You’ve heard of THC, the active ingredient in many cannabis products. You’ve heard of CBD, its non-intoxicating cousin. You may think they fall on opposite ends of the cannabis spectrum. But when the world’s two most popular cannabinoids join forces, they make each other even better.
Let’s talk about how.
How Cannabinoids Affect Your Body THC and CBD affect you because of your body’s endocannabinoid system, or ECS – a complex network of transmitters and receptors that helps to regulate functions like sleep, stress management, appetite, and more.
Molecules called cannabinoids, typically either produced by your body (endocannabinoids) or derived from the cannabis plant (phytocannabinoids), interact with various receptors to send “signals” to your brain… signals like these:
“Hey, we’re not in danger right now, you don’t need to feel so stressed out.” “Gosh, it’s getting pretty late, maybe you should go to bed.” “Hmm… don’t you think it’s time for a snack?” Team Work / Dream Work Understanding the ECS matters because different cannabinoids interact with different receptors in different ways.
Say you’re feeling a little stiff and achey after your workout. THC might stimulate a part of your ECS called the CB1 receptor, helping to relax your muscles. Meanwhile, CBD interacts with another group of receptors (known as CB2), which are believed to regulate inflammation. So you’re attacking two sides of the problem at once.
CBD can also modulate the effects of THC by binding to different parts of the CB1 receptor. This changes the signal the ECS system sends, in much the same way that pressing a guitar fret changes the sound you get when plucking a string. This can be especially helpful if you become easily overwhelmed or anxious when using THC alone.
This synergistic phenomenon is known as the entourage effect. And it’s not just CBD and THC that work together. Other cannabinoids, flavonoids, and even terpenes (the chemical compounds that give most plants their distinct taste, smell, and effects) can also be part of the team.
Long Story Short:
A little bit of THC – it doesn’t even have to be enough to get you high – can boost the effects of your CBD. A touch of soothing CBD can help to smooth out the intoxicating effects of THC. What Ratio is Right for You? This is really a personal choice that may require a certain amount of experimentation. As a rule of thumb, products with a higher THC content will have a more intense psychoactive effect (i.e. they’ll get you more high). A product with a lot more CBD than THC, on the other hand, tends to produce therapeutic benefits with less intoxication (though this can depend on factors like metabolism, height and weight, age, and experience with cannabis). So your THC tolerance and reasons for consuming should both factor into your choice.
Luckily, Wana Gummies come in 1:1, 2:1, 5:1, 10:1 and even 20:1 ratios,* so you can write your own perfect love story with our favorite cannabinoid couple!
An earlier version of this blog was first posted on wanabrands.com
