If you’ve shopped for hemp products lately, you’ve probably come across products containing both CBD and THC.
But why combine CBD and THC? What can you expect after taking CBD and THC together?
In this article, we’re going to answer these questions and talk about the benefits and side effects you can expect from this combo. We’ll also discuss how to best use these cannabinoids together to get the most benefits.
TAKEAWAYS:
- Research suggests that CBD may be able to reduce the high from THC, and the detrimental effects that THC has on motor coordination and memory.
- Taking CBD and THC together may improve the circulation and absorption of both cannabinoids throughout the body.
- CBD can help mitigate THC-induced anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors.
But First, What Are CBD and THC?
Though CBD and THC work well together, they are pretty different. Here’s a bit about each cannabinoid:
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a cannabinoid that naturally occurs in the hemp plant. Due to its myriad of benefits, it’s one of the most popular cannabinoids out there.
People find CBD beneficial for anxiety, sleep, and pain, among other things.
What is THC?
Delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is also a cannabinoid that naturally occurs in hemp. It’s most famous for being the active ingredient in cannabis. However, we sell it in a hemp-derived form so it’s legal (our products contain less than 0.3% THC).
THC is effective for both recreation and therapeutic purposes.
How Do They Differ?
Apart from technical differences, the main difference between these two cannabinoids is that THC makes you feel high, while CBD doesn’t.
Technically, both cannabinoids are psychoactive — they both affect the mind. But CBD’s side effects are nowhere near as intense as THC’s.
The Entourage Effect: How CBD and THC Work Together
Given the differences between these cannabinoids, it might be hard to imagine how mixing CBD and THC is beneficial.
But it can all be explained by the entourage effect.
What is the Entourage Effect?
The entourage effect is a scientific theory that says taking different compounds (such as cannabinoids and terpenes) in the hemp plant together can deliver unique and elevated benefits, when compared to taking cannabinoids in isolation.
But how does the entourage effect work?
Cannabinoids like THC and CBD work in your body by interacting with your endocannabinoid system (ECS).
The ECS is a receptor system in humans (and some animals) that works to keep your bodily functions in a state of balance. It has a hand in regulating inflammation, the nervous system, sleep, motor control, metabolism, and many other things.
The entourage effect suggests that your ECS responds better to cannabinoids when it interacts with multiple at the same time.
How Does the Entourage Relate to CBD and THC?
The benefits of the entourage effect have been studied in relation to CBD and THC. Specifically, research shows that CBD can help blunt the negative side effects of THC.
Some of the side effects people commonly report after taking THC are anxiety and sedation — not exactly a fun time.
Thankfully, CBD can reduce these side effects while still maintaining the good feelings: A study of the entourage effect on humans and rats found that the negative side effects of THC were reduced when taken in combination with CBD.
That’s not all, though — taking CBD and THC together may improve your body’s circulation and absorption of both cannabinoids.
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Benefits of Using CBD and THC Together
Now that we have an overview of how CBD and THC work together, let’s examine the benefits of this combo in more depth.
The Benefits of Both CBD & THC
CBD and THC each have a laundry list of benefits.
CBD promotes both mental and physical relaxation and is commonly used for stress, anxiety, pain, epilepsy, sleep, and more.
THC is a potent relaxant and is used for recreation, sleep, anxiety, and pain, among other things.
By combining the two, you get a double dose of benefits. And it goes beyond just the physical effects — CBD and THC have benefits that you can’t feel (for example, CBD is neuroprotective).
Improved Circulation & Absorption of Both Cannabinoids
Earlier we mentioned that your endocannabinoid system may interact better with CBD and THC if they’re taken together.
Anecdotal (or eyewitness) experience supports this, but scientists aren’t completely sure why CBD and THC improve absorption.
One idea that’s been explored is that CBD can slow your body’s metabolism of THC, thereby prolonging and strengthening its effects. However, more research is needed on why CBD enhances THC’s benefits.
Reduced Negative Side Effects of THC
Though many enjoy the relaxation and euphoria that THC brings, they aren’t so enthusiastic about the negative side effects that can occur.
Side effects of THC use include red eyes, dry mouth, memory loss, increased heart rate, a reduction in motor coordination, and feelings of anxiety or paranoia.
Though taking CBD in addition to THC can’t reduce all of these side effects, it may be able to help with the worst ones:
- Research suggests that CBD may be able to reduce the detrimental effects that THC has on motor coordination and memory.
- Studies show that CBD can help mitigate THC-induced anxiety and similar behaviors.
- Though THC increases heart rate, research suggests that CBD may be able to lower heart rate, thereby partially blunting THC’s effects on the heart.
Recap: The Benefits of CBD and THC Together
THC is powerful, and it can have major upsides and major downsides. Taking CBD along with THC can amplify its upsides while minimizing its worst downsides.
Side Effects of Using CBD and THC Together
Though taking CBD and THC together can mitigate some of the effects of THC, you will still experience some side effects after using this combo:
- Red eyes
- Slight high feelings
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
To be clear, these side effects aren’t created by combining the two cannabinoids — they are simply side effects that already occur when you take either cannabinoid by itself, and that don’t get reduced through the entourage effect.
What is The Best Ratio of CBD to THC?
There is no general best ratio of CBD to THC to take. If you’re relaxing after work, you’ll necessarily want a different effect than if you’re using hemp to address a medical condition.
Instead, here are some common equal or CBD-dominant ratios you can choose from.
1:1 CBD:THC
A 1:1 CBD:THC product contains equal amounts of CBD and THC. This ratio is ideal if you need a lot of THC but don’t want to feel as strong of a high.
You will still get high after taking a 1:1 product, but it won’t be the same experience you get from taking THC alone.
4:1 CBD:THC
A 4:1 CBD:THC product contains four times as much CBD as THC, and it’s perfect if you want the therapeutic effects of both CBD and THC, but don’t want to feel the full high from THC.
You may experience some psychoactive effects, but they won’t be very strong unless you have a low THC tolerance.
Full-Spectrum CBD (>10:1 CBD:THC)
Full-spectrum CBD products are mostly CBD, and they contain a small amount of THC and other cannabinoids— typically, they’ll have a 10:1 CBD:THC ratio or greater (more CBD).
You won’t get high after using full-spectrum CBD, but you’ll still receive more benefits than if you took CBD isolate (due to the entourage effect).
How Much CBD and THC Should You Take?
There is no exact starting dosage for either CBD or THC, because it’s weight-dependent. The formula we recommend for using CBD and THC together is:
(0.1) x (your weight in lbs.) = your daily CBD + THC dosage in mg.
If you’re using a 1:1 product and your dosage comes out to 20mg, this means you’ll take 10mg each of CBD and THC. If it’s a 5:1 product, you’ll get more CBD than THC.
This formula is best for products that are either equal in ratio or CBD-dominant.
If you’re taking a very THC-dominant product, you can still use this formula — just avoid taking a dosage of more than 10mg of THC at a time to prevent unwanted side effects.
As you go, you can adjust your dosage little by little based on what’s working.
Is CBD Still Beneficial Without THC? (And Vice Versa)
Yes! CBD has a long list of benefits that make it worth taking even if you’re not using THC.
However, you will not receive a head-high effect from taking CBD by itself.
Here are the main ways CBD can help you:
- Pain – Scientific and anecdotal evidence suggests that CBD has powerful supportive effects for when dealing with various types of pain, however, it isn’t FDA-approved as a painkiller.
- Sleep – CBD promotes feelings of calm without getting you high. As a result, CBD can support getting to sleep sooner and staying asleep for longer.
- Stress & Anxiety – CBD’s relaxing properties make it effective for mental health support during bouts of anxiety.
- Inflammation – A number of scientific studies have shown CBD to have anti-inflammatory effects.
- Epilepsy – CBD has been shown to be effective at addressing some forms of epileptic seizure. In fact, there’s an FDA-approved CBD prescription for epilepsy called Epidiolex.
THC is also beneficial by itself — you will still feel euphoria and relaxation for taking it, but the negative side effects won’t be dampened (as when using it with CBD).
Conclusion: Should You Use CBD and THC Together?
If you’re looking to use THC for its therapeutic benefits, we recommend combining it with CBD. CBD will blunt some of the negative side effects, and it will render you a variety of additional benefits.
However, if you’re looking to use THC for recreation, you’re probably better off taking it by itself so you can feel the full high.
And if you’re not sure, give the CBD and THC combo a try — start with a small dose and see how you like it.
