Ten years ago, no one would have expected to see any kind of cannabis-related products on the shelves of their corner store. Today, the reversal of that is almost true. Cannabis-based products are sweeping the country, caught up in a wave of popularity that can be hard to understand for the uninitiated.
CBD products are all the rage these days, but if you don’t know the difference between THC and CBD, you might be confused about how these products differ from traditional marijuana products. At the end of the day, the culture surrounding CBD is very different than your traditional stoner milieu.
What is a CBD product and what are the benefits of CBD? How does its impact differ from that of THC? Read on and we’ll walk you through what you need to know.
What Is CBD?
Both THC and CBD originate from the same place, which is where some of the confusion surrounding their similarities and differences stem from. We could take the word stem literally: both compounds come from the cannabis plant and are pulled from the plant in a similar manner.
For this reason, many of the benefits that people link with CBD are similar to those associated with THC. But let’s hone in on the exact nature of CBD first.
CBD is short for cannabidiol and it is a chemical that is found in the cannabis Sativa plant. Much like other cannabinoids found in this plant, when ingested in the body, the compound tends to produce reactions with chemicals already occurring naturally in the human body.
Benefits of CBD Products
CBD is used for a wide variety of functions, but the reactions it elicits are often seen as helpful aids for anxiety, epilepsy, chronic pain, stress, and other similar conditions. When ingested, CBD can act as an agent to decrease these issues, lowering anxiety, calming the body, and numbing the pain that users might feel across their bodies.
CBD can also be used topically, helping to impact areas on the body that might feel stiff, sore, or otherwise damaged.
CBD is often used to combat nausea or migraines as well. It’s commonly used for those who are battling cancer and going through chemotherapy. This is because it can be used to combat the side effects of chemotherapy that can be hard to deal with for patients.
CBD comes in different forms, including edibles, tinctures, and ointments. Different products may be used depending on the intended length of the aid and the speed at which one wants to feel the effects. Tinctures tend to produce the quickest results but also fade away earlier than other applications.
In addition to originating from cannabis plants, CBD can also be derived from hemp and various hemp products. In 2018, laws were passed in the US that allowed for the sale of hemp-derived products, which paved the pathway for the widespread adoption of CBD products.
Despite CBD being adopted by much of the public and the medical community, there are still misunderstanding about these products in the public eye. It’s a shame that these misconceptions are clouding what could be a helpful product to many people.
CBD Products vs THC Products
What is the main distinction between CBD and more traditional marijuana? The main takeaway that you’re likely looking for is that CBD products do not contain the psychoactive element most commonly known as THC.
THC is another chemical compound in a cannabis plant. While it produces some of the same results as CBD, it has one major difference. When it connects with the endocannabinoid system of the human body, it creates a feeling of euphoria.
This euphoria is what we talk about when we talk about marijuana products getting the user high. THC products get you high, however, CBD products do not contain the chemical materials in order to do this.
For this reason, many people see CBD products as an alternative to weed or medical marijuana. It’s all the useful benefits of medical marijuana without the mental impact of getting high.
There is no psychoactive element involved with using CBD products.
CBD and THC Drug Testing
What else do you need to know about the differences between CBD and THC? Many people worry that if they take CBD products, they may show up on drug tests for employment or other similar situations.
It’s true that both THC and CBD, like all cannabinoids, are stored in the fat of the body. That means they might be able to show up on drug tests for days, even weeks, after your initial use.
That being said, most drug tests are not sensitive to CBD products. The chemical that most traditional drug tests are looking for is THC. If you’ve been using CBD products, your drug test should still return with no evidence of THC remaining in your body.
Hemp products contain a trace amount of THC that could show up on one of these tests, but it would be in such a low quantity that it assumedly wouldn’t trigger any concern from the administrator of the test.
Understanding the Difference Between THC and CBD
If you’re looking for help managing conditions ranging from anxiety to chronic pain, the aid of one of many CBD products can be quite useful. If you’re new to the world of CBD, you might need to take some time to understand the difference between THC and CBD products. The above information can help make the gap between these products clear.
Need more CBD information and advice? Keep scrolling our blog for more.
