CBD AND THC: Exploring the core differences between
Cannabidiol and ∆9 Tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta-9 THC)
There has never been more confusion about CBD and THC
than right now. This paper aims to explore the differences between CBD and THC.
We see people with zero medical experience giving free advice on social media
platforms. Patients in need of medical help are racing to the nearest comments-section.
People are desperate for advice and are prepared to take
it from complete strangers who may or may-not be qualified. And it is not only
on Cannabis platforms but even on community groups. The great back-gate to
so-called legalization ensures that people still incorrectly believe that hemp
is a type of Cannabis plant. Hemp is the fiber that any Cannabis plant can produce
and this is why people remain confused. Scientists and medical professionals
warn that even “THC-Free” products may still contain traces of ∆9
Tetrahydrocannabinol. [1-2] In the face of legal-loopholes no-one really seems
to understand the differences between CBD and THC.
What are the main differences between CBD and THC?
CBD and THC are so similar in their chemical structure that even scientists used to get confused back in the 1940’s. They thought they had discovered the psychoactive component of Cannabis although THC was only fully revealed in 1963. [3] Chemically speaking they are so similar that they can mimic each other’s abilities, activities and effects! [4] Let’s look at a few fundamental differences between CBD and THC.
In my first blog post on (https://mushigoatseedco.com/is-cannabis-deficiency-making-you-sick/) I explained that THC is unique because it is
only found in the Cannabis plant. Scientists now agree that THC is the main
pharmacological component of Cannabis. [5] (Sim-Selley, 2003)
Many cannabinoids found in
Cannabis are also found in different plants other than Cannabis. For example,
black pepper, coffee, Echinacea, black truffles, flax linen seeds and even
cocoa contain cannabinoids like CBD, CBC and CBG. However; THC is only found in
the Cannabis plant and this is what makes Cannabis and THC so unique.
There
is very little CBD and THC in the raw plant material
It doesn’t matter how potent a Cannabis strain may be, the truth is
there is only trace elements of CBD and THC in the raw plant. You can test this
by chewing on some raw leaves and buds and you probably won’t feel anything. On
the other hand some people are so sensitive that they can experience a “high”
from cannabinoid-acids.
All cannabinoids found in Cannabis originate from the ‘mother-cannabinoid’
known as CBGA. As plants mature unique enzymes convert CBGA into the 3 main
cannabinoid-precursors namely CBDA, THCA and CBCA. However, plants grown in the
hot African sun can test higher for CBD and THC content because the sun has had
time to directly heat plants.
In this way natural sunlight does encourage CBD and THC production
within the plant. If you have ever spent a day in an African ganja-plantation
you will know all about this “plant-high’. In nature even plants grown for hemp
can increase THC levels if they become stressed. THC is the plant’s natural
‘sunscreen so when exposed to hot sunlight, THC levels increase to protect the
plant. This means that the current THC limits permitted in ‘hemp plants’ are
grossly underestimated and frankly a joke. At these levels we might never get
any hemp industry started in Africa. The ultra-violet rays from the African sun
are far too high for our farmers to operate within the proposed legal agenda. [6]
CBDA and THCA are the precursors to CBD and THC and heat is required to
commence the conversion. The process whereby THCA loses its acidic-carbonyl
group to become THC is called decarboxylation or ‘decarbing’. The most common
methods of decarbing are smoking, vaping, baking or concentrate extraction. All
these methods are powerful enough to transform THCA to THC.
The
amazing thing is that the acid versions of CBD and THC have the same healing
properties without the high
The proof of this is the hard-to-believe healing people are achieving just
by juicing the raw Cannabis plant. This is possibly the most preferred method
of consuming Cannabis today, for people who don’t smoke or want ‘the high’. [7]
CBD
and THC are both found in male and female Cannabis plants
When THCA is converted, THC is found abundantly in female plant material
with the highest concentration in the trichomes of the flowers. THC is also
found in male Cannabis plants although in much lower concentrations. The male
Cannabis plant and other low-THC plants also contain abundant CBD levels.
Plants
with lower THC levels naturally have higher CBD levels
This means that strains that are lower in THC will naturally be higher
in CBD and vice versa. This is because in nature both CBD and THC are made up
of the same plant material: so more of one naturally means less of the other.
[8] (Millar, 2017) Growers who select to breed higher THC plants,
are inadvertently selecting against the gene that produces CBD. This means that
in the pursuit to produce ‘stronger’ Cannabis some growers may
actually end up out-breeding CBD. In general these stronger strains have much
higher levels of THC and not enough CBD.
What is the difference between synthetic CBD and THC and natural plant Cannabis medicine?
Many doctors wonder if Cannabis medicine will work
for their patients, but they don’t really know anything about how the medicine
works, or even if it is a real medicine. Doctors will still need to assist in
making this medicine available to their patients. There will always be a need
for whole-herbal Cannabis dispensing and not only the synthetics that doctors
will be allowed to sell.
It’s
important to know that when you see a product that features a ratio, that the
first number reflects CBD content. The second number refers to the amount of
THC in the product. For example, (1:1)
reads as equal parts CBD to THC and so forth.
The “Entourage Effect” is greater than the effect of any one
isolated-molecule found within the Cannabis plant
Professor Raphael Mechoulam and his team
created the concept of the “Entourage Effect”. This means that all of the
plants chemical compounds are required for Cannabis medicine to be truly
effective and safe. Within Cannabis there are literally hundreds of different
molecules including phyto-cannabinoids, terpenes, terpenoids, and flavinoids.
All of these have healing powers and work together with CBD and THC to create
this ‘entourage effect’. The terpenes and terpenoids are so sophisticated that
they can even mimic the activities of cannabinoids. [18] According to Professor
Mechoulam evidence proves that CBD works better in the presence of THC and the
other plant chemicals. This is compared to products produced from using an
isolate. For example CBD isolate is a product derived from pure CBD extracted
in a laboratory.
When choosing CBD products it’s important to
consider that scientists generally do research with isolated single-molecule
CBD. It is best to keep the ‘entourage effect’ in mind when reading scientific
papers. It is common that patients actually need higher doses of isolate CBD to
get the same benefits as plant extracts. This is because of the ‘entourage
effect’ concerned with the medicinal properties of the entire Cannabis plant.
“Any given dose of
single-molecule CBD is
not medicinally the same as the same dose of a CBD-rich whole
plant cannabis extract.” ~ Martin A. Lee Director Project CBD
B. General ECS activity
and receptor binding ability
CBD and THC have
different effects on the ECS receptors as well as the entire human receptor
system. THC is the main agonist of cannabinoid receptors, because it is the ONLY
plant-cannabinoid that actually binds with the unique receptors of the ECS. The
THC molecule acts as a partial-agonists of these receptors and this is the
reason for its high safety margin. [9]
These receptors have exceptionally deep-binding pockets
that appear complicated and challenging. The ECS receptors have larger surface
areas and deeper binding-pockets than other receptors in the body. They have
numerous sub-pockets and different networks to other areas of the receptors. Only
the THC molecule can bind with this highly evolved system of receptors. [10] (J Coffey, 2019)
CBD is the main antagonist
of the cannabinoid receptors
While CBD doesn’t actually bind to the ECS receptors like THC does, it does also interact with these receptors. CBD functions as an antagonist that can deactivate or
minimize the ECS activities. It has the same effect on other receptors in the
body, for example the serotonin, dopamine and pain receptors.
How does CBD manage to counteract the psychedelic effects
of THC?
The secret is that CBD can change the shape of the ECS receptors. This affects potency and reduces the effects of THC as it binds with the receptor. [11] (Pertwee, 2008) Imagine that the surface of the receptor is more or less the same shape as blood-cells, like a disc-shaped-doughnut. CBD has the ability to alter the shape of our receptors to resemble, say, a sickle or half- moon shape. Reducing the surface area of receptors, reduces the THC uptake, and in turn minimizes the psychedelic effects of THC. [12] (Marzo,et al 2014) [13] (W Jaeger, 2008) This is another reason for the high safety margin of herbal Cannabis medicine.
C. Specific ECS activity
THC controls our ECS receptors and
CBD controls our endocannabinoids. In this way CBD and THC are the two main
cannabinoids. CBD is the human version of the enocannabinoid known as 2-AG and
THC is the human version of Anandamide. Scientific evidence
from Hebrew University by Professor
Mechoulam proves that CBD controls when endocannabinoids are broken down, as
well as increasing endocannabinoid levels inside the body.
Possibly of greater
importance is the discovery that CBD reduces the breakdown of the human-version
of THC, Anandamide. Research shows that just
tiny amounts of cannabinoids can stimulate the body to make more endocannabinoids
and build more receptors. [14] [15] (Russo
D. E, 2016) More endocannabinoid
receptors will increase your sensitivity to cannabinoids; this means that
smaller doses have greater effects.
D. Psychoactive properties
THC is ‘active’…
meaning ‘psychedelically-active’, and
active because it binds to the ECS receptors. The fact that THC is the only molecule
that binds to the receptors is proof of why THC is ‘psychedelically-active’. As
discussed under point B we know that CBD reduces the psychoactive activity of
THC.
CBD is ‘inactive’
meaning that it does not possess psychedelic properties, and it does not bind
to these receptors. Plants that contain more CBD than THC will have less
psychedelic effects. Some people insist that CBD creates a certain change in
mood and that this is evidence of its psychoactive effects. In our opinion CBD
should be considered psychoactive because it also affects brain function.
However, its effects are different from that of THC because CBD has
anti-anxiety, antipsychotic and antidepressant effects.
Can CBD make you high?
The truth is that no-one would really want to
admit to any possible CBD high for fear it would be taken away by governments. It’s a very subjective matter and many will
admit that at high doses (plus 400 mg) CBD can become psychedelic. Of course
all of this depends on the individual constitution of each unique human-being.
Somewhere in the body there is a biological
conversion of CBD to THC. Eighty years ago scientists started using sulphuric-acid
to convert CBD from “hemp plants” into Delta-9 THC in laboratories.
Hydrochloric stomach acid is much stronger than sulphuric-acid, so it makes
sense that such a bioconversion can happen naturally in the stomach.
In some people, CBD
may be converted to THC in the gastric acid, and this can have serious
implications for those who have to take random drug tests at work. A lot of doctors no longer feel comfortable
prescribing CBD because they realise it can lead to THC. [16] In this paper Patricia
Golombek et al offer the following
quotation in their introduction:
“Nevertheless, it is certain that CBD degrades to
psychotropic products in acidic environments.”
It was this medical
truth that led to the development of the trans-dermal CBD-patch because scientists
claim that they can bypass the gastric system. The important thing is that
something very valuable was discovered about oral CBD medicine.
In 40
years I have only had a handful of patients ask me if CBD could make them high.
I
always ask my patients whether they think they are feeling ‘high’ or if they
are simply feeling better. At the end of the day most people agree that they
are just feeling better. This also means that through Cannabis, people
can achieve ‘different highs’ or different levels of consciousness. [17] (Merrick J, 2016)
Establishing
cannabinoid tolerance varies from person to person especially in respect of THC
In my opinion, for medicine-making it is best to
work with plants that record a 1:1 CBD THC ratio. It is even better if these
plants test at around 6 to 10% THC. This means that the plants have the same
percentage CBD as THC in each dispensed dose. A 1:1 ratio will still cause
euphoria or ‘the high’ but it will be much more tolerable. It is important to
start with low doses and slowly build-up as the patient develops tolerance.
1:1 CBD-THC ratios vary in psycho-activity and they
are desired because of the balanced effects compared to predominantly THC
strains. These are the plants we typically find in the deep rural Transkei
where many growers still do not remove their male plants. Traditionally plants
are left to flower longer, up to 15 weeks and this increases CBD production when
grown under sunshine.
Traditional Xhosa growers along the Ndumbi River, rural Transkei
Growing male
and female plants together does not increase or decrease CBD or THC. However,
there is much to be said for the ratios achieved in cannabinoid analytics. My
Elders still argue that even though these levels are genetically predetermined
you can lessen THC levels by letting plants seed. They believe that by leaving
the males in you are able to reduce the potential THC. “The females WANT to be
pollinated!” they say, and of course they are right! The pollinated female plant
stops focusing on resin production and shifts focus to seed production.
Recreational
growers understand that pollen can travel up to 30 km. They also understand
that seedless herb is far easier to sell and far more desired. It is their feeling that all you will get by
leaving male plants is poorly grown Cannabis full of seeds.
Today growers say that nothing much can be achieved in terms of plant chemistry and we wonder what the Elders were thinking!
The proof is
in the laboratory results that the doctors pay for. The very reason that so
many doctors love the oil made from rural plantations is the 1:1 CBD THC ratio.
They feel happy to recommend these products to their patients because of the
high safety margin. Some of the doctors we work with say that the 1:1 ratio is
the “Golden ratio” of Cannabis medicine in their opinion.
CITATIONS:
CBD AND THC: DIFFERENCES AND BENEFITS
[1] Medical News Today, (Steph
Coelho 25 September 2020) “What’s the difference between CBD isolate and
full-spectrum CBD?” Medically reviewed by Eloise Theisen, RN, MSN, AGPCNP-BC https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cbd-isolate-vs-full-spectrum-cbd
[2] (DW Lachenmeier and P Diel, 14 Dec 2019) “A Warning
against the Negligent Use of Cannabidiol in Professional and Amateur Athletes.”
Journal Sports (Basel) Volume 7 Issue 12 page 251 PMCID: PMC6956040 PMID:
31847307 https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/7/12/251
[3] (Mauro Maccorrone 1 May 2016) “Endocannabinoid Signaling at the
periphery: 50 years after THC” Trends in Pharmacological Sciences
Journal Volume 36 Issue 5 pages 277-296 PMCID PMC4420685 NIHMSID:
NIHMS5673808 PMID 25706370
[4] Maccarrone, M. (2020).
“Phytocannabinoids and endocannabinoids: different in nature.” Rendiconti Lincei. Scienze Fisiche e
Naturali, Volume 31
issue 4 pages 931-938
[6] (Atakan Z, 6 December 2012) “Cannabis, a complete plant: Different compounds and different effects on individuals.” Journal Therapeutic Advances in Psychopharmacology Volume 2 Issue 6 pages 241-254. PMCID: PMC3736954 PMID: 23983983 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3736954/
[7] (EM Rock and LA Parker, June 2013) “Effect of low doses of
cannabidiolic acid and ondansetron on LiCl-induced conditioned gaping (a model
of nausea-induced behaviour) in rats”. British Journal of Pharmacology Volume
169 Issue 3 pages 685-92. PMID: 23488964 PMCID: PMC3682714 DOI:
10.1111/bph.12162 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23488964/
[8] (Millar, September 2017) “Is
Cannabis really more potent today than it was 20 years ago?” https://www.originscannabis.com/blog/is-cannabis-really-more-potent-today-than-it-was-20-years-
[9] (Carol A Paronis et al December 2012) “Tetrahydrocannabinol Acts as Partial
Agonist/Antagonist in Mice”. Journal Behavioural Pharmacol Volume 23
Issue 28 pages 802-5 PMID: 23075707 PMCID: PMC3697741
[10] (J.Coffey, JingjingWang, MengWu,
VsevolodKatritch, Zhi-JieLiu, 24 January 2019) “Crystal Structure of the Human
Cannabinoid Receptor CB2” Science Direct Volume 176 Issue 3 page750-762
[11]
(Pertwee, 15 January 2008) “The diverse CB1 and CB2 receptor pharmacology of
three plant cannabinoids: delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol and
delta9-tetrahydrocannabivarin” British Journal of Pharmacology PMID:
17828291 PMCID: PMC2219532 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17828291/
[12] (Marzo,et al
2014) “Cannabidiol:
Pharmacology and potential therapeutic role in epilepsy and other
neuropsychiatric disorders”. Epilepsia Official Journal of the International
League Against Epilepsy 22 May 2014 Volume 55, Issue 6
[13] (W
Jaeger, 2008) “Inhibition of cyclosporine and tetrahydrocannabinol metabolism by
cannabidiol in mouse and human microsomes” Journal Xenobiotica Volume
26, 1996, Issue 3 pages 275-284 Published online 22 September 2008
[14] (Marily A Huestis 2009)
“Human Cannabinoid Pharmacokinetics” Journal Chemistry & Biodiversity
Volume 4 Issue 8 pages 1770-1804. PMCID: PMC2689518 NIHMSID NIHMS118643 PMID
17712819
[15] (Dr Ethan Russo, June 2016) Cannabis Conversations: “CBD & Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency - Project CBD” https://www.projectcbd.org/science/cbd-clinical-endocannabinoid-deficiency
[16] (Patricia Golombek et al, June 2020) “Conversion of Cannabidiol (CBD) into
Psychotropic Cannabinoids including
Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC): A Controversy in the Scientific Literature.” Journal
Toxics Volume 8 Issue 2 page 41 PMCID: PMC7357058 PMID: 32503116 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7357058/
[17] (Dr John Merrick 22 June
2016) “Identification of Psychoactive degradants of CBD insimulated gastric and
physiological fluid.” posted herbalscienceresearch.com
[18] (Alexander Beadle, Science Writer)
“New Study Finds Evidence of the Entourage Effect in Enhancing Pain Relief”. Journal
Analytical Cannabis Extraction, Science, Testing 19 July 2021
https/analyticalcannabis.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment