THC or CBD?  Which One is Best? 

By: Christine Watkins 

Both THC and CBD are natural compounds, found in a natural plant, that produces a natural chemical, that our own bodies mimic naturally! 

When compounds like CBD and THC are introduced into our system, our own endocannabinoid system replicates it and begins producing more healthy cells, all on its own. “The endocannabinoid system has been recently recognized as an important modulatory system in the function of brain, endocrine, and immune tissues. It appears to play a very important regulatory role in the secretion of hormones related to reproductive functions and response to stress.” Komorowski J, et al. Postepy Hig Med Dosw. CBD can be helpful with issues like cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, epilepsy, anxiety, and stroke. New research is becoming available regularly, providing us with scientific proof versus testimony alone. Be sure the information you are accessing is from a published, credible, and cross-referenced source. 

So, if both compounds are so great, what’s the difference? 

The biggest difference between CBD and THC is one gets you high and one does not. THC has a euphoric effect and will cause the high side effects associated with the cannabis plant. THC will show up on a drug screen, where clean CBD with zero THC will not. A full-spectrum product will contain THC while a broad-spectrum CBD should be THC free. Always check the label or ask the manufacturer for the most recent test results before ingesting, especially if you are subject to regular testing. 

When deciding on whether CBD or THC is right for you, there are a few things to consider. As discussed, If you are subject to drug screening or need to be alert for a project, it is best to stick to CBD. CBD will help ease pains, it is safe for daytime use, will not cause euphoria. If you are fine with being euphoric or are in severe pain, THC may be the right choice. THC is stronger, works great for pain, and seems to produce longer-lasting effects than CBD alone. The best way to determine this is to do your own research. Start with small amounts and increase dosages until you find the level that is right for you. 

What is the best way to get CBD into my system? 

This really depends on personal preference and what you are using it for. Some people like to smoke or vape CBD while others prefer to ingest it or use it topically. Awhile back I ran into a woman who was having spasms in her calf muscles every night. She would wake up suddenly in severe pain, could not straighten her leg, then had a hard time falling back to sleep. After traditional methods failed, she turned to CBD. She was ingesting the CBD capsules while using a topical salve twice a day. Within one week, she claimed the episodes were less painful and she was able to get back to sleep easier. After one month she reported that the pains were gone completely. Her sister claimed to have a similar experience once in awhile but chose to vape CBD with positive results, but it took much longer. 

Now that you know the differences between THC and CBD, let’s discuss the varying characteristics in THC, alone. A cannabis plant has 2 main categories: indicia and sativa. Indica is associated with couch lock, induces heavy sleep and hunger, or the “munchies” while sativa is associated with energy and used as a daytime stimulant. This may have held true a few years ago but through extensive seed breeding and competition to brand better cannabis strains every year, indicas and sativas have become widely interbred resulting in numerous hybrid strains. The issue with hybrids is, unless it is stated clearly, we don’t know if it is an indica or sativa dominant strain. Normally, the leaves of the plant are the telltale sign but we can’t count on that any longer due to seed breeding. Smoking the plant isn’t always an indicator either since every person reacts differently. Unless we begin to document these strains now, all cannabis in the future could be a guess at best. 

Differences between CBD, THC, indicia, sativa, and hybrids have led to consumer confusion, and there is no shortage of companies waiting to cash in on that! Recently, there have been cartridges (considered to be of high quality) that came back tested with toxins, and unfortunately the first cannabis related deaths have occurred due to lack of integrity in the vaping industry. It is extremely important to know where the THC or CBD was derived from before putting it into your system. It is suggested to ask first, ingest second; if the company does not know, there is the chance they outsource their CBD from unknown sources. 

Companies like Medicated Nation offer free education in hopes of spreading consumer knowledge. As a consumer you have the right to ask, especially when you are taking your own health into your hands. 

So the bottom line is, it depends on what you can tolerate, what you can ingest, and where you are getting your medicines. THC is usually stronger and longer lasting while CBD can be safe and instant relief. When it comes to holistic healing, there is no definite answer as we are all different. The best thing to do is keep it simple and only ingest products that you trust.