CBD, also known as cannabidiol, is something that’s found within the plants, and some people wonder if it is psychoactive. The answer is simple: while it does have some psychoactive aspects of this, this is different from what happens with THC. While they do have the same makeup chemically, the psychoactive nature of CBD doesn’t offer the same high that CBD does, it’s a bit different. 

It’s not Psychoactive? 

Both THC and CBD are great for pain relief, and other relief, but some people look at CBD as the “good” one because it’s not psychoactive.  It doesn’t cause the euphoric high that THC does, but this is something that people have gotten wrong. 

A lot of people who say that this is not psychoactive, mean really that it’s not going to be intoxicating. The compounds that are viewed as psychoactive and affect your nervous system, brain, and the like, are not there. It’s intoxicating, but it doesn’t create a high. It just changes the perception and the mood, so yes, it technically is psychoactive. 

How it Affects the Body 

It works similar to how THC does. We’ve got the endocannabinoid system, which is a bunch of neurotransmitters that bind with different receptors that are within the nervous system, regulating the cognitive, and physiological aspects of life including appetite, pain, memory, and your mood. The plant also has cannabinoids that bind directly to this. Probably the most well-known ones are the CB1 and the CB2 receptors, where they work with the brain and nervous system. 

CBD doesn’t bind to these, but it’s theorized that it inhibits the fatty acid enzyme FAAH, and it basically breaks down the anandamide “bliss molecule” and it leads to more and more anandamide within the body, reading your anxiety. It also controls the different receptors and the neurotransmitters in your body, including the opioid and the serotonin receptors, improving the mood that you have and causing pain relief. 

It can help with the following conditions: 

• Anxiety 
• Depression 
• Side effects of chemo 
• Dementia 
• Schizophrenia 
• Weight loss 

It also may reduce the pain sensations and the stress, change the pain perception, and improve the neuroprotection of the body. 

The difference between These 

The biggest difference between these is that THC is able to mimic anandamide in the body. THC binds directly to the CB1 receptors, which makes it more potent than the anandamide in the body, making it more euphoric or sedative for the body. 

CBD doesn’t bind to these at all, and it actually reduces how intoxicating THC is. The way these work together creates what we call the entourage effect, and they create effects which are more powerful together than individually. These work together to create an effect within the body, including both your cannabinoid and the non-cannabinoid receptors, influencing them to transmit the signals, and also helps to maintain the body’s balance. 

Research also shows that CBD does activate your serotonin receptors, which is seen as the happy hormone, uplifting the mood and improving your sleep. 

It also is anti-anxiety in most cases, without the high that is euphoric within the body. 

Some strains of CBD tend to be more intoxicating than others, mostly because of where they come from. If it’s from the marijuana plant, it’s going to create a much more potent high, but the CBD oils that you have that contain less THC won’t make it intoxicating. But on the flip side, the higher the THC, the bigger the high, so keep that in mind as well when choosing the CBD products for you to consume.