Is there too much THC and you need to reduce its effects? In general, science and cannabis experts say to take CBD, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, for balance. But new research suggests that may not be a good idea.
A recent study in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics found that CBD may actually enhance the psychoactive effects of cannabis. This news may come as a surprise to many, as CBD has been touted as a substance that can block or reduce the psychoactive aspects of excess THC. The theory is that, through its unique binding to endocannabinoid receptors, CBD can block the activity of THC, the most abundant cannabinoid and the main driver of cannabis' psychoactive effects.
Can CBD reverse the high?
The idea that CBD can block the effects of THC stems from a 2006 study by cannabis researcher Dr. Ethan Russo. Russo's theory made sense at the time, based on the available data. The study discusses the benefits of the entourage effect, stating that clinical trials “have shown that CBD antagonizes some of the undesirable effects of THC, including intoxication.”
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However, follow-up studies have found mixed results regarding CBD's effectiveness in consistently reducing the psychoactive effects of THC. Some studies have found that adding CBD to THC has benefits such as reducing anxiety, paranoia, and cognitive impairment, while other studies have found that CBD had no effect. .
This latest study changes the conversation by providing the first evidence that CBD may actually increase, rather than block, the psychoactive effects of THC.
Can CBD enhance the analgesic effects of THC?
The study aimed to find out whether adding CBD to THC could reduce psychoactive effects while complementing its analgesic abilities. The authors are interested in how to make cannabis more accessible as a pain reliever, as many medical patients and recreational consumers seek cannabis for pain management but do not want the psychoactive effects in their daily lives. There is a crab.
To examine the effects of CBD addition, researchers designed a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Thirty-seven healthy adult participants between the ages of 18 and 45 participated in the study. All were former cannabis users but had not used cannabis more than once a month in the 6 months prior to the experiment or at all in the previous 3 weeks.
At each test session, participants were given oral tablets containing 9 mg of THC and either a placebo or varying levels of CBD from 10 mg up to 450 mg. It was then standardized to determine the psychoactive and analgesic effects of various treatments, including measures of arousal, mood, and subjective effects such as depression, paranoia, anxiety, and just feeling “high.” The test has been executed.
There were also additional records of effects on cognitive and motor functions, including attention, stability, vigilance, and coordination.
High doses of CBD may increase the effects of THC
Surprisingly, the results show that higher CBD levels do not reduce psychoactive effects. Instead, the highest dose of CBD (450mg) seemed to increase psychoactive effects, resulting in significantly higher scores on most measures. This enhanced psychoactivity was accompanied by increased levels of THC and its metabolites in the participants' blood.
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This suggests that increased psychoactivity may occur because CBD can alter the metabolism of certain drugs by inhibiting enzymes involved in metabolizing chemicals such as THC. Masu.
Interestingly, lower doses of CBD (10mg and 30mg) had no significant effects at all.
Unfortunately, none of the doses of CBD increased pain relief levels. Still, researchers note that this does not invalidate previous research supporting CBD's pain-relieving effects. The fact that the participants were healthy volunteers rather than patients suffering from chronic pain may explain why CBD did not increase pain relief. Different results may be seen in different patient populations.
Will adding CBD increase my high level?
These results don't support the theory that adding CBD to THC reduces the psychoactive high or increases pain relief, but this study should be taken with a grain of salt. Despite the double-blind and randomized study design, the sample size was still relatively small, limiting the extent to which the results can be generalized.
But before you take CBD out of your cannabis habit (or before you add it to make your high even stronger), this study shows that the psychoactive effects only increase when you take very high doses of CBD. It is important to note that it was found that These doses are much higher than what most consumers typically use. The study doesn't suggest that lower doses are likely to significantly increase peak levels, but the authors say it's possible.
Even more troubling, CBD may have biphasic effects. This means that a low dose will have one effect, but a high dose will have a different effect. Considering this, and previous research suggesting that CBD reduces psychedelic effects, there is still not a lot of evidence to suggest that typical doses of CBD can enhance the psychoactive high.
Based on the body of research, it is clear that CBD and THC can interact in a myriad of ways regarding psychoactivity. This study opens up possibilities and suggests that interactions are even more complex than originally thought.
