As Cannabis goes mainstream, the curiosity surrounding cannabinoids and their effects, both therapeutic and recreational, are on the rise.
At the forefront are two of the most popular cannabinoids, THC and CBD.
CBD stands for Cannabidiol, a compound extracted from both Hemp and Marijuana, two plants from the same genus, Cannabis Sativa.
It is the more recent entrant into the public spotlight, but has quickly attained the status of a cure-all of sorts.
THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol, on the other hand, has been around for a while. It is the compound sourced solely from Marijuana (not Hemp) that causes the high that makes Pot so popular.
While both these cannabinoids are like identical twins, they are polar opposites in terms of their effects on the human body.
Irrespective of whether you are looking to soothe frayed nerves or aiming for mastery over marijuana strains, understanding the difference in these two compounds will allow you to make an informed choice.
In this blog post, we will break down these two compounds and give you the key differences.
Understanding Cannabinoids
Cannabinoids are fat-soluble chemical compounds that are produced by our bodies, as well as extracted from plants.
Endocannabinoids
The ones produced by our bodies are called Endocannabinoids and include ‘Anandamide’, 2-ArachidonoylGlycerol (2-AG), n-arachidonoyl dopamine (NADA), and virodhamine (OAE).
The prefix ‘Endo’ here, is taken from the word ‘Endogenous’ and the name ‘Anandamide’ is based on the Sanskrit term ‘Anand’, which stands for bliss.
Anandamide: This endocannabinoid was first discovered in the 1990s and paved the way for most of the research surrounding the EC system, that we know today. It is a very important molecule that is responsible for some of the most critical biological functions such as memory, pregnancy, mood and appetite. Have you ever felt a rush of happiness after vigorous exercise? That’s called Runner’s high and this is the chemical responsible for it.
2-ArachidonoylGlycerol (2-AG): While it may not have a blissful name like its sibling, it is also one of the most important endocannabinoids that our body produces. It is responsible for preventing epileptic seizures, keeping our heart in good shape, and in giving you the feeling of contentment when you orgasm.
Phytocannabinoids
Cannabinoids that are sourced from plants are called ‘Phytocannabinoids’, as the word ‘Phyto’ means Plant.
THC and CBD are among 113 other phytocannabinoids that have been identified in the Cannabis plant so far.
THC: THC or tetrahydrocannabinol is the phytocannabinoid sourced from Marijuana that is associated with the euphoric effects of the plant. Its chemical structure is C₂₁H₃₀O₂, which is very similar to that of CBD. But THC has markedly different effects on the body. In the brain, it mimics the endocannabinoid Anandamide and attaches itself to neurons that are associated with memory, pleasure, concentration and coordination, among other functions. While it is often stigmatized for the high and the feeling of being ‘stoned’ that it causes, THC has many health benefits, like stimulating appetite in patients undergoing chemotherapy, helping treat depression and PTSD.
CBD: CBD or Cannabidiol is a phytocannabinoid that can be sourced from both, Industrial Hemp and the Marijuana plant. The chemical structure is C₂₁H₃₀O₂, which is exactly identical to THC. But the arrangement of the atoms differs, which makes it an entirely different chemical altogether. CBD is being researched extensively as a natural, alternative cure to many common and uncommon diseases and ailments, like anxiety, depression, PTSD, Insomnia, Autoimmune disorders like psoriasis and arthritis, lupus, liver disease, kidney ailments, digestive disorders, chronic pain, epilepsy, and even cancer. The most distinctive factor that separates CBD from THC is that it does not cause the mind-altering effects of its sibling. In fact, CBD can counter some of the negative effects of chronic, long-term THC use, like paranoia and psychosis.
These cannabinoids when ingested, work as chemical messengers interacting with cannabinoid receptors in our endocannabinoid system, also known as the EC system.
The EC system is a part of the CNS and is associated with a wide range of biological functions such as metabolism, appetite, pain relief, and mood, which can be altered or controlled with phytocannabinoids.
Cannabinoid receptors are sites, cell membrane receptors to be more specific, that are present all over the EC system. When a phytocannabinoid or an endocannabinoid reacts with these receptors, it produces an effect.
This allows us to use accurate timed doses of Phytocannabinoids to manipulate the EC system to produce a desired effect.
That’s exactly what happens when you ingest THC or CBD.
How does THC and CBD work?
Phytocannabinoids when ingested are broken down by a group of enzymes which help control its bioavailability, following which, it binds to two groups of receptors.
- CB1 Receptors: These are present in large numbers in parts of the brain, in the CNS, the testes, connective tissue and the intestines. Depending on the part of the brain that they are present in (Hypothalamus, amyglada), these receptors can help moderate mood, your perception of pain, and cognitive as well as motor function.
- CB2 Receptors: CB2 receptors are primarily found on cellular surfaces in the tonsils, spleen and on cells associated with the immune system, such as macrophages, mast cells, microglia and monocytes. These are present in very small quantities in the brain. CB2 receptor activation and manipulation can be useful in the treatment of almost every single disease known to humans, be it neurodegenerative, metabolic or cardiovascular.
THC and Its Effects
While CBD seems to be hogging the limelight, THC is often unfairly maligned for being the compound that has led to Marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I controlled substance.
But there’s so much more to THC than just the dopamine spike that it is associated with.
Sativex, an oromucosal spray formulated from Cannabis contains THC and CBD in equal proportions. It is approved in the UK and Canada as an adjunct to regular treatment for symptomatic relief from neuropathic pain caused due to multiple-sclerosis.
It is also used in the treatment of chronic pain in cancer patients who develop opioid resistance.
A synthetic form of THC called dronabinol is approved by the FDA for treating severe nausea and vomiting caused due to chemotherapy, and for treating Anorexia caused due to AIDS.
However, these are only the existing therapies.
Further Research into THC Benefits
THC is also being researched for its potential benefits in the following conditions.
- Neuropathic Pain: There are five clinical studies that reveal that administering THC in doses ranging from as little as 1.6mg/day to 96mg/day can help reduce neuropathic pain caused by a variety of conditions such as Trauma, Diabetes, injury, and Chemotherapy.
- Appetite stimulant: There are small studies that show a promising link between THC and appetite stimulation in parents suffering from diseases like HIV and Cancer. Sativex has also been used for preventing Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. It was effective in as many as 71% of the participants in the studies.
- Glaucoma: There are multiple clinical trials as well as tons of anecdotal instances that show that smoking Marijuana or ingesting THC leads to a short-term drop in eye-pressure in Glaucoma patients. However, the studies were conducted with very small control groups and are inconclusive.
- Insulin sensitivity: Early reports based on small clinical trials also suggest that THC might help increase insulin sensitivity, which can help reduce fasting insulin levels.
- Pain Pathways: Animal-model studies reveal that THC can activate the CB1 receptor (which it mainly interacts with) and increase the release of Glycine, which helps increase the threshold to pain.
- Heart health: It is theorized that THC can help prevent atherosclerosis and delay or prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease through different biological pathways. However, larger clinical trials are needed to confirm this.
Side effects: There are challenges galore surrounding the use of THC in treating many of these conditions, primarily because of the risk of dependency as well as severe mental side effects like paranoia, increased anxiety, schizophrenia, and cortisol spikes. Long term use has also been associated with impaired memory and manic episodes.
Detailed clinical studies with larger control groups are required to ascertain the safety of long term THC use in a therapeutic setting.
Also, it is illegal to own and use in most states in America barring a few, which have legalized medical and recreational marijuana.
Even then, you cannot expect to use THC as freely as you can use CBD because of the mind-altering effects which limits your ability to function normally. For example, if you experience severe arthritis pain at work, how can you expect to use THC oil and continue to work and/or drive back home?
CBD and Its Effects
CBD, the non-psychoactive cousin of THC is the new age panacea that is being linked to an ever-growing list of health benefits.
At the forefront, is its ability to limit the negative side effects of THC use, which opens up tons of possibilities of using these two cannabinoids together in therapeutic applications.
It is called the Entourage effect where one cannabinoid works in synergy with the other, amplifying the positive effects and nullifying some of the negative ones.
Moreover, it’s mild nature and favorable side-effect profile mean that it can be used even in children without negative implications.
In 2018, the FDA approved Epidiolex, the world’s first CBD-derived drug for the treatment of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, two severe types of epilepsy caused in children.
For a while, it was believed that CBD interacts primarily with the CB2 receptors present in the immune system and other vital organs. But now, experts are of the opinion that CBD’s interaction with both the receptors is weak. Instead, it works via other biological pathways that remains inconclusive at this point of time.
CBD’s list of positive effects is huge. Here are the most notable ones.
- Pain relief: Animal-model studies have revealed that CBD helps reduce inflammation and pain associated with a wide range of conditions like arthritis, migraines (when clubbed with THC), and injury. There’s no dearth of anecdotal reviews to support this too.
- Anti-cancer: Animal-model studies have revealed that CBD prevents certain aggressive cancer cells from spreading in the body. Further, it helps reduce pain, nausea, and helps stimulate appetite in patients undergoing cancer treatment. CBD and THC may also prove to be effective in helping treat pain associated with cancer.
- Anti-anxiety: CBD is proven to help reduce anxiety in people suffering from Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). It can also be beneficial in the treatment of PTSD, depression, stress, and insomnia.
- Psychosis: CBD helps reset abnormal brain activity that is observed in patients with psychosis and schizophrenia. In fact, if early research is to be believed, then it may be more effective than most anti-psychotic medications in prevalence today.
- Anti-inflammatory: CBDs anti-inflammatory properties can be very beneficial in treating skin conditions like acne, psoriasis, and to amplify the rate of healing post-surgery. There’s a slew of CBD-infused skincare products for topical application in the market today, boosted by tons of positive reviews. However, a lot more research is required to come to a conclusion about its effectiveness and long term safety.
- Addiction recovery: CBD helps reduce reward-seeking behavior in addicts which makes it a very effective, alternative therapy for treating withdrawal symptoms. In fact, it is this trait that makes it more effective and safer than THC, which can cause dependency.
- Side effects: CBD’s side effects are usually mild in nature and it is well tolerated even in doses as high as 2000mg/day for short durations. Some of the side effects that are commonly experienced by CBD users are dry mouth, fatigue, and a drop in blood pressure. Further, it interacts with Cytochrome P450, a group of enzymes that help our bodies break down and metabolize pharmaceutical drugs. So, CBD use may reduce the effectiveness of some of the medicines you use, requiring higher doses for it to be effective.
How to use CBD and THC?
The method by which you administer THC and CBD plays an important role in determining bioavailability and the rate and amount of absorption of each molecule.
When it comes to THC, smoking continues to be the most popular delivery method where the compound is absorbed into the brain through the lungs. To be fair, it is a very effective method of getting THC into your bloodstream. But the rapid onset of effects, particularly the euphoria make it highly prone to abuse. Also, there’s the ingestion of carcinogens when plant material is combusted, which remains a concern. Vaping, which is inhaling smoke created by heating cannabis oil in a vaping device is believed by many to be a healthier alternative to smoking. But the research on this is inconclusive.
Oral administration is the least effective method as only 6% of the total dose makes it to your blood steam.
CBD on the other hand is fat soluble, which is why it is mixed with carrier oils which greatly increase the rate of absorption through the gut, if you were to consume it orally. This makes oral consumption an ideal method to deliver CBD.
Sublingual administration, which is holding the oil in the mucosa under the tongue until it is absorbed, is another very effective method for ingesting both CBD and THC since it avoids the first-pass metabolism by the liver and directly delivers the compound to the brain.
Tinctures, CBD oil or even capsules can be very effective with peak blood concentration in about 15-30 minutes following administration.
The fat soluble nature of the molecule also makes it highly effective when applied topically. However, the cream or ointment would still have to penetrate the upper layer of skin, which is dead skin essentially, as well as the aqueous layers. This is what makes it so effective when used on wounds or highly inflamed skin.
THC. VS. CBD – Pros and Cons
If you live in a state where the use of medical marijuana is legal and you are allowed to use both THC and CBD, then you might want to know which one of the two is better suited for your medical condition.
Here are some of the pros and cons of each.
THC Pros:
- Produces the euphoric high even in low doses
- Might be beneficial in helping treat depression and anxiety
- More effective than CBD at stimulating hunger by triggering the release of ghrelin
THC Cons:
- Can cause dependence
- High potential for abuse
- Can interfere with motor function and cognitive abilities
- Cannot be used as freely as CBD as it is a Schedule I controlled substance
- Federally illegal to own and use in many parts of USA
CBD Pros:
- Associated with a growing list of health conditions
- Multiple delivery methods including oils, gummies, tinctures, lotion, vape
- Legal in all 50 states in America provided that its sourced from Industrial Hemp
- Non-addictive, non-habit forming
- FDA-approved epilepsy drug for use in children
- Very few side effects
- Can be used at any time of the day since it does not cause the high
CBD Cons:
- Can be more expensive than THC
- Unregulated industry which increases the risk of poor product quality
- Lack of clinical studies to back most anecdotal claims and health benefits
Legality
As long as the CBD product that you are using is sourced from Industrial Hemp containing less than 0.3% of THC, it’s legal to use in 50-states in America as of March 2020.
But if it is sourced from Marijuana, then it depends on the Marijuana laws of the state that you reside in.
THC on the other hand is legal in 29-states where Marijuana is legal. Of these 20 have legalized medical marijuana whereas 11 have legalized recreational use.
Despite the states adopting a more lenient mindset when it comes to Cannabis usage, it continues to be illegal to own at a Federal level. Although the chances of Federal authorities taking action against someone for owning Cannabis is rare.