Why CBD Doesn’t Make You High

One plant, so much complexity. While THC derived from the cannabis plant has a psychoactive effect (also known as getting high), CBD in its isolate form has absolutely no mind-bending properties. Cannabis has over 400 chemical elements, and more than 60 of these are cannabinoid compounds, meaning that they interact with the human endocannabinoid system in different ways and to varying degrees.

The major difference between TCH and CBD is the way they interact with cannabinoid 1 receptor. In a nutshell, THC bind well with the CB1 receptor whereas CBD does not. In an article for Medium, R Shane Snipes asks us to ‘Think of it like an electrical plug connecting to a wall socket. A THC molecule is perfectly shaped to connect with CB1 receptors. When that connection happens, THC activates, or stimulates, those CB1 receptors. Researchers call THC a CB1 receptor agonist, which means THC works to activate those CB1 receptors.’ On the other hand CBD is the wrong ‘shape and size’ for the CB1 receptor and so not much happens when the two meet.

The reason why THC shifts our mood is that it mimics a neurotransmitter known as Anandamide which is also able to interact with the cannabinoid receptors in the body and will often signal a good mood or euphoric sensation. This is why it’s been nicknamed the ‘bliss molecule’. It can also be generated through exercise and has been identified as the reason for ‘runners high’ – the experience of bliss often experienced by people who run- but it has also been identified after 30 minutes of rigorous exercise. High quality, unsweetened dark chocolate has a similar effect without the sweat and stiff hamstrings.

Not only does CBD have little to no interaction with the CB1 receptor but when taken with THC it may or may not play a role in mitigating the psychoactive effects depending on the ratio of CBD to THC. Many advocates for medicinal cannabis have identified the benefits of the entourage effect (when CBD and THC work together) and it is thought to have great potential as a solution to gaining the specific medicinal benefits of THC while minimising the disruption caused by its psychoactive effects. It has also been identified as an effective way for heavy marijuana users to wean themselves off their addiction, while still maintaining many of the familiar benefits.

As we learn more about the complexities of the plant and how both THC and CBD interact with various conditions and bodies, we may be able to turn the ‘volume’ of these compounds up and down by cultivating strains specific to the needs of patients.

Cannabis was ignorantly subjected to a blanket ban from the 1920’s until recently, with many in authority thinking that CBD was the same as marijuana and also led to the feeling of getting ‘high’ but as science shapes the future of this powerful plant, more and more people are understanding that CBD is quite different from the recreational marijuana they’ve come across at parties. If you are keen to avoid all THC from your CBD oil, be sure to choose a CBD isolate oil derived through a specialised process that completely separates the compounds and gives you only CBD at it’s purest.