Inside cannabis, CBD, THC and intoxication

When it comes to CBD – a cannabis extract commonly used in health and wellness –many people have misconception that it will make you high, since this is typically associated with marijuana. However, this is not true at all. CBD will not make you high and the chances of intoxication from CBD are extremely low. But how do you make sure you will not get unexpected effect of euphoria, when you take CBD? Let’s find out.

What are cannabis and CBD? What is the difference?

Cannabis, which is also known as marijuana or weed can be found in the cannabis plant, ‘cannabis sativa.’ Cannabis sativa has nearly 500 known compounds, including cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). One of these compounds, THC, is the psychoactive component. Cannabis can be consumed in many different ways, such as smoking, vaping or consuming through oils, edibles, tinctures. THC goes to your brain through the bloodstream, producing the ‘high’ effect. When you consume large doses of cannabis, you can also get some hallucinogenic effects. Unlike THC, which is found in cannabis, CBD is not psychoactive, which means that it does not result in making you ‘high.’

Cannabis and CBD both come from the same plant – cannabis sativa, the cannabis plant. Both of these come in many different forms and are said to have beneficial effects on health and help with a variety of ailments. However, CBD won’t get you high, while cannabis will give you some euphoric feelings.

Why does cannabis cause you to get “high”?

After doing some research I found a statement from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), which explains this. NIDA stated that THC acts through cannabinoid receptors and also activates the brain’s reward system. Like most of the other drugs, THC stimulates neurons in the brain’s reward system in order to release the signalling chemical dopamine at higher levels than typical as a response to the natural stimuli. This flood of dopamine results in the pleasurable “high” effects, which marijuana consumers usually seek.

It is good to know that cannabis seems to have a calming, pleasant effect on most consumers, there is one out of five people, who can have the completely opposite reaction. But, usually for the most of the people, as long as they take the right dose, not too much, cannabis produces that sense of calm and peace they really like and appreciate.

CBD vs THC

As mentioned above, THC is psychoactive, which means that it will make you high. THC produces what many consider a “high,” or an altered state characterized by euphoria, pleasure, or heightened sensory perception. So if you’re looking for this effect, this is the right thing for you. On the other hand, CBD will not make you feel ‘high’, as it blocks the intoxicating impact that can be caused by the CB1 receptors, which are activated by THC. However, you need to know that if you take CBD and THC together, you are more likely to get ‘high’, because CBD inhibits the strong effects of TCH.

Can CBD alone make you feel intoxicated?

High concentrations of CBD (or taking more than recommended) could cause some kind of an uplifting effect, which might get mistaken as getting ‘high’. However, that is not the same thing as a high. CBD has been shown to be generally safe for humans, even in chronic doses as high as 1,500 mg per day. CBD is not considered to be an intoxicant, which is a substance that when being taken, it produces a state of diminished mental and physical ability. We can take as examples of intoxicants alcohol, THC, recreational drugs, etc. We see that CBD is not on the list of intoxicants, so it will not make you feel intoxicated, even if you take too much of it.

What is CBD used for?

CBD has shown to have some health benefits, which are proved by some studies and research, however still more research needs to be conducted. CBD is commonly used to treat depression, anxiety, sleeping problems, pain, etc. CBD oil usually makes you feel relaxed and calm. It helps to achieve this result, because CBD affect the endocannabinoid system in your body, which is responsible for your mood, emotion control and experience of pain. CBD can calm the system down by increasing the amount of pain reducing compounds. The result of taking CBD also depends on your body condition, on your certain reactions to CBD of your body and many other factors. Different CBD products may also be different in their beneficial properties.

Moreover, it is good to know that different types of CBD oil can actually deliver different effects. There are several types of CBD oil, such as: hemp-derived CBD oil, Marijuana-derived CBD oil, full-spectrum, broad spectrum CBD oil, etc. So basically, CBD is used for calming down your nerves, dealing with pain, anxiety and depression and improving your sleep. However, CBD has also anti-inflammatory properties, which help with inflammation inside your body and also on your skin if you use CBD-infused creams and lotions.

How do I take CBD?

There are many different ways you can take CBD. Actually, now on the market you can find whatever you like with CBD. CBD oil can be added to your meals, drinks, etc. It’s also worth mentioning that some forms of CBD are more easily absorbed into the body than others and have faster effect than others. If you’re only starting out with CBD, edibles are a good and discreet way to try CBD and how it works on you. There is a wide variety of CBD edibles available including gummies, truffles, mints, etc that do a great job of masking any “weedy” taste. However, many edibles have sugar and some preservatives, and if you don’t want consume these additives, there is an option for you – you can try a sublingual CBD product. Sublingual products are designed to be absorbed under your tongue. These products include tinctures, sprays, oils, etc. If you want to use CBD topically, there are many CBD topicals, which are designed to be applied directly to inflamed, irritated skin. There are many various CBD-infused lotions, balms, creams, salves, and transdermal patches, which can be found on the market. Topicals are a great choice when it comes to treating localized pain, irritation or some skin conditions.

Another way of taking CBD is by inhaling it. There are many ways you can smoke CBD, such as: smoking high-CBD cannabis flower in a joint, using a vaporizer with a CBD oil cartridge, inhaling CBD concentrates such as sugar waxes with any vape pen that has a chamber for concentrates. Vaping and smoking allow the CBD to go directly into your bloodstream, which means that you will feel the effects much faster than while using other methods. In 10 minutes or less, you’ll absorb 34 to 56 percent of the CBD.

CBD dosage: How much should I use?

Unfortunately, there is no right dosage for CBD, as for everyone it is quite personal. This is because human body can react to CBD differently, so if the certain dose works for your friends, it doesn’t mean that it will also work for you. The optimal dose for a consumer depends on several factors, which include: body type, CBD tolerance, and the level of pain or discomfort. So if you just starting out it is recommended to start with the lowest dosage available, so then you can increase it based on your feelings and observations. Your dosage depends on what result you are looking for. The bigger dose, the stronger result you will have eventually.

And with this trial method people are able to find the right dosage for themselves, but of course, this method will not work for everyone. First of all, before taking CBD you should carefully read the packaging of the product and learn what dosage the product has. Also, it is recommended to do some research online and see what type of CBD you’re buying, etc. Moreover, you can easily calculate the needed dose. For example, if you have 10ml CBD oil bottle with 200 drops, each drop will have about 5 mg of CBD, if it states on the package of the bottle that it contains 1000 mg of CBD.

You also need to know that the type of CBD product you’re choosing and its concentration are another important aspects, since some products interact differently with the body than others. I covered that previously by mentioning that if you take CBD though smoking or vaping, you will get the effect faster. Also, any CBD product you buy will come with its own dose guidelines, which can help you, however the experiences can vary. The ideal CBD dose for you usually depends primarily on your body weight, but it can also be influenced by other factors, such as your personal body chemistry, age, and any other health conditions you may have, which you need to take into consideration and talk to your doctor before taking CBD.

Does CBD oil have side effects?

Generally, CBD is considered to be safe for people, however it is good to know that there are actually some side effects to it. These side effects are considered to be minor. CBD is considered to not harmful for the human body. Moreover, it is almost impossible to get overdosed by CBD, especially if the CBD is pure, without any other additional.

CBD side effects include: tiredness, nausea, diarrhea, irritability, changes in appetite, weight gain or loss, fatigue. Moreover, you should remember that CBD can also interact with some prescription medications, so before you start using CBD oil, you should definitely talk to your doctor about this decision. You need to be completely sure that CBD will not make your health condition any worse. This will definitely help you to avoid potentially harmful interactions.

To other side effects of CBD we can add liver toxicity, as one study has shown that CBD-rich cannabis extract has a potential to cause this condition. However, this research was performed not on people, but on mice, so it doesn’t fully prove the statement above.

One thing I would highly recommend to do before taking CBD is discussing your usage of CBD with your doctor, which will help to avoid any harmful side effects. There are also some insignificant CBD side effect that may bother some people. CBD can cause dry mouth (or cottonmouth). It is likely to happen due to cannabinoids altering receptors in the lower jaw that triggers secretion of saliva. Mostly it causes some kind of discomfort in the mouth, but that is easily taken away by drinking a glass of water right after consuming CBD oil. It is also good to know that CBD oil can give you a strong feeling of tiredness, but it might be something you are going for when taking the product.

Now it’s your turn

Do you have a relevant experience or maybe a story you can share with others, which can potentially help in order to figure out if CBD oil works for them, please feel free to share it! Did it work? What was you experience using CBD? I would love to know! In our comment section people can find helpful advice about CBD from other users, which can help shape their thoughts on CBD. All of your comments will be very appreciated. And also if you have any questions regarding CBD, please feel free to ask them in comments. With this website we want to create an educational platform, where people are able to freely share their relevant experiences, thoughts and stories. Here we want to create a free forum, where every opinion is heard and question is answered. Comments like that bring a huge value to our online community as they are true feedback from the real people, which can be extremely helpful for others.