THC and CBD are the two major cannabinoids naturally found in the cannabis family of plants. They have potential therapeutic effects and health benefits that can be useful for managing the symptoms of a wide variety of ailments. Usually, they are consumed separately because tetrahydrocannabinol is psychotropic and cannabidiol is non-psychotropic. However, studies show that when they are consumed together, they produce better effects than consuming them individually. Read on to know more about how CBD and THC work together.
What Does The Research Say?
Studies have shown that taking THC and CBD along with terpenes produces better therapeutic effects. This is due to the interaction between these two groups of phytochemicals, and this phenomenon is called the entourage effect. Also, a 2011 review of studies found that this combination may be beneficial for relieving pain, reducing inflammation, managing anxiety, treating the symptoms of fungal infection, and reducing the discomfort due to cancer treatment.
Apart from the above-mentioned uses, research shows that CBD can help with reducing the side effects of THC like hunger, sedation, anxiety, and paranoia. This is because cannabidiol reduces the affinity of CB1 receptors for tetrahydrocannabinol through allosteric modulation.
Apart from phytocannabinoids like THC and CBD, terpenes and flavonoids are the other major phytochemicals found in the hemp plant. Like cannabinoids, they also have therapeutic effects like reducing inflammation and neuroprotection. This, when combined with CBD’s therapeutic effects, can give better health benefits.
Finding The Best THC To CBD Ratio
The ratio between THC and CBD can influence their overall therapeutic effects. Also, the ideal ratio can change from person to person because of the difference in individual physiological factors. A popular ratio of THC to CBD is 1:1; it is used in the drug Sativex.
Top Tips For Trying THC And CBD
- Beginners can start with 5mg or less of THC, and 5 to 15mg of CBD.
- You can either take them simultaneously or use CBD after THC.
- You can take cannabidiol (CBD) and THC in the form of capsules, food products, gummies, tinctures, and vapes.
- When vaping, you must take special care not to overdose because the bioavailability of CBD and THC are high.
You must know that the combined effects of THC and CBD are not well understood, and because of this, more research is done to understand them.
