The two most frequently studied compounds in cannabis, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol), may not work in harmony as commonly believed. THC is the primary psychoactive component of the cannabis plant, while CBD is the main non-intoxicating compound. Although often portrayed as having opposing effects, their impact on the human body might not be a simple tug-of-war.
A recent double-blind clinical trial has challenged the hypothesis that CBD can reduce the negative side effects of THC, such as intoxication, cognitive impairment, and anxiety. Surprisingly, the study suggests that at sufficiently high doses, CBD may actually enhance THC's psychoactive effects.
During the experiments, participants who ingested 9 milligrams of THC in combination with 450 milligrams of CBD reported feeling significantly more 'high' in both body and mind compared to those who consumed THC alone. Blood analysis revealed elevated concentrations of THC and its psychoactive metabolites, leading researchers to hypothesize that the high CBD dose may inhibit THC metabolism, thereby intensifying its psychoactive effects. While similar interactions were observed at a lower CBD dose of 30 milligrams, these smaller amounts did not substantially impact subjective feelings of intoxication.
The study's authors, led by Andriy Gorbenko from the Center for Human Drug Research in the Netherlands, state, "Regardless of the administration route, the hypothesis that CBD attenuates THC effects remains contentious, and our results add to a growing body of evidence against it."
The trial involved healthy male and female volunteers aged 18 to 45, all of whom had previous experience with cannabis but had abstained from use for at least three weeks before the experiment. Participants visited the clinic on five separate occasions, receiving either a placebo, pure THC, or a combination of THC and CBD, with both participants and researchers blinded to the specific treatments. Subjective feelings of pain and intoxication were measured using validated tests, and blood samples were collected before dosing and at multiple intervals up to 8 hours after ingestion.
The results indicated that lower doses of oral CBD did not influence THC's intoxicating effects, while the highest dose significantly impacted most of the psychoactive measures examined. The research team suggests that a "drug-drug interaction with CBD as the perpetrator drug and THC as the victim drug appears the most likely explanation for the pharmacokinetic findings of this study."
Furthermore, the level of CBD did not affect participants' subjective pain ratings, which aligns with previous clinical trials that found CBD products ineffective in relieving chronic pain on their own.
Although the trial is limited in size and only examines oral ingestion of CBD and THC, inhalation studies have also failed to provide convincing evidence that CBD mitigates THC's effects. Neuropharmacologist Geert Groeneveld from the Center for Human Drug Research mentioned that their team has been conducting trials using very high doses of pure CBD. "We haven't published this yet," Groeneveld told reporter Eric Dolan, "but we can tell you that there is no evidence whatsoever that CBD is active on the central nervous system. It does not cause sedation or lead to subjective drug effects that can be picked up by our very sensitive test battery… "
As cannabis becomes the most regularly used recreational drug in the United States, surpassing even alcohol, it is crucial to understand the effects of its two main compounds on the human body.
A recent double-blind clinical trial has challenged the hypothesis that CBD can reduce the negative side effects of THC, such as intoxication, cognitive impairment, and anxiety. Surprisingly, the study suggests that at sufficiently high doses, CBD may actually enhance THC's psychoactive effects.
During the experiments, participants who ingested 9 milligrams of THC in combination with 450 milligrams of CBD reported feeling significantly more 'high' in both body and mind compared to those who consumed THC alone. Blood analysis revealed elevated concentrations of THC and its psychoactive metabolites, leading researchers to hypothesize that the high CBD dose may inhibit THC metabolism, thereby intensifying its psychoactive effects. While similar interactions were observed at a lower CBD dose of 30 milligrams, these smaller amounts did not substantially impact subjective feelings of intoxication.
The study's authors, led by Andriy Gorbenko from the Center for Human Drug Research in the Netherlands, state, "Regardless of the administration route, the hypothesis that CBD attenuates THC effects remains contentious, and our results add to a growing body of evidence against it."
The trial involved healthy male and female volunteers aged 18 to 45, all of whom had previous experience with cannabis but had abstained from use for at least three weeks before the experiment. Participants visited the clinic on five separate occasions, receiving either a placebo, pure THC, or a combination of THC and CBD, with both participants and researchers blinded to the specific treatments. Subjective feelings of pain and intoxication were measured using validated tests, and blood samples were collected before dosing and at multiple intervals up to 8 hours after ingestion.
The results indicated that lower doses of oral CBD did not influence THC's intoxicating effects, while the highest dose significantly impacted most of the psychoactive measures examined. The research team suggests that a "drug-drug interaction with CBD as the perpetrator drug and THC as the victim drug appears the most likely explanation for the pharmacokinetic findings of this study."
Furthermore, the level of CBD did not affect participants' subjective pain ratings, which aligns with previous clinical trials that found CBD products ineffective in relieving chronic pain on their own.
Although the trial is limited in size and only examines oral ingestion of CBD and THC, inhalation studies have also failed to provide convincing evidence that CBD mitigates THC's effects. Neuropharmacologist Geert Groeneveld from the Center for Human Drug Research mentioned that their team has been conducting trials using very high doses of pure CBD. "We haven't published this yet," Groeneveld told reporter Eric Dolan, "but we can tell you that there is no evidence whatsoever that CBD is active on the central nervous system. It does not cause sedation or lead to subjective drug effects that can be picked up by our very sensitive test battery… "
As cannabis becomes the most regularly used recreational drug in the United States, surpassing even alcohol, it is crucial to understand the effects of its two main compounds on the human body.
