Myth 1: Full Spectrum CBD can get you high.
First we need to establish where CBD derives from and how it differentiates from Marijuana. Hemp is part of the Cannabis plant family. The Cannabis family is made up of over 140 varieties of cannabinoids, or naturally occurring biologically active components specific to Cannabis. These Cannabinoids are made up of terpenes, flavonoids, and fatty acids. Some other cannabinoids you may have heard of include: CBD, THC, CBG, or CBN.
Cannabidiol (CBD) is just one variety of cannabinoids found in the Cannabis plant. It has been studied to be non-addictive and safe for therapeutic consumption in Hemp containing less than 0.3% of THC through years of testing from the 70’s to present day.
Hemp and Marijuana are different mainly because they contain different levels of THC. Marijuana is a form of cannabis with high THC levels. THC is a cannabinoid best known for it’s intoxicating effect or ability to get you “high.”
The 2018 Farm Bill, states that legally grown Hemp is required to contain no more than 0.3% levels of THC, which assures that reputable hemp grown legally shouldn’t contain enough THC to have intoxicating or addictive effects.
Myth 2: CBD is dangerous because it alters your brain.
Psychoactive substances can range from drugs to other substances we are much more familiar with like caffeine, chocolate, nicotine, or alcohol. These substances can affect the brain by changing mood, thoughts, behavior, feelings, or awareness because they have the ability to pass through the blood-brain barrier; some with mild positive effects, and some with negative side effects.
Full spectrum CBD has been shown to have moderating and therapeutic effects on anxiety, depression, psychosis, pain management, memory and focus, seizures, and other brain activity.
So we could argue that CBD is a mood altering substance and could be categorized as a psychoactive substance because it has the ability to breach the blood-brain barrier, but the difference is that it is only with positive side effects. More accurately we could identify full spectrum CBD as “non-psychotropic”, which means it doesn’t have the ability to get you high or intoxicate you due to the low levels of THC.
THC on the other hand is what we call a “psychotropic” substance, or the ability for a substance or drug to alter your brain to feel a “high” with intoxicating or addictive effects.
Full spectrum CBD sold by reputable companies are ensured by law to contain no more than 0.3% THC levels, which inhibit the ability for you to get “high” from the substance.
As with all natural health supplements, take them responsibly and at the recommended dosage.
Anything can be overdone and have negative side effects if used improperly, but most any negative side effects from CBD can usually be fixed by lowering or adjusting yoru CBD dosage levels or optimizing the timing of consumption.
