As the legal use of hemp expands, interest in the health benefits of cannabis has increased sharply in recent years.

And the natural compounds present in the plant, THC and CBD, raise many questions.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is known to induce a psychoactive effect (colloquially referred to as a "high" or "high"), unlike CBD, which is not considered intoxicating.

But what is it really?

CBD vs. THC: Chemical Structure

CBD and THC have exactly the same molecular structure: 21 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms and 2 oxygen atoms. The slight difference in the way the atoms are arranged explains the different effects on your body.

Both of these molecules are chemically similar to the endocannabinoids in your body. This allows them to interact with the endocannabinoid system of the human body

The interaction with these molecules affects the release of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are chemicals responsible for relaying messages between cells and play a role in pain management, immune function, stress, and sleep, to name a few.

What does psychoactivity mean?

By definition, psychoactivity means "influencing the central nervous system". This means that the psychoactive substance acts on our central nervous system (SNC).

It is in the CNS, composed of the brain and the spinal cord, that the interconnection of all the nervous pathways of the body takes place. When information reaches the CNS via the sensory nerves, as it does when taking a psychoactive substance, the effect begins to be felt. This results in temporary changes in behavior, mood, consciousness and perception.

After consumption, many faculties (eg reaction, concentration and attention) may be impaired. The feeling of intoxication itself can be pleasant for some and unpleasant for others.

Is CBD a psychoactive substance?

CBD binds to receptors in the endocannabinoid system and can trigger different effects there. Indeed, the endocannabinoid system participates in different processes in the body, such as our mood, our appetite or the perception of pain.

As the endocannabinoid system is part of the central nervous system and CBD can influence it, CBD is indeed, by definition, a psychoactive substance. However, the high caused by CBD does not manifest in the same way as that caused by THC.

In experimental study, an Australian research team examined the effects of the cannabis components cannabidiol and tetrahydrocannabinol. The aim was to find out how these two substances influence each other.

The study involved 36 people who had used cannabis in the past.

In five sessions, the different groups of testers inhaled via vaporizer, a drug-free placebo, only THC, only CBD or a mixture of THC and CBD via a vaporizer.

In the mixture, the proportion of CBD was 4 milligrams and 400 milligrams and the amount of THC was 8 milligrams.

The results revealed that CBD alone, in high doses, produced a psychoactive effect that was clearly identified by guinea pigs and observers. However, this effect was less pronounced than with THC.

The combination of low-dose THC and CBD has also been found to be more potent than THC alone.

And that the high level of CBD in the mix significantly dampened the effect of THC.

Scientists call this a biphasic effect: enhanced effect at low doses and attenuated effect at high doses.

The Biphasic Effect

This finding from the study is that the interactions of THC and CBD are more complex than previously thought and that the substances affect cannabinoid receptors in the brain differently.

others works seem to confirm that CBD would be able to attenuate the effects of THC, depending on the dose consumed.

The combination of a higher amount of THC and a low dose of CBD would have a greater effect than THC alone.

Is CBD addictive?

The World Health Organization (WHO) has stated in its report (2017/2018) that no cases of abuse or dependence have been reported so far in connection with the use of cannabidiol (CBD) as a pure substance.

Conclusion: Does CBD Get High?

The study showed that consuming or vaporizing medium and high doses of CBD through a vaporizer can induce a sort of CBD high.

The researchers attributed this to the high amount of CBD and the mode of consumption. It has not been investigated here whether the same effects occur when taking CBD orally.

In summary, CBD does not induce the same high as THC. Nevertheless, a high dose of CBD could trigger side effects.

However, since most over-the-counter CBD products contain a low amount of CBD, no adverse effects should occur based on the available data from the study.