CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a substance made from the hemp plant, which is often confused with the cannabis plant responsible for marijuana. For this reason, there are a lot of questions and misconceptions about CBD.
Is it legal? Does CBD get you high? These are just a few of the many things people ask about CBD.
You may have noticed that most of these questions have to do with CBD’s relation to marijuana and how the two substances compare.
The good news is that we’re here to answer some of those questions. You’ll find the answers to some of the most common CBD questions in the paragraphs below.
1. Can CBD Get You High?
Does CBD get you high? The short answer is no. The ingredient in marijuana that causes the high is THC.
Most plants in the hemp family don’t produce enough THC to create a psychoactive effect. Only one variety of the plant does.
CBD comes from this same plant but is considered an entirely different chemical. These chemicals can get mixed together, but CBD doesn’t have anywhere near enough THC to cause a high.
That’s how all drugs and even poisons work. You have to have a certain amount of it in your system to be affected.
If this sounds confusing, that’s because it is. Understanding the nuances of plant biology and chemistry is difficult, so it’s pretty easy to see how the controversy came about.
2. If CBD is the Part of the Plant with Medical Benefits, Does that Mean THC is Just a Drug?
Again, no. CBD is thought of as the ‘medical’ part of cannabis because it has the best combination of high CBD and low THC. Since the THC is negligible, the only properties left are those caused by the CBD.
Here’s where it gets weird. While CBD could be considered the medical part because the only effects it has are medical, THC is not just a high. THC has medical properties as well.
In addition to the ‘stoner’ stereotype of causing euphoria and strengthening appetite, THC can also ease our pain, help us sleep, keep our brain healthy, kill bacteria, ease swelling, reduce seizures, fight cancer and reduce the symptoms of PTSD. It’s considered a drug only because it can also cause a high.
There’s a whole list of things out there that cannabis and its various components might be able to do.
We’ve encountered similar issues throughout history. You may have heard about the Opium Wars in China, or the prescription drug crisis going on today. The truth is that finding medicine strong enough to treat some of our most serious issues means working with things that can cause havoc if misused.
Another example of this issue is ayahuasca, which is being used to treat addiction and PTSD but can also aggravate a few other mental conditions.
3. Is CBD a Sedative?
CBD itself is not a sedative. In fact, it causes an increase in energy.
So, where does this myth come from? There could be a few different sources.
One source may be marijuana. THC does have a sedative effect, and when something is taken that has more THC than CBD, the user may feel tired overall because there’s not enough CBD to counteract these effects.
The other possible source is Myrcene, a substance also found in cannabis that can act as a sedative. The combination of CBD’s calming effects and Myrcene’s sedative ones create a lot of drowsiness at higher doses.
4. Is a High Dose of CBD Better Than a Low Dose, or Vice Versa?
As a general rule, no. Everybody’s different, and there’s no one-size-fits-all formula. Some people react better to a lower dose while others benefit from a higher dose.
The story is different when it comes to actual marijuana. Believe it or not, THC has stronger medicinal properties than CBD. Since marijuana has both, not as much is needed for the same effects.
5. Does the Quality of CBD Depend on Where You Get it?
That depends on what you mean. On a chemical level, CBD is CBD. It doesn’t matter what plant you get it from.
The same cannot be said for the CBD industry. Due to copyright laws and various other political red tape, one company cannot legally produce the exact same product as another. Therefore, yes, there may be some difference in effect depending on who you buy from.
6. Can Anybody Take CBD?
As far as we can tell, yes. There have been several tests, trials, and studies done on CBD and its effects, and so far, no major side effects have shown up. Worst-case scenario, you’ll get a few minor side effects like dizziness or a headache.
We’re still doing research all the time, but so far, nothing particularly bad has shown up, and chances are it’s not going to.
7. Will CBD Show Up on a Drug Test?
This is another one that’s hard to answer with absolute certainty. CBD doesn’t show up on a drug test, while THC does.
The problem is that not all CBD products are made without THC. There are certain companies that make ‘full-spectrum’ CBD.
Full-spectrum CBD is a form of CBD that is made from the whole plant. The result of this is that not all of the THC can be taken out of the product. Sometimes, there is enough THC to show up on a drug test.
If you’d rather avoid this issue, there is CBD Isolate, which is anything where almost everything but CBD has been taken out.
Does CBD Get You High and Other Myths of CBD
There are a lot of persistent myths out there about CBD, like does CBD get you high. We’ve tried to dispel some of these above, but there are still quite a few out there. If you’re interested, feel free to do more research on your own.
If you want to know more about CBD and other potential vape materials, please visit our site. If you think you might benefit from CBD, we can tell you about a few ways it is often taken.