This is likely to come as a shock to most, especially the very recent conclusion reached in a study published that claimed cannabidiol, CBD, which has over the years been said to help tone down less desirable effects of tetrahydrocannabinol, THC, actually intensifies THC’s psychoactive impact.
This was demonstrated in a rigorous clinical trial by researchers from the Centre for Human Drug Research, Leiden, Netherlands, published in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics.
Findings from the research are bombshell news unto the scientific community and a fledgling cannabis industry portraying CBD as a non-intoxicating compound that can counter probable negative effects from THC.
This, in many cases, has been able to form the core belief behind many a CBD product and strategy for recreational and medicinal cannabis use.
The High Gets Higher. Unforeseen Synergy Between CBD and THC
Contrary to popular belief, the research found that CBD does not loom large at attenuating THC’s effects when combined but elevated the subjective “high” feeling, impaired cognitive function, and raised heart rate associated with intake of THC in higher doses.
This amplification occurred most intense when a multitarget profile of 450 mg CBD was administered with 9 mg THC, peaking at a phenomenal increase of 60.5% in the intensity of feeling high in relation to just THC.
In this battery of tests, different effects of THC were measured, like subjective experiences, psychomotor function, and cognitive performance.
According to the results of the mentioned research, participants co administer CBD with THC rated themselves more “high” and showed more impairment in several tasks measuring alertness, postural stability, and reaction time.
These findings challenge the common practice of using CBD to “balance out” the effect of THC—something both recreational users and medical cannabis patients often do.
One suggestion made by the study was that this particular approach could not actually have any real effect but instead increase extreme THC experiences than a person intends to have.
Bring in A Chemical Tango. Unraveling the Pharmacokinetic Dance.
These researchers attribute this unexpected synergy to a pharmacokinetic interaction between CBD and THC.
Similarly, when taken together, it appeared that CBD inhibited the metabolism of THC, increasing the concentrations of THC and its psychoactive metabolite in the blood.
This interaction was noted even at a somewhat low dose of 30 mg CBD, which may raise concerns about the occurrence of drug interactions in both medical use and recreational consumption.
It looks probable that CBD inhibits certain liver enzymes involved in the breakdown of THC, according to the study’s lead author, Andriy A. Gorbenko. That means THC would stay in an organism longer and at larger concentrations, increasing the effect.
Such findings have strong implications for the safety of use and effectiveness with regard to cannabis-based products—especially those that combine THC and CBD.
The interaction, according to researchers, might also turn out to be specific to oral ingestion of cannabinoids. Thus, they would offer that other routes—for instance, inhalation—might give different results because of the differences in metabolism.
Pain and Perception: Rethinking Cannabis-Based Analgesia
On the other hand, this study did find that THC had some analgesic properties; it did note, however, that this was not enhanced by the inclusion of CBD.
Much of the analgesic action of THC in this study seemed to relate more to altering perception or memory of pain rather than actual sensation of pain.
This finding complicates an already burgeoning debate about cannabis-based pain management strategies.
These tests quantified the analgesic activity of THC and CBD by applying several pain tests, which included electrical, pressure, cold, and heat stimuli. Overall, while THC significantly reduced pain scores in some of these assays, it failed to raise pain thresholds in most instances.
That means THC must be changing how people experience pain, or remember it—not blocking out pain signals themselves.
The researchers also found that THC reduced mechanical allodynia, a type of pain caused by normally non-painful stimuli. This might explain why some neuropathic pain patients who use cannabis-based treatments feel relieved.
Implications for Medicine and the Market
These findings have far broader implications for the exploding market for CBD, not solely restricted to the medicinal use of cannabis.
This study suggests that there are overstated effects when CBD is combined with THC for the use of patients treated with cannabis-based medicines, thereby increasing the risk of side effects.
This therefore warrants more careful labeling and consumer education in at least the consumer-facing CBD market, wherein products are known to contain small amounts of THC.
Even relatively low doses of CBD could interact with THC or other drugs that are processed by the same liver enzymes.
This study serves as a reminder of the interplay among components of the greater landscape of cannabis and how they challenge inherited conventional wisdom, pointing to much more to be learned in this emerging area.
It confirms the complexity of cannabis pharmacology and points to the need for rigorous scientific investigation into an area generally dominated by anecdotal evidence and market hype.
With this in mind, the researchers could pursue studies to clarify the relationship between THC and CBD, especially in respect to various routes of administration and patient populations.
In the last 14 years I have had seven different surgeries . I can barely get around without any hemp. And it is only with the aide of hemp that I can be somewhat active and normal.
Thanks