Is CBD more effective without THC?

CBD is one of the most exciting new restorative and balancing compounds available today, but many consumers are concerned about taking a CBD oil product that contains THC.

CBD and THC are both cannabinoids, the active compounds that provide the effects of ingesting cannabis. Adding cannabinoids like CBD to your diet is widely acknowledged as beneficial for supporting homeostasis in the body. However, there are many varying opinions on the ideal way to go about supporting your diet with cannabinoids.

Here we compare CBD and THC and help answer the question: Should I take a CBD product with or without THC?

What is the difference between CBD and THC?

As we mentioned above, both CBD and THC are cannabinoids – or more specifically, phytocannabinoids since they are plant based. Your body produces similar compounds, called endocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids mimic the structure of your endocannabinoids, allowing us to augment our body’s own cannabinoids with those from the cannabis plant.

There are at least 140 known cannabinoids. THC and CBD are the most prevalent phytocannabinoids found in nature. They are also the most well-known since their effects are the most understood by science.

One of the key differences between CBD and THC is that THC, found in greater quantities in marijuana, is psychoactive (causes a high) and CBD, found in greater quantities in the hemp plant, is non-psychoactive. You can learn more about the differences between hemp and marijuana on our blog.

In hemp-derived CBD oil products, THC is present in only trace levels, far below the psychoactive threshold. Because CBD produces no known negative side effects, it is regarded as safe for use by anyone in your family.
Both CBD and THC interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system through specialized cannabinoid receptors to provide their beneficial effects, mimicking our own naturally occurring cannabinoids. There are two main types of cannabinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, found in the body’s central and peripheral nervous systems.

THC has the highest affinity for binding with CB1 receptors. CBD, on the other hand, doesn’t bind directly to either cannabinoid receptors. Instead, it acts indirectly in the cannabinoid receptors. CBD also interacts with various other receptors throughout the body, like the 5-HT1A receptor, which is linked to serotonin.

It is through this interaction with various systems within the body that these cannabinoids promote balance in our lives. Although they interact with the body through different channels, both THC and CBD are tied to maintaining homeostasis.

Are CBD oil products containing THC harmful?

As discussed above, CBD interacts with the body’s native endocannabinoid system. This central system is responsible for maintaining the body’s homeostasis for a wide array of systems, including sleep, mood, appetite and metabolism, immune response, and more.

Several studies suggest that CBD is well tolerated and safe in humans at high doses and with chronic use and side effects of CBD are minimal. CBD oil is completely non-psychoactive. This means that, as opposed to THC, it not will adversely affect:

• sensory awareness
• perception
• consciousness
• reaction time
• behavior

This high safety profile for CBD means that you can feel confident giving hemp-derived CBD oil products to all the members of your family.

Does CBD work better with THC?

It has been suggested that the cannabinoids in cannabis work best when they interact with your body as a group, along with the terpenes, flavonoids, and other chemical components found naturally in the plant. This is commonly called the entourage effect.

Pure CBD hemp oil contains a number of different cannabinoids at varying levels as well as all the other natural components of the hemp plant. This allows the body to process the hemp oil as it would the complete hemp plant. While some researchers support the idea of the entourage effect, others are dubious.

Many of HempMeds® CBD oil products feature full-spectrum hemp oil that includes all the same constituents as the hemp plant itself, providing the varied cannabinoids the entourage effect needs to be effective. A common first-time purchase for our customers is our Blue Label RSHO™, which may be a good place for you to start if you’re trying CBD for the first time.

With THC or without?

HempMeds® customers who may prefer our CBD oil products with non-detectable amounts of THC include competing athletes, active and retired military, first responders, and anyone who may be subject to a drug test. Parents of small children and those looking to avoid even trace amounts of THC in their systems can also benefit from choosing a product formulated with CBD isolate. Everyone else can feel confident in using any of our products, including those made with our full-spectrum hemp oil.

Since fewer of our products are produced with CBD isolate, we will start our discussion with those.

CBD Isolate products

RSHO™ CBD Isolate: Our CBD isolate is created with the same hemp oil that we use for our full-spectrum products. After extraction, our oil is put through a purification process that produces 99 percent pure CBD crystals. This isolated CBD can be taken sublingually as is or mixed into a carrier oil like coconut oil. It can also be added to almost any food or beverage for DIY CBD-infused edibles. Finally, RSHO™ CBD Isolate can be vaporized using a specially designed vape pen or water pipe.

RSHO-X™ Liquid: RSHO-X™ combines our CBD isolate with coconut oil for a pourable, easy to measure CBD liquid. RSHO-X™ can be taken from a spoon and swished around the mouth before swallowing or added to your favorite foods and beverages.

Full-spectrum products

Real Scientific Hemp Oil™: RSHO™ is the HempMeds® flagship brand. RSHO™ is available in a number of label options and product types. Green label RSHO™ is hemp oil in its most natural form, retaining the original plant’s chemical makeup. Blue label RSHO™ puts our hemp oil through a step called decarboxylation, which heats the oil to “activate” the CBD to increase its concentration. Finally, Gold label RSHO™ purifies our hemp oil to remove excess lipids and plant matter, leaving a refined golden oil.

These three label options are available as thick, viscous pure hemp oils in our oral applicators, as hemp oil capsules, and finally, as a pourable CBD oil liquid. Each type of product retains the characteristic of its label.

Learn more about Green, Blue, and Gold label RSHO™ HERE.

Get started with CBD oil products

Shop the HempMeds® online store today to try adding a CBD product to your daily routine. To learn more about hemp, the benefits of CBD, and the HempMeds® line of products, visit our blog.