Will CBD oil get me high?

Posted by Infuzion on Nov 9th 2020

Will CBD oil get me high?

“Will CBD oil get me high?” It’s certainly a good question. We all know that millions of people worldwide use marijuana for its euphoria-inducing properties – the high. And most people understand that marijuana comes from the cannabis plant. So it’s fair to ask if CBD, which we also extract from cannabis plants, can also get you high.

There’s a really interesting angle to this story. But in order to fully appreciate that, you should have a general understanding of how cannabis gets you high in the first place.

How does cannabis affect the human body? So why does cannabis get people high? Let’s take a look.

There are two major compounds that make up most of the medicinal effects of cannabis – THC, and CBD. THC is the compound in marijuana that causes a high. (Infuzion products do not contain any THC.)

There is a family of compounds called cannabinoids which includes both THC and CBD. Cannabis produces scores of different cannabinoids. CBD (short for cannabidiol) and THC (an abbreviation for tetrahydrocannabinol) are the two most abundant cannabinoids in cannabis.

Cannabinoids act on receptors in human cells. You can think of these receptors as microscopic switches that activate and deactivate certain processes within human cells. These switches require a key to turn them on and off. Cannabinoids are the key.

The human nervous system monitors all aspects of bodily function right down to a cellular level. It then produces neurotransmitter in response to certain physical states. When these neurotransmitters lock into the receptors located on cells, they signal the cell to change what it’s doing.

Scientists call the receptors, appropriately, cannabinoid receptors. These are just one of many kinds of receptors researchers have found in human cells.

The human endocannabinoid system We’re looking at the question, “will CBD oil get me high.” To understand the answer, let’s take a look at how CBD works in the human body.

So, if cannabinoids come from cannabis, why does the human body have these cannabinoid receptors? The answer is because the human body naturally produces its own cannabinoids.

The human body has a vast network of cannabinoid receptors that interact specifically with cannabinoids. This works like a “lock and key” system: each cannabinoid unlocks a particular receptor which controls particular cellular activities.

Cannabinoids manufactured by the human body are technically called endocannabinoids, while those created by plants are technically called phytocannabinoids. And the trillions of cannabinoid receptors found in the human body, are technically called endocannabinoid receptors. And, finally, the entire system of cannabinoids and endocannabinoid receptors is called the endocannabinoid system.

There are two types of cannabinoid receptors which scientists have termed CB1 and CB2. We find CB1 receptors mainly in the brain and nervous system. And we find CB2 receptors throughout the body, especially in all of the major organs.

CB1 receptors, those found most in the brain and nervous system, have an affinity for THC. CB1 receptors are responsible for turning on and off the production of a wide variety of hormones and endocannabinoids.

How THC affects the human body So, let’s set aside CBD for a moment and look at THC and how it affects the brain. As we mentioned, cannabinoid receptors, once activated, cause changes to occur at a cellular level. One of the jobs of the brain’s cells – called neurons – is to produce a variety of neurochemical transmitters, each of which has a different function.

One of the things switched on and off by CB1 receptors is the production of a signaling molecule called anandamide. Anandamide signals the body to produce the hormone serotonin. Scientists sometimes call serotonin the “bliss molecule” or the “happy chemical.” This is because it produces feelings of well-being and happiness. In fact, low serotonin levels have been linked to depression. Additionally, Serotonin is also a precursor of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate the body’s sleep cycles.

Most importantly, for this conversation, scientists believe that serotonin plays a role in regulating a wide range of bodily activities including overall states of consciousness, emotions, motor functions, and appetite. Scientists studying cannabinoids believe this interaction is the reason that THC causes altered states of consciousness, heightened emotions, reductions in muscle coordination, and the munchies.

Will CBD oil get me high like THC? Because CBD does not act on CB1 receptors, CBD’s effects on the human brain are far less apparent than those of THC. Sometimes THC and CBD can even have opposite effects. For example, scientists know that THC triggers panic attacks by modulating the neurotransmitters involved in a fight-or-flight response. CBD, on the other hand, appears to do the opposite. CBD seems to actually ease anxiety.[1]

Scientists still don’t completely understand exactly how this all works. But researchers have shown that THC increases anxiety by activating the frontal and parietal areas of the brain. CBD, on the other hand, actually suppresses the “fight-or-flight” feeling THC sometimes causes.

One way to illustrate the difference between the effects of THC and CBD is that THC stimulates body functions causing you to feel a certain way, be it happier, more excitable, hungrier, etc. While CBD, on the other hand, regulates systems involved in these feelings such as reducing anxiety, regulating pain response, reducing nausea, etc.

Although this answers the question of how CBD is different from THC, it still doesn’t answer the question, “will CBD oil get me high?” So what’s the final verdict?

Will CBD oil get me high? No! CBD counteracts THC! What this means is that not only does CBD not cause you to feel high, it actually counteracts the effects of THC. Scientists have clearly demonstrated this effect in lab studies with mice. Mice that received only THC showed long-term side effects such as increased anxiety. Meanwhile, mice given both THC and CBD show no long-term side effects.[2]

So not only can you count on CBD not getting you high, it may actually be beneficial to anyone who uses THC either for medicinal purposes or to get high.

Infuzions CBD oil products contain zero THC and do not cause a high.

You might also be interested in our article “How To Use CBD Oil.”

Sources: Medical News Today – Can CBD oil help anxiety? https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319622.php Action of cannabidiol on the anxiety and other effects produced by delta 9-THC in normal subjects https://www.researchgate.net/publication/16911686_Action_of_cannabidiol_on_the_anxiety_and_other_effects_produced_by_delta_9-THC_in_normal_subjects