CBD and THC have psychoactive effects, but only THC causes an intoxicating high. And so, many people avoid using THC in favor of CBD. But they cannot apprehend that a combination of the two can prove more effective than either cannabinoid alone.
You must mix the two in the right ratio without surrendering to a high to get the right effects. So you may ask why CBD works better with THC or how CBD works with THC. You may also want to know how CBD and THC work together and produce the entourage effects. This article will make everything clear to you.
Explaining the Entourage Effect
The Full-spectrum CBD produced from industrial hemp contains a maximum of 0.3% THC and potentially gives you the best health benefits. Even with the upper limit of THC, CBD shouldn’t lead most users to intoxication.
You can enjoy many health benefits from the full-spectrum CBD, but you can’t expect them from CBD isolate or broad-spectrum products. The entourage effect makes all of these benefits possible for you. There are over 110 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant.
THC and CBD are two of those natural cannabinoids. The best available scientific studies show that whole-plant cannabis extracts are superior and more effective than single compounds for the complex mix of cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes interacting synergistically and producing the entourage effect.
For this synergistic work and the entourage effect, the therapeutic benefits of CBD amplify even in the presence of a little THC. Ethan Russo, one of the main champions of the entourage effect, wrote about it in 2011 in the British Journal of Pharmacology and Frontiers in Plant Science in 2018.
How Do THC & CBD Work Together?
THC has a powerful binding affinity with the CB1 receptors in the ECS. Researchers are trying to know more about how CBD, THC, and other cannabinoids work together and interact with our endocannabinoid system (ECS). Still, the knowledge about CBD’s effects is not enough.
CBD has little to zero effect on the CB1 receptors, and this long-held assumption is facing a challenge that it may not bind to CB1 receptors like THC, but it does have at least an indirect impact.
CBD is supposed to raise the endocannabinoids, like anandamide, in the body. The cannabinoid targets many receptors, like serotonin and GPR55, through the pathways that CBD could help alleviate anxiety, muscle spasms, and other issues.
CBD effectively goes through the way of THC’s attempts to bind with the CB1 receptor when you mix CBD and THC. You can learn more about why CBD reduces the intoxicating effects of THC. Though they have different pharmacological properties and mechanisms, they can have similar benefits. Like- THC or CBD alone can help relieve pain. But you could benefit from an even better level of pain relief by combining the two.
What Research States About Combining CBD and THC
Clinical data on THC-CBD interactions shows some mixed ideas, but some studies state that CBD may alleviate some effects of THC like anxiety, cognitive deficits, and psychosis. You can find in multiple studies that CBD is more effective if used together with THC. Here’s an overview of a few studies below.
A 2010 study examined the combination of CBD and THC in cancer patients with intractable pain. The researchers learned that the patients could endure the mixed product better than a pure cannabis or THC extract.
In a 2012 study for the Journal of Psychopharmacology, it was reported that CBD impedes THC-elicited paranoid symptoms and inhibits hippocampal-dependent memory impairment.
A study was published in Frontiers in Pharmacology in 2019 after it had examined how THC and CBD worked by getting together in zebrafish models of neuro-hyperactivity. The researchers tested several CBD: THC ratios and found the 1:1 ratio as the most effective.
Both THC and CBD have value, but more research is essential to determine the proper ratio.
CBD & THC – Is There Any Golden Ratio?
There is no fixed ratio of using CBD & THC together. You’ll have to experiment to see how it impacts you. Here is an overview of common CBD: THC ratios and their likely effects.
1:4: This ratio is high-THC territory and is not for people with a low tolerance. If you take this ratio, you will feel stoned; depending on the strain, you could feel energetic or completely sedated.
1:2: This ratio is for you when you have already entered intoxication territory, especially if you are a beginner. You may feel light-headed and euphoric.
1:1: This ratio is considered the ideal balance by many researchers. You may experience moderate intoxication at this stage, though it depends on the cannabinoid content.
2:1: This ratio makes most users feel energized, fresh and clear-minded. The CBD blocks the most of ‘high’ that THC would provide.
4:1: If you go to this ratio, you’re improbable to experience much of a high.
20:1: At this ratio, there is practically no chance of being intoxicated.
Why Do People Try to Avoid THC?
THC is highly involved with getting stoned, and it is understandable why people try to avoid it. Several states allow only CBD, not THC. If you exceed the 0.3% THC limit, you are certainly breaking the law. It is also the case to consider where the higher THC products come from cannabis rather than hemp because THC is illegal in certain states.
So, most people try to avoid THC for the extreme psychoactive effects and its illegal status in different states. You can purchase full-spectrum CBD that contains trace amounts of THC, while CBD isolates are almost entirely CBD.
Another type of CBD product is broad-spectrum CBD containing dozens of cannabinoids but zero THC. Full-spectrum CBD will potentially give you the best of all effective offers as it comes from industrial hemp, having a maximum of 0.3% THC.
Final Thoughts
Both THC and CBD offer potential health benefits. Humans have used whole plant medicines for millennia, and CBD is not out of them. Many people believed pure CBD was more effective than its full-spectrum counterpart. But recent research shows that the two compounds are often more effective when combined than pure CBD alone.
Patients seeking to boost their CBD supplements should consider adding a little THC. You should, however, check your state’s rules on THC use before considering it. If you are not in an adult-use state and don’t have an MMJ card, you should remember that THC from cannabis is illegal for you. CBD products carrying more than 0.3% THC are also forbidden.
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