Tennesseans are entering into a new world of cannabis. With Tennessee recently passing HB0490, the first real step towards medical cannabis in Tennessee, new doors will be opened to access medical cannabis products for those in The Volunteer State.
While we patiently await this rollout, many new consumers will be asking themselves what is actually in cannabis, and in this article we’ll cover two of the biggest compounds in the cannabis plant: THC & CBD.
Tennessee Cannabis Card Guide: THC & CBD
Cannabis is a complicated plant; it contains a lot of things above and below the surface. Scientists and researchers have identified 113 cannabinoids in the cannabis plant and it is estimated that there are many more yet to be discovered.
Among the many different compounds in cannabis, two of the big ones in the conversation are THC and CBD.
So what makes these two so special?
Defining THC & CBD
THC and CBD are both naturally occurring compounds within the cannabis plant categorized as cannabinoids.
They both have the exact same molecular structure, the only difference being in how the atoms are arranged.
Both also affect neurotransmission, the communication between cells, although THC and CBD produce different effects.
· THC produces psychoactive effects.
· CBD does not produce psychoactive effects.
THC is most notably mentioned for its psychoactive & psychotropic effects, potential anti-tumor properties, pain relief, and of course, the high produced from consuming it.
CBD is considered psychoactive because it passes the blood-brain barrier and can alter mood, however it does not produce typical psychotropic effects like altered cognition or perception. CBD is commonly known for its therapeutic benefits for seizures, inflammation, and anxiety.
There are of course many more benefits for both THC and CBD, and their uses extend both medically and recreationally. These two compounds are particularly interesting because they not only work by themselves, but also together.
THC & CBD: How They Work
THC seems to go to work in your endocannabinoid system by binding to CB1 & CB2 receptors in your body.
CBD does not bind to these receptors, but instead acts as an inhibitor to THC and works on shaping the receptors instead.
THC activates a range of chemical processes that work independently from CBD to produce an array of effects, including modulation in appetite, pain, perception, cognition, and mood.
CBD goes to work by stimulating your receptors to produce their own natural cannabinoids, called endocannabinoids.
The key difference in how CBD and THC work outside of one binding and one stimulating, is that THC introduces itself to your system and starts regulating and controlling neurotransmission with CB1 and CB2 receptors, while CBD essentially only agitates those same receptors to produce more or less of the endocannabinoids already present.
THC & CBD: A Love Story
Interestingly, THC can also work synergistically with CBD.
While we don’t understand precisely how this works yet, when CBD and THC are taken together, CBD can interact with the receptor that the THC is binding to, regulating the psychoactive effects of THC while maintaining the therapeutic effects it can provide.
Though CBD doesn’t bind to the CB1 receptor very well if at all, it does work on the CB1 receptor by antagonizing it in the presence of THC.
CBD also goes to work on other receptors elsewhere, like G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), ion channel receptors, and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs). It performs a variety of functions with these and other receptors, affecting things like the perception of pain and modulation of anti-inflammatory systems.
In truth, both CBD and THC work across your system in a very complicated way both independently and together, and we are only now starting to map and understand how that process works.
While CBD and THC work synergistically, we don’t know exactly how or what the combination fully does. And while efficacy can be reduced or increased based on desired psychoactive effects, we don’t yet know what the right doses of CBD and THC together look like medically to accomplish specific goals, or if dosage regularities are even relevant to the efficiency of them working together to begin with.
To complicate it further, different patients have found different benefits from using only CBD or only THC, while others have found therapeutic benefits by combining them.
For example, many cancer patients favor RSO (Rick Simpson Oil), a potent form of concentrate containing extremely high amounts of THC and little or no CBD.
Epileptic patients have seen reductions in their seizure from using just CBD alone with little or no THC.
More research needs to be done to understand the relationship between CBD and THC both medically and scientifically. We are continuing to unlock new information about what these compounds do individually and together, but research is limited due to the shaky legal status that the United States imposes on cannabis.
As more states like Tennessee open the conversation to include more medical and scientific research, we will be able to more precisely lock down what is occurring when we introduce cannabis into our bodies for medical and recreational purposes.
Medical Cannabis in Tennessee
THC and CBD are only two of the abundant cannabinoids found in cannabis. Medical cannabis can represent a range of products, and Tennessee cannabis patients have exclusive access to low-THC oils.
Being a Tennessee cannabis patient allows you the freedom to take your medication the right way for you.
We're excited to help you get approved for medical marijuana as soon as Tennessee finalizes rules for a medical cannabis program.
Reserve your appointment today and you'll receive $25 off your evaluation!!
We’re dedicated to helping patients every step of the way, feel free to give us a call at (833) 781-5611 and we can answer your questions about getting a medical cannabis card in Tennessee.
Doctors Who Care. Relief You Can Trust.
At Tennessee Marijuana Card, our mission is helping everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
Call us at (833) 781-5611, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
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