Chris M

There are hundreds of chemicals found in both Hemp and Cannabis. CBD is only one noteworthy analyte. CBD likely acts as an antagonist to THC and will likely reduce the euphoric properties of THC. THC has very important therapeutic effects that are both noteworthy and novel as well.

Unfortunately due to the disappointing and downright inaccurate position of the federal government in classifying Cannabis as a schedule one drug, most research institutions risk federal funding if they conduct real research on Cannabis. This has dramatically limited the potential for real research by real scientists to be conducted. That research is critical to better understanding the multitude of therapeutic effects of the various chemical constituents found in Cannabis.

Because of the vast diversity of chemicals found in Cannabis(THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, etc) isolating a specific chemical can paint an inaccurate picture of the medical efficacy of the plant. In fact, Dronabinol(synthetic THC), as an example, has turned out to be a pretty dangerous drug.

Although I’m no physician, and am not qualified to recommend any drugs for any specific medical purposes, and you should consult your doctor when considering the consumption of anything that may be medicinal: If you’re looking to experiment with CBD products, you might consider looking for CBD products that are “whole-plant” extract-based from very high CBD cultivars. If you’re in a state that has a legal Cannabis system, you may also find more therapeutic benefits from non-hemp derived CBD products.

There is quite a bit of NIH data available on CBD, and other chemicals found in Cannabis:

There are likely very complex relationships also occurring between various Cannabinoids in Cannabis that may lead to certain medical efficacy. That is important to remember when considering the consumption of products that contain Cannabinoids. There is an attractiveness to isolating a specific chemical, researching it, patenting synthetic derivatives, and marketing specific drugs. That said, the relationships are complex, will likely take years to understand, and many patients I’ve met appear to find the most medical benefit from a diverse group of Cannabinoids whose interactions are not particularly well understand, but the results are hard to argue with.