CBD or Delta-9 THC: What is the Difference?

As the hemp industry is growing at an incredible rate, you may of have heard about a number of different cannabinoids, especially Delta-9 THC and CBD. Among the number of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant, Delta-9 THC and CBD are the most familiar and widespread ones. Most people know that THC can make you high, whereas CBD will not. However, most do not know the difference between hemp and marijuana. Both are species of the cannabis plant, but both have very different functions. Cannabinoids, found in the cannabis plant, interact with our bodies in sophisticated and unique ways. If you dig deeper into the science behind these two cannabinoids, it will become apparent that there is more to learn about Delta-9 THC and CBD.

Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main intoxicating element in the cannabis plant, which was first described in the 1940s. Israeli scientist Rafael Mechoulam synthesized this molecule in 1965, and our understanding of THC has improved ever since. Marijuana is the species of cannabis that is dominant in the compound Delta-9 THC. This is the part of the marijuana plant that makes the user feel euphoric, or “high,” when it is broken down and absorbed into the body. Marijuana leaves are broad-leafed and have tight buds with some even having orange hairs coming off of the nugget shape, and it looks like a short and flat bush. Hemp has a different shape from marijuana; its leaves are skinnier and higher up and it tends to look tall and skinny as most of its foliage grows up top.

Marijuana is considered a psychoactive drug, and with its high concentration of Delta-9 THC, it is illegal in many places. This is much higher than the Delta-9 THC levels that are naturally found in hemp. We still clearly do not know how cannabis creates intoxication in our body when compared with other drugs. However, we do know the following about cannabis: We have CB1 receptors throughout our body, and THC acts as an activator, or agonist, of these CB1 receptors. But if people with blocked CB1 receptors are given cannabis (by a different drug, called an antagonist), it won’t make them high. So now we know that to produce intoxication by Delta-9 THC, CB1 receptors in our brain play a crucial role.

Delta-9 THC is not the only compound found in the Cannabis plant that has a direct impact on the functions of our brain. Another incredibly important cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant is cannabidiol, or CBD. It represents about 40% of the extracts from the plant. CBD that is derived from hemp is non-psychoactive and contains little to no traces of Delta-9 THC. Although there are other methods of deriving CBD, such as from other forms of cannabis, CBD derived from hemp contains the lowest levels of THC and is generally legal in most places.

CBD has very powerful properties that can combat anxious feelings, tension, discomfort, balance mood and it interacts with the receptors of our brain. It is also not intoxicating. While Delta-9 THC binds directly with the CB1 receptors, CBD does not. CBD can actually interfere with the activity of CB1 receptors with the presence of Delta-9 THC, thus reducing the psychoactive effects of THC. It is because CBD inhibits the CB1 receptor, while Delta-9 THC activates it. The presence of the two cannabinoids create a balance of the effects of Delta-9 THC.

The cannabis plant is a plant filled with compounds, such as CBD, that can be beneficial to our all-around health and wellness. Although there are psychoactive components to the cannabis plant, it is important to be able to distinguish the difference between hemp and marijuana, as well as being able to differentiate the properties that each species of the cannabis plant contains. Both CBD and Delta-9 THC (medically prescribed) have been found to have many health benefits that we are just really starting to explore and realize the incredible benefits they produce.