THC vs CBD: What You Need to Know

Marijuana contains many different types of cannabinoids. Two of those cannabinoids are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, and cannabidiol, which is commonly called CBD. These two complex chemicals interact with cannabis receptors deep inside the brain and throughout the body to help alleviate and alter various physical and mental conditions in humans.

Today doctors and companies like RoyalCBD.com are using these two cannabinoids in treating the effects of, among other things, nausea, cancer, pain, glaucoma, MS, uncontrollable muscle spasms, Alzheimer’s, and many kinds of eating disorders.

Clinical tests show that CBD has no psychoactive effects on humans, unlike THC — which is well-known to be one of the major factors in the standard marijuana ‘high.’

The main reason for this difference is that CBD is extracted from domesticated hemp plants — the kind of plant that is used in making coarse cloth and for woven baskets and macrame. As such, it has very little of the chemical compounds that initiate the marijuana high — and most of that volatile substance is found in the nascent buds, not in the plant itself. THC, on the other hand, is harvested and distilled directly from the wild marijuana plant, especially the buds, which contain a relatively large amount of the chemical compounds that can induce the famous (or infamous) marijuana ‘high.’

Medical researchers have spent years in drawing up two distinct lists of conditions that these two cannabinoids are best at treating. So when a patient is prescribed either one by a medical doctor he or she can be sure that they are getting the most powerful cannabis medicine available.

In general, CBD is prescribed specifically for depression, seizures, inflammation, migraines, and bowel obstruction symptoms.

THC is usually prescribed specifically for appetite loss, glaucoma, muscle spasms, and insomnia.

Both cannabinoids are equally effective in treating general anxiety and pain, as well as sea sickness.

Patients who have reservations about the mind altering effects of cannabinoids should consult with their doctor for THC substitutes.

Melissa Thompson writes about a wide range of topics, revealing interesting things we didn’t know before. She is a freelance USA Today producer, and a Technorati contributor.