting any cannabis supplement is to go low with the dosage and start slow.
Start out with small doses of CBD and micro-doses of THC. If you have THC available to you, then you are likely in state with medical marijuana (Missouri is coming soon!); just ask your budtender about how much of which component to start off with along with the condition you are medicating.
Headquartered in Kansas City, Clovr is a vertically-integrated (meaning it works with the cannabis from growing it from a seed to selling it in a dispensary) cannabis companionship that believes in safe, consistent, and quality cannabis products for Missouri’s medical marijuana patients.
Image courtesy of CLOVR
