CAN CBD MAKE YOU
HIGH?
Over the years ii have noticed
that some patients treated with high CBD Cannabis Medicine have revealed to me
that the medicine makes them feel high.
This caused me to investigate
further the relationship between THC and CBD and how these two main
Cannabinoids work in our bodies.
We know that there is no such
thing as a ‘THC free’ or ‘CBD only’
medicine and as ii have written before even the creators of the Charlotte’s Web strain eventually had to
admit that there was a percentage of THC present in the medicine.
THC is the main psychoactive
and the main pharmacological component of Cannabis and THC is only found in the
Cannabis plant. THC is therefore the main agonist of the THC Receptors because
it is the only Cannabinoid which actually binds with these receptors.
CBD is the main antagonist of
the THC Receptors and this is how it is able to help people with things like
anxiety, depression, pain, epilepsy, insomnia and so on.
While CBD may not be able to
bind with the THC Receptors it most certainly can bind to the Serotonin
receptors and this is exactly how CBD produces its anti-anxiety effects.
CBD can also bind to Vanilloid
receptors and this is how it manifests it’s pain killing, anti-inflammatory and
temperature control effects.
Together these two represent the
plant version (Phyto Cannabinoids) of our own naturally produced
Endocannabinoids Anandamide and 2-AG within our bodies.
They are similar on a
molecular level and are often confused by scientists and patients alike, but
the main difference is the way in which they interact at the THC Receptors.
So THC is the only Cannabinoid
which actually binds with the CB1 & 2 receptors. The others do interact but only THC has
binding affinity. This is why we have
always called this system of receptors ‘The THC Receptors’ and a lot of
scientists are starting to realise this.
CBD therefore does not bind with
the receptors but what happens is that it has the ability to actually change
the shape of the THC Receptors and this is how it minimises the psychedelic
effects of THC. It changes the shape of the receptors so that only a limited
amount of THC may pass.
This is why when working with natural whole herbal Cannabis THC only
acts as a partial agonist of the CB1 and 2 receptors but synthetic THC acts as
a FULL agonist hence the hectic side effects.
THC is ‘active’… meaning
‘psychedelically active’ and active because it binds to the THC Receptors CB1
& 2.
CBD is ‘inactive’ meaning it
does not possess psychedelic properties and it does not bind to these
receptors.
THC is found abundantly in the
female Cannabis with the highest concentration in the flowers. CBD is found
abundantly in the Hemp plant which contains less than 0.3% of THC. This is the
legal marker for determining whether a plant is Hemp or not.
The way ii see things THC is responsible for the
receptors and CBD is responsible for regulating the Endocannabinoids and there
is evidence to prove that CBD can control when Endocannabinoids are broken down
as well as increasing Endocannabinoid levels inside the body.
Where do THC and CBD come from?
Both share the same precursor
or chemical parent being CBGA.
Because THC and CBD are so similar
and so easy to synthesise, scientists first thought that CBD was the original precursor
to THC. Even though scientists have been actively studying Cannabinoids for
over 50 years this subject is still poorly understood.
Cannabinoid production starts when an
enzyme causes geranyl pyrophosphate and olivetolic acid to combine and form
CBGA. From here CBGA is converted to either CBG, THCA, CBDA or CBCA.
The different faces of THC
US Patent number US 20040143126 A1 gives some
dramatic science lab scenes of how since 1966 mostly likely since the 40’s
scientists have been successfully converting CBD extracted from Hemp plant
material to THC.
Please take a look at the patent and also Gaoni and
Mechoulam (1966, Tetrahedron 22:
1481-1488) where you will learn the teachings of their methods.
There is an earlier paper from 1964 which also goes into great detail of the
methods of converting CBD to THC in labs. Please be very careful with your
experiments ii have heard such hectic stories of these dangerous chemical
reactions in people’s pursuit of stronger THC.
“Clearly, as the
cannabinoids are of potential medicinal value, improved methods of converting
CBD to Δ9-THC or Δ8-THC are needed.” ~ Gaoni and
Mechoulam 1964
So for me
personally knowledge of this nature which has been around for 5 decades or
longer just highlights the science of greed. One can easily see how in the
future scientists and pharmaceutical companies would no longer be interested in
working with the plant if they can simply create THC in the lab.
They are also
able to create all the analogues of THC and you can take a look at Delta-1 to
Delta-13-THC and discover all the different types of THC.
One can also see
clearly why CBD is legal and not THC since they already know the chemistry of
converting and have known this information for over 50 years and have not only
been keeping the plant illegal but have also been hiding this vital information
from the public. You can see how it is in the interest of babylon to keep THC
illegal or highly regulated but definitely out of the reach of the people.
If you take a look
at these methods you will notice that they involve a lot of acid and we now
know that under acidic conditions CBD chemically cyclizes to THC.
What about
stomach acid and CBD?
The only conclusion ii have
ever been able to reason about patients ‘getting high’ from CBD medicines is
that somewhere in the body there is a biosynthesis of CBD to THC and since
discovering the above patent ii am now convinced that this happens in the
stomach especially since Hydrochloric acid is so much stronger than the
Sulphuric acid use d in labs.
After all in order to carry
out these experiments the scientists would have had to have a basic idea of
this metabolism which they no doubt would have identified while working with
all those monkeys Professor Mechoulam manage to organize from his friend who
worked at the zoo.
It is my theory that CBD is
converted to Delta-5 THC in the gastric system where over 80% of our THC
Receptors are located both CB 1 and 2.
Battle of the pharmaceutical
companies…
The way things are heading right now
with serious competition in the Cannabis industry already we can see this vibe
of one company needing to convince the public that synthetic cannabinoids are
better and safer than natural plant derived Cannabinoids. This is just one edge
of the competitive angle and another is this very issue we are discussing here
of CBD being converted to THC inside the body.
This can have serious implications
for patients and people who consume CBD edibles especially those who have to
take random drug tests at work. A lot of
doctors no longer feel comfortable prescribing CBD because it can lead to THC.
This little war between the drug
companies is what actually led to the development of the transdermal CBD patch
as it claims to not bypass the gastric system. So it seems topical applications
are still safe…for now…
You can take a look at the papers ii
have mentioned in my sources and then you can make your own mind up but as ii
say for many years now ii have been investigating this issue and ii propose the
theory that CBD does in fact convert to the component of Delta-5 THC which has
hardly any psychedelic effects but in certain people there are reports of reaching
a certain state of high.
If Delta 5 THC was as psychoactive as
Delta-9 THC this would be picked up through increased serum levels the THC breakdown
metabolites found in urine. To me it makes perfect sense that Delta-5 THC is
inactive and that only a small percentage of people actually experience any
kind of ‘CBD high’. This is also why you will not find a THC result in a blood
test after CBD administration. CBD naturally eases the psychedelic effects of
THC so it would not make sense in the body for CBD to be converted to
psychedelic Delta 9 or 8 THC although ii can think of a lot of people who would
benefit if this were the case.
The only way to convert CBD to
psychedelic THC is synthetically using dangerous chemicals in a lab and ii
cannot say how this THC affects the receptors but ii believe it is super
potent.
“It appears that delta-5 and delta-7
THC have very little activity” ~ Professor Raphael Machoulam
So just because we cannot locate the breakdown
metabolites in a urine test most certainly does not mean that bioconversion of
CBD to THC in the gastric acid is not taking place because there is sufficient
evidence to support this theory. The other thing is that a lot of these
metabolites themselves have potent psychoactive effects. And to be completely
honest the evidence is in the feeling and who are we to judge the feeling
because those who feel it know it.
If you study the different analogues
of THC you will realise that all of them are less than 50% in potency to
Delta-9 THC the main psychoactive variable. Delta-8 THC is 50% less potent than
Delta-9 THC and so it goes down in potency.
The pharmaceutical companies who feel
threatened by this discovery issue statements like these:
“We have enough data to be
reassured that the acidic gastric environment during normal gastrointestinal
transit DOES NOT “expose patients treated with oral CBD to levels of THC and
other psychoactive cannabinoids that exceed the threshold for a physiological
response”
You can
see how nicely they choose their words and the public must be aware of the
financial interest of each company in the published results of any study.
There are
even a few human studies indicating that less than 1% of the total CBD ingested
is excreted as THC in urine so even though it is happening in very small
amounts this natural biosynthesis of CBD to THC is most definitely happening
even though it is of little medical or practical significance right now.
No matter
which way you look at it there is sufficient evidence to prove that there is a
miniscule THC ‘exposure’ after CBD ingestion and either way the truth is that
something really important has been discovered about oral CBD medicine.
Based on scientific papers ii have
researched there is no doubt that the route of administration indeed affects
the pharmacokinetics of CBD and this is exactly why high intra and inter
subject variability is so common in humans and animals.
So can CBD make you feel
high?
Over the years ii have tested a lot of different strains
of Cannabis some claim to be high in THCA, CBN and then CBD so yes ii have
smoked hemp and in all these experiences and ii am still learning…it seems
certain that through Cannabis we can achieve ‘different highs’ or rather
different levels of consciousness.
For example CBN is a serious couch caller and gives you a
sedated effect which is brilliant for chronic pain and PTSD and depression.
CBD buds are like a strong herbal relaxant, kind of like
a super potent version of chamomile, lavender and rosemary together, so the ‘high’
is completely different to a THC ‘high’.
CBD is all about relieving anxiety and stress so it very
quickly halts the body’s response to excitability.
High CBD strains do not give you that agitated paranoia
sometimes experienced with high THC strains. Nor do they produce the heavy
sedating effects of CBN. It’s quite interesting that CBD also converts to CBN in
gastric acid and this leads to misunderstandings as to whether the effects of
conversion after CBD ingestion are in fact THC effects.
From what my patients tell me it feels like CBD’ fills’
their body and mind with clarity, focus and a sense of calm. A lot of people
prefer to consume CBD during work hours to cope with stress and irritability. So
yes there are people who enjoy recreational CBD for mental and physical
relaxation and as an upbeat mood enhancer with no change in cognitive
functions, similar to the effects of Sceletium.
A lot of people will have a lot to say about any ‘CBD
high’ and ii have had this conversation many times about whether people are
feeling high or simply feeling better and at the end of the day most people
will agree that they are feeling better.
Cannabis eases any form of suffering and CBD is the known
ingredient which eliminates anxiety, stress, depression, pain, inflammation,
convulsions and so much more without the extreme psychedelic effects of Delta-8
or 9 THC.
So if you are having a stressful day ii highly recommend
CBD medicine to help you take the edge off.
SOURCES:
Professor Raphael Mechoulam Hebrew University
Epilepsy and Behavior
Journal
Dr. Jake Felice, CannabisMatrix.com
Project CBD
Xhosastyles.blogspot.com
High Times
Medical Jane
Grotenhermen et.
al. (2017) in a response to Merrick’s publication.
Watanabe et. al.
(2007)
Merrick et. Al
Bonn-Miller et.
al. 2017)
Martín-Santos et. al. (2012)
Gaoni and
Mechoulam (1968)
István Ujváry
and Lumir Hanuš (2016)
‘Identification of Psychoactive Degradants of
Cannabidiol in Simulated Gastric and Physiological Fluid,’ ~ John Merrick
Dr Ethan Russo
Dr Ester Fride
Drawception.com
Journal of
Toxicology
