CANNABINOIDS
Cannabinoids are the active compounds that cause the biochemical reactions within our brains and bodies whenever we inhale, ingest or absorb cannabis/hemp products. There are hundreds of known cannabinoids, but to date we know very little about most of them. THC, CBD, CBG, CBN, THCV and a handful of others have been heavily researched thus far and make up the majority of our understanding of cannabinoids. That being said, we still have so much to learn about these wonderful, mysterious phyto compounds.
Another important consideration with regards to reading cannabis labels has to do with how cannabinoids influence one another. In most cases, THC will cause mind-altering effects like hallucinations, giddiness, relaxation and delayed responses/reactions. CBD, on the other hand, can relax you or fight pain like THC can but without the heady, brain-buzz. Cannabidiol also goes one step further in counteracting some of the effects of Tetrahydrocannabinol.
This means that anytime you ingest cannabis products with both THC and CBD contents, the CBD might be reducing the psychoactive effects of the THC, depending on the ratios of either compound. For example, a popular full-spectrum cannabis product will contain 2:1 CBD to THC. This means that there’s twice as much CBD and THC, so the chances of CBD minimizing the psychoactive properties of the THC are much greater.
There’s no “X:X” formula for how much CBD will minimize THC’s mind altering effects, so you need to play around with different values and doses. Everybody’s cannabinoids tolerances are different, so dosing cannabis will always require careful attention, patience and consistency.