Marijuana Blog

What Is The Difference Between Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) And Cannabidiol (CBD)?

The cannabis plant contains dozens of cannabinoids. The most well known cannabinoid for a long time has been tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), but as more scientific research is conducted involving cannabis and its ability to be used as a medicine, more and more people are learning about other cannabinoids, expecially cannabidiol (CBD). The last couple of years interest in CBD has grown exponentially, as it’s been featured on numerous television episodes showing how well it works in treating people who suffer from severe epilepsy. One of the most common questions I get asked these days is ‘what is the difference between THC and CBD?’

 

The most important thing that I try to get people to grasp is that THC will get you high (assuming you consume enough of it) and CBD will not. THC has psychoactive properties that affect your brain and give you a ‘buzz’ while CBD does not. I have talked to many, many people that avoided medical cannabis at all costs simply and only because they didn’t want to be high all the time. Once they understand that there are dozens of cannabinoids, and that they all don’t get you stoned (specifically CBD), they are much more open to the idea of trying medical cannabis.

 

A brief description of THC is below, via Wikipedia:

 

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), or more precisely its main isomer (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol ( (6aR,10aR)-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), is the principal psychoactive constituent (or cannabinoid) of the cannabis plant. First isolated in 1964 by Israeli scientists Raphael Mechoulam and Yechiel Gaoni at the Weizmann Institute of Science[8][9][10] it is a water-clear glassy solid when cold, which becomes viscous and sticky if warmed.

 

A brief explanation of CBD is below, via Project CBD:

 

Cannabidiol — CBD— is a cannabis compound that has significant medical benefits, but does not make people feel “stoned” and can actually counteract the psychoactivity of THC. The fact that CBD-rich cannabis doesn’t get one high makes it an appealing treatment option for patients seeking anti-inflammatory, anti-pain, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotic, and/or anti-spasm effects without troubling lethargy or dysphoria.

 

To sum up, if you want to get high, consume strains or products made from strains that are high in THC. If you don’t want to get high, but want to still get the medical benefits of cannabis, consume strains or products made from strains that are high in CBD. Be aware that all cannabinoids (THC, CBD, and beyond) have a medical benefit, and it’s important to research which strains contain which levels of cannabinoids, and what cannabinoids are best suited for the particular conditions you are trying to treat. I will be writing more articles moving forward on what strains work best for what conditions.

 

It’s worth noting that just because someone claims that ‘X’ strain is known to have a certain percentage of THC and CBD, doesn’t mean that every plant ever produced of that strain will always have those percentages and ratios of THC and CBD. Different grow methods and factors can change those levels, so always make sure what you are buying has been tested by a reputable testing facility if cannabinoid levels are important to you.

 

Source: http://www.theweedblog.com/what-is-the-difference-between-thc-and-cbd/

Can you believe that it’s already been a year since Uruguay legalized cannabis use for everyone? It doesn’t seem like it’s been that long but it has. And since then, it has been dubbed the “great experiment”. But the government hit a rough road over the last few months, with public sentiment continuing to go against legal cannabis and a rising presidential candidate in the country has vowed to repeal much of the law if elected. 

 

 

Voters in Uruguay granted the leftist Broad Front coalition another presidential term by electing 74 year old oncologist Tebare Vazquez over center-right National Party candidate Luis Lacalle Pou, 53% to 40%. In doing this, Uruguay managed to solidify its left leaning status and kept the country’s legal marijuana system alive, along with the government’s blossoming dispensary system. So for now, the Uruguay experiment continues. How have the effects been over the last year, though?

 

 

The laws in Uruguay allow private citizens to cultivate up to six plants in their houses and they can also form private grow clubs that produce significantly more. But all of the sales must go through the federal government, which is supposed to be setting up a network of dispensaries and determine prices. Each customer must register with a database that is run by the Ministry of Health and is restricted to buying 40 grams a month, more than most actually end up consuming. The prices were set at about $1 a gram, close to the street price of illicit marijuana that is imported from Paraguay. Smoking cannabis on the job remains illegal as does operating any kind of vehicles. Violators will be punished with fines up to $87, along with other penalties including destruction of the stash and elimination from the registry. 

 

 

While the government was supposed to set up a system, they’re still working on it. In November of this year, the National Board of Drugs said that they had to push back their open date to March. Progress was expected to be slow, as the government didn’t want the project to be rushed. “We are not just going to say ‘hands off and let the market take care of it,” President Jose Mujica told AFP this past July. “If the market is in charge, it is going to seek to sell the greatest possible amount.”

 

 

In short, nothing terrible has happened in Uruguay since the cannabis legalization passed. People seem to be doing okay, growing their marijuana in peace. The number of people smoking tobacco has decreased from 32% to 12% since 2005 and only 14% of Uruguayans between the ages of 16 and 64 have used marijuana. The legalization has also decreased the use of something called prensado paraguayo, a compressed blend of leaves, glue, oil, feces, chemicals, and so on.

This year has been a big one for the marijuana community but some of the things that have happened this year have made us stop and just say “Wait… What?” Legalization happened in Oregon and Alaska, as well as the almost passing for medical marijuana in Florida. Personal legalization passed in Washington DC and South Portland, Maine, as well as decriminalization in two New Mexico counties and six Michigan cities. According to High Times, these five moments in the year 2014, were some of the most ridiculous of the year.

 

 

“Marijuana Legalization = Filthy Toilets”

“Wonder of wonders, Lowe’s doesn’t want people acutely or sub-acutely under the influence of marijuana operating forklift, using circular saw, cutting ceramic tiles, driving company trucks - or cleaning it’s toilets!” This quote came from Christine Tatum, the wife of Dr. Christian Thurstone, who is a board member with the anti-legalization group Project SAM as well as a Denver based rehab entrepreneur. Tatum was complaining about terrible customer service at Lowe’s when a manager told her that they were understaffed because too few people were able to pass the pre-employment drug screen tests. No surprise, as more people than ever smoke marijuana these days. And just for the record, when Tatum said “sub-acutely”, she was referring to people under the influence of THC-COOH, marijuana’s non impairing metabolite that hangs out in your system for days after you smoke. Basicallly, Tatum was saying that someone who smoked weed on Friday wouldn’t be able to comprehend work on Monday because they’re too high.

 

 

Using marijuana will make your brain stop working.

When Dr. Stuart Gitlow claimed that using marijuana before the age of 25 would make your brain cease function, the marijuana community was shocked. Gitlow also stated that marijuana has no recorded history, saying “Will you die young, as with tobacco? We’ll have to wait a generation to find out, just as we didm with tobacco. Our children will be guinea pigs.” Cheech and Chong have been smoking for years and they’re still alive and healthy, even for their age. But you know, guinea pigs.

 

 

“Using marijuana will turn you in to an Islamic terrorist”

Author of Accuracy In Media, Cliff Kincaid, wrote about “black thug” Michael Bwon and “black juvenile delinquent” Trayvon Martin to demonstrate how marijuana turns normal people in to crazy criminals. Kincaid clearly hasn’t even smoked marijuana because if he had, he would know that the effects are completely the opposite than what he expects. But his best example of how weed makes you wacky is when he referred to a Canadian man who was a pothead that joined the infamous ISIS group and the Boston Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev who “was not only a dope smoker but a dealer”.

 

 

“It may be too early to draw a direct connection between jihad, marijuana, and mass murder,” writes Kincaid. “Bit it is worth considering whether consumption of the drug can alter the mind to such an extent that jihad becomes appealing to some mentally unstable individuals.”

 

 

Marijuana’s not less dangerous as meth, crack, cocaine, and heroin.

If you haven’t seen the epic video of Michele Leonhart, head of the DEA, getting grilled by Jared Polis and Steve Cohen, you should be looking it up right now. This video is epic in the fact that Leonhart doesn’t have any idea what to say when Pollis asks her questions about marijuana. The woman embarrasses herself even more when Cohen questions her, as seen below. 

 

 

Polis: Is crack worse for a person than marijuana?

 

Leonhart: I believe all illegal drugs are bad.

 

Polis: Is methamphetamine worse for somebody’s health than marijuana?

 

Leonhart: I don’t think any illegal drug is good.

 

Polis: (Slightly cutting off Leonhart) Is heroin worse for someone’s health than marijuana?

 

Leonhart: Again, all drugs…

 

Polis: (Cutting off Leonhart) It’s either ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ or ‘I don’t know.’  If you don’t know you can look this up.  You should know as the Chief administrator for the Drug Enforcement Agency.  Is heroin worse for someone’s health than marijuana?

 

 

Cohen: Would you agree that marijuana causes less harm to individuals than meth, crack, cocaine, and heroin?”

 

Leonhart: As a former police officer, as a 32-year DEA agent, I can tell you that I think marijuana is an insidious drug.

 

Cohen: That’s not the question I asked you ma’am.  Does [marijuana] cause less damage to the American society and to individuals than meth, crack, cocaine, and heroin?  Does it make people have to kill to get their fix?

 

Leonhart: I can tell you that more teens enter treatment for…

 

Cohen: (Cutting off Leonhart) Can you answer my question?

 

 

“Marijuana Killed Five Infants In Colorado”

Dr. Ronald Schwerzler is the medical director of Serenity Lane, a chain of rehabilitation centers. He was called on by the No on 91 campaign to be a medical advisor during a televised debate over the marijuana legalization measure. Much to the dismay of the No on 91 members, Schwerzler uttered some serious craziness while on TV. 

 

 

“Let’s just concentrate on those marijuana edibles. There have been five infant children deaths in Colorado that have picked up these drugs - from gummy bears to fruity pebbles - five young infants have died. Now if that’s not catastrophic, I don’t know what is.” But the audience had something else to say, erupting in angry protest as soon as Scwerzler uttered those words. “Lies! Where’s your source?” When someone shouted “Not true!”, he replied “Yeah it is.” The doctor later issued a retraction statement to a local newspaper.

Today, Nebraska and Oklahoma sued the state of Colorado over its marijuana legalization law, saying the law has created an increased law enforcement burden in neighboring states. The suit, filed by Nebraska Attorney General John Bruning and Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, claims federal marijuana prohibition preempts Colorado’s law. Colorado voters decisively adopted Amendment 64 in 2012.

 

Statement from Tamar Todd, Director, Marijuana Law and Policy, Drug Policy Alliance:

 

“This is a misguided effort to undo cautious and effective state-level regulation of marijuana and to undermine the will of the voters and legislators who enacted it.  Today’s action isn’t just a challenge to Colorado but to the ability and authority of all states to regulate and control marijuana within their borders as they see fit. It implicates the four states that have adopted ballot initiatives by decisive margins to tax and regulate marijuana for adults as well as the 34 states that have adopted laws to regulate medical marijuana.

 

“The Federal government itself has not challenged the regulatory law in Colorado nor did they choose to interfere with its implementation. To the contrary, the government has deprioritized enforcement of state-level marijuana reforms and acknowledged the interests that both states and the Federal government have in openly regulating marijuana. And just this past week, a historic vote in Congress barred the use of federal resources from interfering with state medical marijuana programs. Today’s action is nothing more than an effort to cling to the failed policies of the war on drugs and interfere with a new common sense, less harmful approach to marijuana.”

 

Source: http://www.theweedblog.com/nebraska-and-oklahoma-sue-colorado-over-marijuana-legalization/