CBD vs THC: Does CBD work without THC?
February, 26, 2021 | posted in
Have you ever wondered if CBD needs THC to work properly? Or if CBD oil works without THC? If you have, you are not alone! In fact, many people have similar questions about CBD oil and THC.
CBD oil made from hemp naturally has very small amounts of THC. For most, obtaining all of hemp’s compounds, including trace amounts of THC, is ideal because of the belief that the compounds work together synergistically to enhance their benefits. Others have reasons for wanting to avoid THC, such as employment requirements or rules related to competitive sports participation.
The fundamental question that seems to be on a lot of people’s minds is — “Does CBD oil without THC work?”
The simple answer is yes, it can. CBD without THC has been found to be beneficial by many consumers.
With that said, if we move beyond that simple answer, there are reasons why using CBD oil with THC could be more advantageous. We’ll explore that below as well.
What is the Difference Between CBD and THC?
Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of whether CBD oil without THC is effective, a quick refresher:
Cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the two most well-known and recognizable cannabinoids of the more than 100 found in cannabis. Cannabinoids, or more specifically, phytocannabinoids since they are plant-based, are the active compounds that interact with the body’s systems and provide the effects of ingesting cannabis.
CBD oil that’s made from hemp naturally contains a higher concentration of CBD and very little THC (no more than 0.3% by dry weight), far below the psychoactive threshold. Because CBD produces no psychoactive effects, it is regarded as safe for use by anyone in your family.
THC is known for being the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. It’s the compound responsible for intoxication and is most often associated with marijuana. CBD, however, is not psychoactive. You can use CBD and have no worries about experiencing euphoric effects.
Your body produces similar compounds, called endocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids like CBD and THC mimic the structure of your endocannabinoids, which allows you to augment your body’s own cannabinoids with those from the cannabis plant.
Your Brain and Body are Receptive to Both CBD and THC
Both CBD and THC, like all cannabinoids, affect our endocannabinoid system, one of the body’s main regulatory systems that keep functions balanced and running optimally.
These cannabinoids interact with specialized receptors in the body called cannabinoid receptors to produce their beneficial effects, mimicking your own naturally occurring cannabinoids. The human body has two receptors for cannabinoids, called CB1 receptors and CB2 receptors, found on cells in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in the immune system.
THC binds to both cannabinoid receptors but has the highest affinity for CB1 receptors. It’s this activation of CB1 receptors that elicits euphoric or psychoactive effects.
CBD, on the other hand, doesn’t bind directly to either cannabinoid receptors. Instead, it acts indirectly against cannabinoid agonists. It’s because CBD doesn’t bind with CB1 receptors that it doesn’t cause any type of euphoria.
Although they interact with the body and the endocannabinoid system differently, all cannabinoids, including both THC and CBD, encourage the maintenance of homeostasis. Regardless of whether you use CBD oil with THC or without, adding plant-derived cannabinoids to your everyday wellness routine is widely acknowledged as beneficial for supporting balance in the body.
CBD Oil With THC: The Entourage Effect
When you’re considering CBD oil with THC vs without, it’s important to consider the evidence suggesting that whole-plant hemp oil can more beneficial than consuming isolated cannabinoids alone.
CBD can be isolated for specific needs, but it’s also often used in conjunction with the other cannabinoids, nutrients, and other compounds found in hemp oil to enhance effectiveness in what scientists call the “entourage effect”.
This “whole-plant” line of thinking tells us that when used in conjunction with THC, terpenes, flavonoids, trace cannabinoids, and other chemical compounds that are found naturally in hemp, CBD can have enhanced positive effects on wellness.
In short, the entourage effect suggests that together these compounds work better than if used on their own. You can still benefit from using CBD without THC, but consuming the full list of compounds in hemp at the same time can perhaps enhance those benefits.
Is CBD Oil With or Without THC Harmful?
As mentioned above, CBD oil products made from hemp contain only trace levels of THC, far too small to be psychoactive. This means that no matter whether you use CBD oil with THC or without, CBD hemp oil products are safe for everyone to use without experiencing euphoria.
HempMeds® further ensures the safety of our products by sourcing from non-GMO certified organic hemp, using non-toxic supercritical CO2 for extraction, and examining the purity and cannabinoid concentration of our CBD oil three separate times as part of our Triple Lab Testing® standard.
CBD Products With and Without THC
Whether you use CBD oil without THC or with THC then becomes largely a personal choice. HempMeds® provides both full-spectrum products containing trace levels of THC and products that have had all detectable amounts of THC removed.
CBD oil with THC
If after learning that CBD oil works without THC, you believe you would still prefer the benefits of consuming CBD, THC, and the entire list of nutritious compounds in hemp, you will want to look through our full-spectrum CBD oil products.
Considering the entourage effect and the long list of nutrients found in native hemp, we generally suggest a full-spectrum hemp oil product for most of our consumers. Full-spectrum CBD hemp oil contains many essential vitamins and minerals, fatty acids, fiber, protein, chlorophyll, flavonoids, and terpenes that contribute to a complete diet. Besides adding these critical nutrients to your system, you are using daily servings of CBD oil to support balance in your body to promote health and wellness.
Our Real Scientific Hemp Oil® (RSHO®) line features full-spectrum CBD oil products with trace amounts of THC. RSHO® CBD oil is the world’s leading hemp CBD oil brand, and products are made from Certified Organic Hemp grown naturally by a generational family-owned farm in the Netherlands. Choose RSHO® in the form of pure CBD oils, CBD oil capsules, and CBD oil liquids and tinctures.
CBD oil without THC
There are legitimate reasons why some consumers seek CBD oil without THC. Many consumers chose this option because it feels more comfortable for them if they have to partake in a drug screening for work. Competitive athletes may also CBD oil without THC in order to stay within their organization’s rules. Parents of small children may want to avoid even trace amounts of THC.
Now that you know CBD can still work without THC, if you would feel more comfortable choosing a product with no detectable levels of THC, a broad-spectrum or CBD isolate product could be best for you.
Broad-spectrum CBD hemp oil has all the same contents as full-spectrum except for detectable levels of THC. With broad-spectrum CBD oil, the trace amounts of THC found in full-spectrum CBD oil are removed through a proprietary filtration process. The rest of the nutrients and other compounds in hemp oil remain.
CBD isolate is the closest you can get to pure CBD. It comes in the form of a fine white powder made up of 99% pure CBD. With CBD isolate, a purification process removes all detectable amounts of THC, as well as all the other compounds in full-spectrum CBD oil except for the CBD compounds themselves. Choose our RSHO® CBD Isolate to enjoy the powdered version of isolate. You can also go with our RSHO-X®, which combines CBD isolate with MCT oil derived from coconut oil to deliver the benefits of isolate in a nutritious liquid form. Several of our CBD edibles, such as our Dixie Botanicals® Gems and Dixie Botanicals® Kicks Energy Chews, also feature no detectable amounts of THC.