Does CBD Get You High?
CBD products have recently stepped into the spotlight due to their potential benefits. You’re probably familiar with some of their forms, like CBD oils, tinctures, and even flavored CBD gummies.
These products have multiple health and therapeutic benefits and have shown potential results.
However, the real question is whether CBD gets you high or not. We will explore the answer to this frequently asked question in this article to give you a clear idea of how cannabidiol works.
What Is CBD?
CBD, or cannabidiol, is an active ingredient derived from hemp and cannabis and is the second most common cannabinoid. Research suggests that CBD can likely relieve inflammatory and neuropathic pain and lower stress levels by improving mood upon consumption.
CBD is infused in many products like tinctures, CBD creams, oil, or gummies and is relatively easy to acquire and ingest.
Since it is extracted from the Cannabis Sativa plant, CBD can also be mixed with other cannabinoids to create multiple product types, such as :
- CBD isolate is pure CBD.
- Broad-spectrum CBD includes the beneficial compounds of hemp and cannabis but no THC.
- Full-spectrum CBD includes all cannabinoids and up to 0.3% THC.
Does CBD Make You High?
The answer here is simple: No, CBD does not make you high.
This is because the actual chemical that causes a high is THC, and Hemp-derived CBD contains little to no THC and therefore does not cause a high.
CBD improves mood and sleep, but that’s about it unless we’re talking about CBD and THC combined (full spectrum CBD oil, for example), which may cause a little high.
Understanding The Difference Between CBD And THC
Both CBD and THC indeed affect the type 1 cannabinoid receptors in the brain and spinal cord. The difference is that THC is a cannabinoid agonist while CBD is not; their effects are the opposite.
THC binds with the cannabinoid receptor type 1 and enables the release of dopamine, causing the high associated with recreational marijuana.
CBD releases the effects of its potential health benefits and causes the mind to relax, such as after using medical marijuana.
Are CBD Products Psychoactive?
CBD’s psychoactive effects are next to none.
According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, psychoactivity affects the mind and behavior, and CBD does not affect your state of consciousness. CBD helps you reduce stress and anxiety and helps you feel relaxed, be productive, and not suffer from temper tantrums.
Furthermore, CBD has anti-psychotic properties and is considered safe to use. However, more research is required to establish whether CBD is safe to use or not.
How Does CBD Interact With Your Body?
When CBD is released into the body, it produces anti-inflammatory effects on the body, thus acting as a therapeutic agent. CBD also has neuroprotective properties and helps regulate some of the functions in our brains.
Here are a few common interactions of CBD with different receptors in the body:
Interaction With 5hT
5hT (5-Hydroxytryptophan) is an amino acid produced naturally in the body and can be converted into serotonin.
In addition, CBD interacts with the body’s endocannabinoid system and activates 5hT.
High concentrations also directly activate the 5-HT1A receptors (serotonin receptors). This way, it carries out its anti-psychoactive effects and activates the serotonin receptors.
Interaction With CB1 Receptors
CB1 receptors are responsible for regulating neurotransmitters such as dopamine. CBD interacts with CB1 receptors and alters their shape, preventing THC from binding itself to CB1 receptors and preventing intoxication.
Interaction With TRPV1 Receptors
The TRPV1 receptors, also known as vanilloid receptors, are responsible for bodily sensations of heat and pain.
CBD binds to TRPV1 receptors and potentially desensitizes them, thus, acting as an analgesic and carrying out its pain-relieving properties.
What Does Taking CBD Oils Feel Like?
Depending on the type of CBD products, taking CBD generally feels like the first day of a hard-earned weekend, which is to say that it acts as a relaxant and causes a state of calmness.
Most notably, CBD oil is said to relieve pain. However, the effect still varies depending on your CBD product type.
We strongly suggest using products from trusted and reliable sellers since these products are safer than non-prescription CBD products. A word of advice is always to buy products that offer third-party testing and provide a Certificate of Analysis (CoA).
Can CBD Cause You To Fail A Drug Test?
CBD is not psychoactive and does not have intoxicating properties. Most drug tests look for THC amounts in the blood, not CBD; thus, CBD is not meant to be detected in a drug test.
However, certain CBD products can often have traces of THC, the chemical that produces intoxicating effects, which can cause a potentially failed drug test if detected.
If the CBD product you used is somehow mislabeled, that can pose a problem. A mislabeled product might have a higher amount of THC than mentioned on the label, resulting in THC being detected in a drug test.
Can CBD Oil Cause You To Fail A Drug Test?
Marijuana-derived CBD oil may cause a positive drug test since it can contain higher levels of THC. In contrast, hemp-derived CBD oil may be considered safer in this case because hemp and marijuana plants have different concentrations of THC, wherein hemp plants have a lesser amount of said chemical.
Conclusion
It can be safely concluded that the chances of experiencing a high by taking CBD are very low because of its non-psychoactive properties. However, if the product contains THC, the effects may be altered.
Therefore, it is essential to be careful when choosing a CBD product to achieve the desired effect. Likewise, it is equally important to understand the mechanism of CBD to ensure you are well aware of its potential risks. Lastly, it is important to buy CBD online from trusted sources like Blush Wellness or Keoni CBD so that you can ensure you are getting lab-tested and effective products.
References
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“What’s The Difference Between CBD Vs. THC?”. Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/cbd-vs-thc#psychoactive-components
Martínez-Aguirre, Christopher, et al. “Cannabidiol Acts At 5-HT1A Receptors In The Human Brain: Relevance For Treating Temporal Lobe Epilepsy”. Frontiers In Behavioral Neuroscience, vol 14, 2020. Frontiers Media SA, https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2020.611278. Accessed 17 Aug 2022
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