Marijuana, across the world, is consumed because of two primary reasons – first off, people either want to ensure that they are getting a good ‘high’ out of it, or secondly, people want to avail its medicinal benefits. These are the two reasons as to why weed has been consumed for centuries! These are the two major reasons as to why it continues to be consumed even today – across cultures, countries, and religions. The cannabis plant holds a special value because of two compounds inside it – CBD and THC. The former being responsible for the medicinal benefits and the latter being responsible for the ‘high’ that you get out of the plant.
The question that we plan on answering in this article is – does CBD give you a body high. This has been something that has been asked to us many times and with this article, we hope to provide you a proper explanation about this as well as everything that you wish to know about CBD. However, before that you also need to know about the two different kinds of high – what is a head high vs what is a body high.
Let us first begin with understanding the cannabis plant and why it gets you high, followed by that we look at the two main compounds in the plant – CBD and THC, understand what they stand for, what they do to you, and what the differences are. Post that we look at understanding the two different kinds of ‘highs’ that you experience when you smoke weed. The difference between body high vs head high. After we are done discussing this we come to the question at hand: does CBD give you a body high?
We first examine if CBD can get you high – and then we look at the various benefits of CBD and where all it has been proven to be highly effective. By the time you reach the conclusion of this article, we hope that you will be well versed with everything that there is to know about CBD.
What Happens When You Smoke Weed?
For thousands of years – as far back as 2500 years ago, humans have been consuming cannabis. The two major reasons for this is that they either want to get ‘high’ and experience the psychoactive effects that the plant offers, or they want to use it for the medicinal benefits. In ancient texts of the Indian and Chinese civilizations, you would see the plant being used for various beneficial properties. In some cultures and religions, it even holds religious significance. The question now arises is – what is it about this plant that gives you the mind-altering effects of being ‘high’.
When you smoke weed, the THC enters your lungs and then into your bloodstream. When this THC infused blood reaches your brain, the THC molecules attach themselves to the human brain’s endocannabinoids receptors, which is what begins to alter your perception of reality and then makes you feel ‘high’.
The THC that has combined with the receptors of the brain would then alter the way your brain functions – causing effects such as you losing track of time and minutes can feel like hours while hours can feel like minutes at times. This is also why your response time/reaction time increases when you are on weed as you take time to process information. THC also alters the hippocampus region of your brain where information is stored. This is where information is processed in your brain and hence you might experience forgetfulness while under the influence of weed. Another thing that happens to you when you smoke weed is that it will trigger the release of dopamine which gives you the ‘happy high’. Smoking weed also causes the blood vessels in the eyes to expand giving the ‘red eyes’ to the users which is one of the most commonly known side effects of smoking weed.
Let us now take a detailed look at THC and CBD and understand what exactly they do.
CBD vs THC: A Closer Look
CBD, which stands for Cannabidiol, and THC which stands for TetraHydroCannabidiol are both naturally occurring organic compounds that are found inside the cannabis plant. To understand the two, the most basic thing you need to know is that CBD does the healing while THC gets you high. CBD in itself isn’t psychoactive and does not get you high if extracted the right way. THC, on the other hand, does get you high and the higher the THC content in your strain of weed, the higher you are going to get when you smoke the weed.
Interestingly enough, when you look at the chemical composition of the two compounds, it is exactly the same. Both THC and CBD are composed of 21 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms. However, the atoms are arranged differently in both of these compounds which is the biggest differentiating factor between the two. This arrangement is the reason as to why THC can combine with the CB1 cannabinoid receptors of the human brain while CBD cannot.
When it comes to medicinal grade marijuana, dispensaries will provide you with those strains of weed which are high on CBD content. When it comes to buying recreational marijuana, you will be sold weed with higher THC content in it. Even the kinds of high that you experience when you smoke weed can be different. Let us now look at the different kinds of ‘highs’ that you get when you smoke weed.
Body High vs Head High
There are two different kinds of ‘highs’ that you can experience when you smoke weed. The first of it is body high and the second kind of high is a ‘head high’. The different kinds of highs that you experience happen based on the different kinds of weed that you smoke. Generally speaking, sativa gives you a ‘head high’, where thoughts begin to run across your mind and you get the whole ‘creative rush’. When people refer to the stereotype that weed makes you more creative, this kind of a high is generally what they are referring to. It also allows you to open up and to be more social.
On the other hand, there are indica plants which give you a ‘body high’ which is the opposite of what you would feel in a head high. Smoking these plants would give you a very calm and relaxing feeling where the high won’t be concentrated on your mind but will have an effect on your entire body. You will feel much more relaxed and comforted. This kind of a weed is great for pain relief, as well as for anxiety and stress relief. It is great for those people who suffer from sleeplessness or for someone who just wants to kick back and relax after a hard day at work.
Does CBD Give You a Body High?
Technically speaking, CBD does not give you any kind of a high. This is because it does not combine with the CB1 receptors in your brain in the way that THC can. There are no psychoactive or mind-altering properties carried by this compound. All that CBD can do is give you certain benefits that are medicinal in nature. Hence, the answer to this is is no, CBD cannot give you a body high.
However, applying CBD-infused products such as topicals or oils to body parts where you are suffering from pain, inflammation or other similar problems has known to show many benefits. When CBD (in the form of oil or cream) is applied to your affected body parts, it combines with the receptors of the cell and helps with anti-inflammatory effects.
Apart from being consumed in the form of oil and topicals, CBD can also be confused in the form of CBD infused gummies. These are small gummy bear-shaped candies infused with CBD which help consumers with stress and anxiety issues. Sometimes you get them infused with melatonin too, which helps you sleep better.
However, there’s one condition in which CBD can get you high. When you extract CBD from plants, it can be extracted in three ways:
- CBD Isolates
- Full-Spectrum CBD
- Broad-Spectrum CBD
Isolates are the most perfect form of CBD extracts. These are pure CBD extracts which have been separated from all the other different kinds of compounds that exist in the cannabis plants.
Broad-Spectrum CBD is the kind of CBD where the extract contains CBD, as well as a number of other cannabinoids from the cannabis plant. However, the one cannabinoid that is specifically missing here is THC. This kind of a CBD extract too won’t get you high.
Full-Spectrum CBD is basically CBD along with all the other cannabinoids that are found in the cannabis plants. This includes CBD. Consuming this kind of a CBD might give you a sensation of being ‘high’ because trace volumes of THC are bound to be present in it.
To sum it up, the only way that CBD can get you high is if you are consuming a product which carries a full-spectrum CBD extract in it.
What Are The Medicinal Benefits of CBD?
CBD offers you a large number of medicinal benefits. Here’s a quick look at some of them:
- Pain relief is one of the biggest functions of CBD. This is one of the most popular reasons as to why people suffering from chronic pain consume CBD. This is also what makes it very popular among patients going through cancer or AIDS treatment where body pain is a common side effect.
- CBD has also been known to reduce the levels of Anxiety and Depression that one is going through. Anxiety gummies are very common in the US and people pop one whenever they are feeling anxious. The CBD infused in these gummies helps you ease out and relax. In various tests and placebo tests, it has been seen as an effective treatment against anxiety as well as depression levels.
- People who suffer from insomnia have also felt a lot better after consuming CBD infused products. CBD gummies infused with melatonin have been very beneficial for those people who are going through insomnia and phases of sleeplessness. This helps people de-stress and sleep much better than they otherwise do.
- Patients undergoing chemotherapy also prefer consuming CBD products because it helps them with symptoms of chemotherapy such as nausea and vomiting. It is also great for pain relief, as discussed above. Early animal studies have shown that CBD does have some anti-cancer properties as well but research is still going on in that field.
- People who have acne or other similar skin conditions also prefer CBD infused topicals which help them deal with these problems in a better manner. This is because CBD has some ‘remarkable’ anti inflammatory properties and thus makes your skin smoother and better. It reduces sebum production and is hence great for those people who suffer from acne or similar issues.
How to Consume CBD?
The most basic way in which you can consume CBD is by smoking it. Medicinal marijuana is very popular all over the world and people grow (or buy) plants that are high on CBD content. This is the most popular and common way in which medicinal marijuana is consumed all over the world. Other than that, there are some ways such as vape pens and vaporizers which allow you to consume CBD-rich marijuana plants. Edibles, oils, tinctures, and concentrates are the other common and popular means of consuming CBD.
CBD Oil is very popular not just in the US but in the entire world. CBD Oil has shown to have anti-inflammatory effects which is great for people who go through chronic pain. This CBD oil can also be used in cooking for CBD edibles. Another very common form of consuming CBD is in the form of CBD gummies which we have discussed above. These gummies help with anxiety relief as well as help you sleep better. Lastly, CBD topicals – such as creams and lotions are also a popular way of consuming CBD and can be found at almost any medical store in a place where CBD is legal.
Frequently Asked Questions about CBD
Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to CBD and THC. Do go through them as some of these questions might be running through your mind as well. Going through them will help you understand CBD and THC in a better manner:
1. Can CBD get me high?
No, CBD isolates cannot get you high.
2. Can THC get me high?
Yes, THC can get you high. This is because it combines with the CB1 receptors of your body in a specific manner that CBD just can’t. It alters the way you think and the way you feel and gives you the effect of being high.
3. Does head high make you more creative?
While it is largely a misconception that weed makes people more creative, the fact is that when you are on a head high, you think differently than you normally would. This ‘different thinking’ is what most people refer to as creativity after smoking weed. While it doesn’t make everyone better, some people do feel more creative after consuming marijuana that gives them a head high.
4. Which is better: THC or CBD?
There’s no objective answer to which of these two is ‘better’. It depends solely on why you want to consume them. If you are looking forward to the medicinal/stress busting properties that CBD offers, then it is what you should be consuming. On the other hand, if you are looking for a quick high, you might just get something with a high THC content as that is the right thing for you in that case.
5. If THC and CBD both have the same chemical formula what is different about the two?
While THC and CBD both have the same chemical composition and formula, the biggest difference between these two is how the atoms are arranged. Both these compounds carry 21 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms.but the way they are arranged is different. This arrangement is the reason as to why THC can attach itself to the CB1 receptors in your body while CBD cannot. Hence, THC can get you high and CBD cannot.
Conclusion
We hope that by the end of this article your question of ‘does CBD give you a body high’ has been answered fully. We have tried and provided as much extra information around CBD and THC as we possibly could. We also tried and included the topic of Body High vs Head High so that you can understand it in a better and more comprehensive manner. If there are any questions that persist, feel free to drop us a mail or let us know in the comments section below and we shall reply to that as soon as we can! Till then…
…Happy Smoking! 🙂
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