The search for the best CBD oil in the market is increasingly becoming a focus of interest for researchers and consumers who are in pursuit of using a “safer” and more natural method of taking care of their health.
Products such as CBD gummies and topicals are advertised to have beneficial effects on health.
What is CBD?
CBD or cannabidiol is one of more than 100 compounds in cannabis plants that are more well-researched along with its equally popular sister tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
While many people might use CBD and marijuana interchangeably, it must be noted that CBD is derived from the hemp plant which is a cousin marijuana plant.
One of the most looked into topics by the cannabis researchers in the unique effects of combining two or more of these cannabis plant compounds (phytocannabinoids).
Some of these researches, including the one published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, suggest that combining two or more cannabinoids and terpenes (another organic compound found in cannabis plants) is more effective than taking THC and CBD alone.
This effect is the result of phytocannabinoids-terpenoid interaction called the entourage effect.
Search for the best CBD products available in the market and you will definitely come across this term. What is the importance of the entourage effect when it comes to cannabis medicine? Is CBD enough to deliver its claimed beneficial effects?
What is the CBD Entourage Effect?
Being one of the famous terms in the cannabis industry today, the entourage effect was coined by the father of cannabis research, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, in 1998. The theory is that combining various cannabinoid compounds produces unique, synergistic effects on the human body.
Simply put, like people, our personality and mood shifts are usually dependent upon who is present in the room with us. Depending on which compound is present, phytocannabinoids such as THC and CBD may alter its behavior.
Because the human body has cannabinoid receptors, cannabinoid treatment for illnesses as well as health and wellness has become more prominent in the medical industry.
Along with the entourage effect, the beneficial effects of taking “cannabis medicine” are targeted towards physiological processes in which cannabinoid receptors are responsible such as pain management, appetite and mood control, and memory retention and enhancement.
Does CBD Need a Little THC to Deliver Full Benefits?
Although both interact with endocannabinoids, the effects of THC and CBD in the body are not the same. The research found that the human body has two receptors that interact with cannabis: CB1 and CB2.
With the presence of CBD in receptor binding, the psychoactive high from THC is lowered. Simply put, when used together, CBD can tame the psychoactive effects of THC.
What about the effects of THC to CBD? Does CBD need a little THC to deliver its full benefits?
The answer is yes and no, but this depends on the desired effect. A clinical trial published in 2017 discovered that CBD alone reduced the seizures by half in 43% of subjects who were given the medication.
Another study suggests that CBD works better when combined with little THC for the management of pain.
Is CBD Oil Without THC Effective?
CBD oil is still effective even without THC. The idea of the entourage effect has been around for a while. Most CBD users claim that CBD with THC has more potent therapeutic effects but this does not mean that THC-free CBD is ineffective.
The human body reacts differently to certain drugs or interventions. If you are looking for a CBD product without the euphoric and sedative side effects, THC-free CBD such as broad-spectrum might be the right one for you.
Full-Spectrum vs Broad-Spectrum CBD
In the search for the best CBD products for you or someone you know, you might have also come across the related terms broad-spectrum and full-spectrum CBD.
As mentioned earlier, if you are looking for THC-free CBD, broad-spectrum contains a number of cannabinoids that also produce entourage effects but without the presence of THC. All the THC is removed in broad-spectrum CBD. Like CBD isolate, broad-spectrum CBD also comes naturally from hemp but is less-processed than isolates.
Like broad-spectrum CBD, full-spectrum CBD also produces an entourage effect as it contains terpenes and cannabinoids such as CBC, CBN, CBG, and CBDV. Because it maximizes the benefits of a cannabis plant, THC is contained in full spectrum cbd oil canada.
