Hemp contains a plethora of compounds called cannabinoids. These compounds provide the Hemp plant its medical and recreational effects, though different cannabinoids have different effects.
However, there are too many cannabinoids that there is no precise figure to their numbers.
Some cite over 100 compounds present in the Hemp plant, while others estimate them to be about 560.
From that multitude, which substance gives the best benefits? For starters, not all cannabinoids have been thoroughly examined yet, so those hundreds can
be narrowed down to less than twenty:
-THC (tetrahydrocannabinol)
-THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid)
-CBD (cannabidiol)
-CBDA (cannabidiolic acid)
-CBN (cannabinol)
-CBG (cannabigerol)
-CBC (cannabichromene)
-CBL (cannabicyclol)
-CBV (cannabivarin)
-THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin)
-CBDV (cannabidivarin)CBN (cannabinol)
-CBCV (cannabichromevarin)
-CBGV (cannabigerovarin)
-CBGM (cannabigerol monomethyl ether)
-CBE (cannabielsoin)
-CBT (cannabicitran)
Of those, medical professionals, establishments, and users usually only consume either THC and CBD.
THC Versus CBD
THC – Perhaps the most well-known cannabinoid, THC provides the “high” that’s linked to cannabis. THC attaches itself to CB1 receptors on the brain, triggering a discharge of dopamine, a chemical that affects the brain’s motor control, reward system, motivation, arousal, etc.
If properly used, THC provides feelings of elation, pain relief, and total relaxation. In small
doses, THC can even improve memory. However, THC is the most psychoactive among the other cannabinoids. When overindulged,
THC can cause hallucinations, paranoia, and anxiety and can disrupt a person’s daily
performance. Thus, its recreational use isn’t ideal before or during work days.
Most THC consumers need to use a detox kit to cleanse their body of the substance’s
psychoactive effects, especially if they need to function in the right state of mind.
CBD
CBD is next to THC in terms of popularity; however, current trends appear to favor CBD for medicinal use. Instead of fusing with the brain’s CB1 receptors as THC does, CBD boosts endocannabinoids, the natural cannabinoid in the body. Specifically, CBD promotes the spread of the endocannabinoid anandamide by stopping the enzyme (FAAH) that consumes it.
Anandamide is known as the “bliss molecule,” and it significantly contributes to one’s fitness in terms of mental health, pain relief, appetite, memory, basically everything that’s also affected by THC. Since CBD naturally influences those aspects without tampering the brain, its effects do not come with any psychoactive properties.
The Growing Trend
While some may find the psychoactive THC to be fun for recreation, many people are creating more CBD-based products than THC ones. Some of those products usually replace existing vices like CBD e-liquid for vaping.
Apart from being nonpsychotropic, CBD is also nontoxic. In fact, many pet companies are developing CBD products for animals too. Veterinarians have found that pets can benefit from hemp’s medical properties as well.
Another example is CBD oil. Many use it for naturally relieving pain, for easing drug withdrawal symptoms, and even for inhibiting the spread of cancer cells in the body. Usually, CBD oil is mixed with one’s food, but it can also be applied topically on any ailing body part. Some products come with sprays so that they can be administered under the tongue.
