CBD and THC, ten myths about cannabinoids
CBD does not have psychoactive effects, but it causes a stir between scientists and patients. In the past year, there have been increased interests in cannabidiol (CBD), a non-toxic compound that offers significant therapeutic properties. Numerous commercial start-ups and online retailers have jumped onto the bandwagon, praising CBD as the next big thing, a miracle oil that can shrink tumors, suppress seizures, and relief from chronic pain - without people feeling the psychoactive effects of cannabis.
However, along with the growing awareness of cannabidiol as a potential health aid, misconceptions about CBD have been spread.
The most common mistakes and untruths spread about cannabinoids:
Myth no 1: CBD cures, THC does not
People often say they want “the CBD therapeutic part of the plant,” not “the THC recreational one” that has psychoactive effects. Psychoactive THC actually has amazing therapeutic properties. At the Scripps Research Center in San Diego, researchers stated that THC inhibits the enzyme that is involved in the formation of the Amyloid beta plaque component. It is the characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease that is associated with dementia. Scientists recognize THC as an anti-nausea and appetite-stimulating drug, treating it as a part of the drug category that represents a little abuse potential. However, whole plantcannabis, which is the only natural source of THC, continues to be classified as a dangerous narcotic with no medical value.
Myth no 2: THC is bad, CBD is good
Supporting CBD and continuing to demonize THC has become a new strategy adopted by the retreated drug fighters. Obscurant opponents of marijuana are using good news about CBD to further stigmatize cannabis with high THC content. With the effort of proving tetrahydrocannabinol to be a bad cannabinoid, while CBD is conceived as a good cannabinoid. Why? Because CBD does not have psychoactive effects like THC. All this is, of course, nonsense, as test evidence of the therapeutic use of the whole hemp plant shows otherwise.
Myth no 3: CBD works best without THC
THC and CBD are a pair of powerful hemp compounds – they simply work best together. Studies have demonstrated that CBD and THC interact synergistically to enhance each other’s therapeutic effects. British scientists have proved that CBD potentiates the anti-inflammatory properties of THC in colitis, used in an animal study model. At the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, scientists have found out that the combination of CBD and THC has a stronger anti-tumor effect than any of the compounds alone when tested on the cell lines of brain cancer and breast cancer. Moreover, extensive clinical research has shown that CBD, in combination with THC, is more beneficial for neuropathic pain than any compound that acts as a single molecule.
“Single-molecule products of the pharmaceutical industry are much better than the whole plant primitive drugs,” they say.
According to politicians, the specific components of a marijuana plant (THC, CBD) have some medical value, but the plant itself does not have any. These views reflect cultural and political prejudices that favor products of the pharmaceutical industry. Single-molecule medicine is the predominant, officially approved way. However, it is not the only and necessarily optimal way to draw on the benefits of cannabis therapeutic abilities.
Along with THC and CBD, cannabis contains several hundreds of compounds, including various flavonoids, aromatic terpenes, and many by-cannabinoids. Each of these compounds has specific medicinal properties. However, when combined, they create what scientists refer to as a holistic “entourage effect” or “ensemble effect.” Simply put, this means that the therapeutic impact of the whole plant is greater than the sum of the effects of its individualmolecules.
Myth no 4: CBD is not psychoactive
CBD is non-intoxicating, but it is misleading to describe it as non-psychoactive. For instance, when a clinically depressed patient takes a low dose of sublingual spray or tincture rich in CBD and gets a great day for the first time in a long time, it is clear that CBD is a strong mood-changing substance. It is, therefore, better to state that “CBD is not psychoactive like THC” than simply claim that CBD is not psychoactive. CBD does not make a person feel “under the influence,” but it can have a positive impact on a person’s psyche.
Myth no 5: Psychoactivity is an unwanted side effect
According to a politically corrected approach to drugs,the psychoactive effects of marijuana are perceived as unwanted side-effects. Although it is unclear why mild euphoric feelings are in both sick and healthy users considered harmful, pharmaceutical companies still try to synthesize marijuana-like medically active molecules that will not be psychoactive like THC. In ancient Greece, the word euphoria meant "have health," a state of well-being. That said, the euphoric properties of cannabis are far from undesirable side effects and are deeply involved within the therapeutic value of the plant.
Myth no 6: CBD shows sedative effects
A medium dose of CBD is slightly stimulating - it increases focus. However, an exceedingly high dose can promote sleep. If the inflorescence of CBD-rich cannabis gives a calming effect, this is probably due to the profile of terpene that is rich in myrcene. Myrcene is a terpene with soothing and softening effects. Lastly, CBD is not naturally soothing but can help restore better sleep patterns by reducing anxiety.
Myth no 7: Higher doses of CBD are better
To make them both equally effective, CBD isolates require higher doses than CBD-rich oil extracts obtained from the plant. However, this does not mean that CBD with one molecule is a better therapeutic option than CBD-rich cannabis that has a more extensive therapeutic use than a CBD isolate. Reports given by physicians and patients suggest that a synergistic combination of CBD, THC and other cannabis components can be effective even in low doses – just 2.5 mg of CBD and 2.5 mg of THC. Some patients may need significantly higher doses of CBD oil to achieve satisfactory results. Bear in mind that CBD, THC and cannabis generally have biphasic properties. This means that low and high doses can have opposite effects. Excessive amounts of CBD can be therapeutically less effective than a moderate dose.
Myth no 8: CBD turns into THC in the stomach
Oral administration of CBD is well tolerated. However, concerns about possible harmful side effects, that could limit the therapeutic value and market potential of CBD, have been triggered by misleading reports that CBD turns into psychoactive THC in the stomach. No, there is no evidence it does.
There are extensive clinical studies that show that the ingestion of CBD - even at doses above 600 mg - does not cause psychoactive effects similar to THC. Contrariwise, CBD in sufficient quantities can reduce or neutralize the effects of THC. The World Health Organisation studied the issue and said in a report from 2017 that "Simulated gastric fluid does not exactly replicate physiological conditions in the stomach [and] spontaneous conversation of CBD to delta-9-THC has not been demonstrated in humans undergoing CBD treatment."
Myth no 9: Legalising CBD alone, but not cannabis as a whole is for medical needs enough
Seventeen US states have adopted “CBD only” (or rather “low THC” or “no THC”) laws. Thirty states have legalized medical marijuana (not just CBD) in one form or another. Some states limit the resources of products rich in CBD and specify diseases that can access it. Others do not. However, CBD-rich products with a small amount of THC do not work for everyone. Parents of epileptic children have found that adding some THC (or THCA, raw versions of unheated THC) helps to manage seizures. For some people with epilepsy (and many others), products with a predominance of THC are more effective than CBD-rich ones. Most patients should have access to a wide range of whole plant cannabis remedies, not just medicines with low THC content. One size does not suit everyone with regard to hemp therapeutics. Moreover, one isolated compound or a particular strain itself does not satisfy everyone.
Myth no 10: CBD is CBD, and it does not matter where it comes from
While it is possible to extract CBD oil from some industrial hemp cultivars, fiber hemp is not an optimal source of CBD. Industrial hemp usually contains far fewer cannabinoids than a high-quality inflorescence with a high resin content. An enormous amount of industrial hemp is needed to extract a small amount of CBD, increasing the risk of contaminants as hemp is a "bioaccumulator,” meaning it removes toxins from the soil.
But the debate over sourcing CBD is becoming almost needless as plant breeders focus on developing high-content cannabis varieties that meet the legal criteria for technical cannabis - with the THC content below 0.3 percent and CBD levels exceeding 10 percent in the dry matter. "Pure" CBD extracted and refined from industrial hemp or its synthesized version produced in the laboratory lacks critical medicinal terpenes and other plant compounds that interact with CBD and THC to increase their therapeutic benefits.