THC and CBD: One Plant, Two Chemicals

Compared to the 20th century, today cannabis is becoming a very famous plant around the planet. All of its different benefits and types of uses are getting popular too. It seems like people and governments are starting to understand that it should be completely legal. If there are no serious downsides to using it and it obviously has a positive impact on the human body, why should it be illegal?

However, the legalization process is slow and it will probably take at least a couple more decades so every country can realize that this herb is actually helpful. The legalization process is becoming even slower because of all the different cannabinoid chemical compounds that can be found in the cannabis plant. Discovering which of these compounds are safe, which are dangerous, which cause psychoactive effects and so on is a delicate process.

Today, scientists around the world have their focus turned to just 2 of the 480 different compounds that can be found in the plant. Those two cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).

Even though these two compounds can be found in the same plan, they are actually very different from each other. I think it is safe to say that THC is quite more popular because of its psychoactive effects that are very well known around the world. It is the compound that creates the “high” in people. CBD is a much lesser-known compound, but it has started to build some traction too.

If we plan on legalizing everything marijuana-related, I believe it is very important to recognize the differences between these two cannabinoids.

Psychoactive effects

One of the most important differences between these two chemical compounds is the fact that one has very strong psychoactive effects on the human body while the other one has none. THC is the cannabinoid that causes a high in people when consumed as an oil, ingested through food, or smoked. Once the high is achieved, it can be present in an average weighted person for more than two or three hours. Keep in mind that the severity of the high is heavily dependent on the type of cannabis strain we are talking about.

During this high, a person may experience side effects such as slow reaction time, red eyes, dry mouth, and memory loss. These side effects aren’t particularly scary or dangerous, but they may hinder your day-to-day performance.

On the other hand, CBD does not have any kind of psychoactive effect on the human body. Although, it may have similar side effects such as a dry mouth or feeling sluggish.

Legality

Another important manner I must talk regarding these two compounds is their legality. Unfortunately, the legal system in countries around the world regarding cannabis makes things very complicated. For example, in some countries THC oils that have a concentrate below 5% can be legal while anything above that is very illegal and you might even get arrested for it. Does the difference of 0.1% so important and is the arrest justified?

I personally do not believe that this makes a lot of sense, but that is a subject on another matter. To put it simply, CBD products are much more accepted than THC products, probably because CBD doesn’t have any kind of psychoactive effects. However, when buying CBD products make sure that the level of THC is below 0.5%. If it goes above that, you might find yourself in legal trouble after failing a drug test (more info).

When it comes to THC products, the laws get a bit stricter. There are only a couple of countries around the world and the states in the US that accept the recreational use of THC. In the states, you won’t have to worry about how much you’re carrying and where your smoking. It is completely legal to do so. However, there are places where recreational use of THC is illegal while using it for medical purposes is legal.

I would suggest that you always first analyze your state’s or country’s laws to determine whether buying such products is within the law.

Medical Benefits

The reason why so many people are pushing for cannabis to become legal ice around the world is because of its many medical benefits. If the use of a simple herb can help with the most complicated problems, why shouldn’t we allow ourselves to do that? The benefits are real, they have been proven and they are more than enough to convince those in the government that we need to cannabis.

For example, the FDA recently approved the use of CBD to deal with problems such as chronic pain, migraines, nausea, depression, anxiety and it also may be used as a treatment for seizures. The only side effect people would experience by using CBD is drowsiness and dry mouth. When comparing the pros and cons, it is obvious that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages by a lot.

THC is also a great remedy for chronic pain, low appetite, anxiety, nausea and it even helps people with insomnia.

Just imagine how much benefits we could find if we were to invest a lot more time and money into the research of the cannabis plant and its compounds.

Ways of Consumption

When it comes to consumption of THC and CBD there aren’t a lot of differences. Basically, both of them can be consumed in the exact same way. Most people prefer to vaporize CBD or to drink it as a capsule. It’s simple and it brings out the best benefits in a matter of minutes. But, when it comes to THC, people prefer to smoke the cannabis plant. Many also opt for the choice to mix THC oil with water or other drinkable liquids.

I don’t think it really matters which way of consumption you choose, the effect will be the same. Choose what you feel most comfortable with.

It seems like these two chemical compounds that derive from the cannabis plant can be a great addition to our medical knowledge and to society. I hope that in a couple of years, we will be able to see a lot more products that contain CBD and THC.