The use of the cannabis plant is not a taboo anymore and nowadays marijuana has gained better integrity than just a psychotropic drug used for entertainment. As the market becomes saturated with high quality weed products and the popularity of the marijuana industry grows, there are still a lot of misunderstandings about the differences between these products, their use, and their effect on the body and the mind.
Marijuana is a complex plant with several beneficial components that when isolated differ greatly from each other. However, when they function together they achieve a perfect balance. There are no mistakes when it comes to a creation of nature.
Modern medicine has acknowledged the great power of the marijuana chemical compounds and it made the use of them possible. This chemical compounds that constitute the plant are numerous and are called cannabinoids. THC and CBD are the most notable cannabinoids as being the major constituents of the plant.
CBD is gaining popularity fast and almost everyone has heard or red about the wide variety of benefits it provides. On the other hand THC is considered as a magical potion for curing cancer and tumors. However popular they may have become there are still a lot of misunderstandings and gray areas around these two components and their roles. People wonder if they are drugs, are they addictive, do they make you high or show up on a drug test.
Many things need to be clarified here, but first thing first.
How and why do this Cannabinoids affect the Human Body
Inside every person’s body there is a biological pathway called the endocannabinoid system that works on regulating your mood, pain sensation, appetite and memory. In the structure of this system are placed many cannabinoid receptors of a different type. However, the two receptors affected by THC and CBD are the CB1 and CB2 receptors.
THC structure fits in perfectly to the CB1 receptors stimulating the “high” feeling. CBD structure is slightly different and it doesn’t fit but it locks the receptors affecting them in a complete contrary way than THC does.
Therefore, THC can actually amplify psychotic symptoms, while CBD on the other hand may help with reducing psychological disorders.
CBD counteracts the THC psychoactive properties. Therefore, if you are a cannabis cultivator you would want to regulate the levels of these two cannabinoids in your plants. Check Production Grower for some useful tips.
What is THC
THC is an abbreviation for tetrahydrocannabinol – the principal psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. The plant produces the THC lipid as a self-defense mechanism against natural predators. Moreover, it is secreted by the plant’s glands that are found mostly around reproductive organs of the plant.
There are areas located mostly in our brain, but also in the kidneys, lungs and liver where cannabinoid receptors (CB1) are concentrated. THC attaches to these receptors and activates them, affecting the person’s memory, pleasure, coordination, thinking, concentration, appetite, time perception etc. Well, in one popular word, making the person “high”.
The THC concentration depends mostly on the type of the marijuana plant and the cultivation process. A type of cannabis that has a minimal amount of THC is Hemp and is most-commonly used for medical purposes.
THC stimulates brain-cells that are responsible for the secretion of dopamine. Therefore, dopamine levels in the body increase rapidly creating euphoria, tachycardia, short-term memory recall issues, relaxation and pain-relief.
The medical use of THC
A synthetic form of THC named dronabinol is used as an appetite stimulant for people with AIDS. Moreover, it is used to treat or prevent nausea and vomiting associated with cancer treatment and receiving chemotherapy. It’s oil in a form of capsules.
THC as an active ingredient
A specific extract of cannabis name Nabiximols is used as a mouth spray for people with multiple sclerosis to reduce the pain, spasticity and other symptoms.
THC may also be useful in helping with chronic pain, inflammations, digestive health and injury pain.
What is CBD
CBD is an abbreviation for cannabidiol – the principle non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. The chemical structure of the CBD seems almost identical as the one of the THC. Moreover, they have the same molecular formula with the one small but extremely important structural difference. This slight difference in the biochemistry excludes the “high” sensation as a side effect of the CBD.
As mentioned before, CBD is not registered by the C1 receptors the same way as THC. However, CBD does bind to the receptors in your cannabinoid system affecting your body in many different ways.
There are a lot of studies showing CBD’s anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory properties and pain relieving benefits. CBD will relief you from the unwanted discomfort without any affection to your cognitive abilities. Therefore, lacking the harmful cognitive effects, CBD makes a better candidate for natural remedy for many illnesses and conditions. A lot of studies suggest that CBD may help with: pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, nausea, ADHD, heart diseases, Parkinson’s, Epilepsy, Multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, irritable bowel syndrome and many, many more conditions and diseases.
There is still a lot of conflicting researches on the affection of the THC and CBD on the body and a lot more to understand about both of these chemicals.
To read more on topics like this, check out the health category.