CBD EXPLAINED
WHAT IS CBD
Cannabis is an ancient plant that has been used for generations. Its therapeutic properties to human’s health have been known for a long time, but only in recent years has the scientific community started discovering how cannabis influences our health.
Cannabis sativa L is a genus name for hemp belong to the Cannabaceae family. Cannabis plants produce a variety of active substances, including 113 known different chemical compounds called phytocannabinoids. CBD stands for cannabidiol – one of the compounds abundantly extracted from cannabis subspecies. CBD, unlike other cannabinoid THC which stands for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, doesn’t produce psychoactive effects and can help to counteract the side effects caused by THC.
CBD exert its effect on you by interacting with receptors in the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining balance in your body through a process called homeostasis. Homeostasis covers your entire body, so the endocannabinoid system and hence, CBD is involved in many biological processes, including digestion, immunity and inflammation, motor regulation, brain function and others.
CBD EXPLAINED
WHAT IS CBD
Cannabis is an ancient plant that has been used for generations. Its therapeutic properties to human’s health have been known for a long time, but only in recent years has the scientific community started discovering how cannabis influences our health.
Cannabis sativa L is a genus name for hemp belong to the Cannabaceae family. Cannabis plants produce a variety of active substances, including 113 known different chemical compounds called phytocannabinoids. CBD stands for cannabidiol – one of the compounds abundantly extracted from cannabis subspecies. CBD, unlike other cannabinoid THC which stands for delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, doesn’t produce psychoactive effects and can help to counteract the side effects caused by THC.
CBD exert its effect on you by interacting with receptors in the endocannabinoid system. The endocannabinoid system is responsible for maintaining balance in your body through a process called homeostasis. Homeostasis covers your entire body, so the endocannabinoid system and hence, CBD is involved in many biological processes, including digestion, immunity and inflammation, motor regulation, brain function and others.
WHAT IS THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM?
The endocannabinoid system is a signalling system that’s involved in homeostasis – the maintenance of constant internal environmental conditions. The endocannabinoid system consists of 3 main components: endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes.
Endocannabinoids are compounds produced by your body (‘endo’ is short for ‘endogenous’, which means produced within us, and ‘cannabinoids’ refers to cannabis). Endocannabinoids bind to receptors and trigger or block further actions. The most researched endocannabinoids are anandamide or AEA, and 2-AG.
Receptors are the site that receives a chemical signal, which causes the corresponding effect. There are 2 receptors discovered so far – CB1 and CB2. CB1 receptors are mainly found in the brain; on the other hand, CB2 receptors are much more widely spread, being found in the immune and circulatory systems and the central nervous system.
Enzymes are proteins that are responsible for releasing and destroying endocannabinoids once they have performed their function. In this sense, endocannabinoids do not accumulate and are produced only when needed.
The simplest way to understand how the endocannabinoid system works is the lock and key metaphor. Endocannabinoids act as the key and receptors act as the lock, and once the key fits into the lock, further action or response is initiated.
HOW DOES CBD INTERACT WITH THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM?
Being similar to your endocannabinoids, cannabidiol or CBD can modulate some processes that are present within us. CBD can interact with enzymes, various receptors in the cell and affect the number of endocannabinoids released. The more endocannabinoids are released – the stronger response to the stimulus.
For example, in a stressful situation, endocannabinoid levels rise and initiate a stress response to relieve the stress. CBD can stimulate the accumulation of endocannabinoids at the site of the receptor, eventually leading to a faster response to stress – relaxation or other feelings of stress relief occur sooner. That is just one of the mechanisms by which CBD affects your endocannabinoid system.
CBD vs THC
Let’s go back to the compounds produced by cannabis – CBD and THC.
THC compound is mostly known as the substance which gets you “high” due to its psychoactive properties. THC is abundantly present in marijuana, and in medical marijuana THC to CBD ratio can be as high as 1:1.
Alternatively, CBD is considered a “non-psychoactive” substance that doesn’t produce the same feeling of “high” as THC does. On the contrary, CBD can counteract the action of THC, that’s why these are combined in medical marijuana. CBD is predominantly present in hemp which is often used for its fibre, seeds and oils, leaves. For cannabis to be classified as ‘hemp’, in the European Union, the THC concentration can’t exceed more than 0.2%. In other words, hemp has very little THC and a higher concentration of CBD.
The difference in why THC gets you “high” and CBD doesn’t lie in the way these phytocannabinoids communicate with your endocannabinoid system. THC can bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors and stimulate further signal transmission. When THC interacts with the CB1 receptor in your brain, it produces these psychotropic effects. Meanwhile, CBD doesn’t act directly on the CB1 receptor, it interacts with other enzymes, receptors, and other parts of the cell as ion channels. So, CBD doesn’t influence your alertness, sensorial experience.
CBD vs THC
Let’s go back to the compounds produced by cannabis – CBD and THC.
THC compound is mostly known as the substance which gets you “high” due to its psychoactive properties. THC is abundantly present in marijuana, and in medical marijuana THC to CBD ratio can be as high as 1:1.
Alternatively, CBD is considered a “non-psychoactive” substance that doesn’t produce the same feeling of “high” as THC does. On the contrary, CBD can counteract the action of THC, that’s why these are combined in medical marijuana. CBD is predominantly present in hemp which is often used for its fibre, seeds and oils, leaves. For cannabis to be classified as ‘hemp’, in the European Union, the THC concentration can’t exceed more than 0.2%. In other words, hemp has very little THC and a higher concentration of CBD.
The difference in why THC gets you “high” and CBD doesn’t lie in the way these phytocannabinoids communicate with your endocannabinoid system. THC can bind to CB1 and CB2 receptors and stimulate further signal transmission. When THC interacts with the CB1 receptor in your brain, it produces these psychotropic effects. Meanwhile, CBD doesn’t act directly on the CB1 receptor, it interacts with other enzymes, receptors, and other parts of the cell as ion channels. So, CBD doesn’t influence your alertness, sensorial experience.