Does CBD Get You High? Debunking the Myth

Amidst growing interest in CBD's therapeutic benefits, a common question arises: Does CBD get you high? This article addresses the myth by explaining CBD's non-psychoactive nature, distinguishing it from THC,...

But, because CBD and it’s intoxicating cousin tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) both come from the cannabis plant, many people think that CBD might too. It causes many of the CBD-curious as well as new users to wonder whether CBD will get them “high”

The short answer is no. CBD products will not get you “high”. They also don’t make you anxious, or paranoid or give you “munchies” the way that THC rich cannabis products do. However, what CBD can do is make you feel more alert and focused, more relaxed and anxious while at the same time improving and relieving a wide variety of symptoms.

HOW CBD WORKS WITH CANNABINOID RECEPTORS

Throughout your body, you have cannabinoid receptors, with which CBD interacts with to produce its various effects (e.g., reduce inflammation, pain, stress etc.) while also helping the body to reach and maintain a state of homeostasis.

Unlike tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is known for it’s mind-altering, intoxicating effects that get you high, CBD does not. The reason for this is that THC binds with the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptors in the brain which is what produces a high or sense of euphoria

In contrast, CBD binds very weakly, if at all, to CB1 receptors. This is one of the reasons why CBD is tolerated so well, even at very high dosages. Interestingly, it is also why CBD is known to dampen the intoxicating effects of THC since CBD has the ability to interfere with the binding of THC.

FINAL THOUGHTS

So, while CBD and THC are two of the most common cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant and both compounds share some similarities, there are also great differences. One of the most obvious is that CBD won’t get you high or cause any of the impairments normally associated with THC and cannabis.

But this does not mean that you won’t feel any effects when using CBD - it’s simply different and more subtle - and you will notice feeling CBD in other ways. Many people liken the effects of CBD as similar to a runners high, and that you notice the absence of symptoms more than the cannabinoid itself.