Clinical Trials
THC Extract and CBD Extract: Are they better combined?
Cannabis research has been highly focused on CBD extract and THC extract in recent years, especially their effects in the medical arena. The area that has been somewhat lacking is the synergy between the combination of the two, known as the “entourage effect”.
Not only does this describe the interaction between THC and CBD, but also other terpenes and cannabinoids found in full-flower medical cannabis.
Cannabinoids interact with the body’s natural endocannabinoid system, made up of receptors in the body that regulate different functions such as appetite, sleep, and pain.
THC is the psychoactive substance found in cannabis that causes the “high” effect that can be felt after ingesting or inhaling the substance. However, CBD is not psychoactive, which explains why it is making waves in areas outside of recreational use. Many patients understandably desire the medical effects of cannabis without the high.
The resinous glands of the cannabis plant, known as trichomes, are where terpenes can be found. They are a product of the plant that gives off the strong scent associated with cannabis and evolved to protect the plant from predators.
Terpenes also can have therapeutic properties, however, and are not just found in cannabis. For example pinene terpenes, commonly found in pine trees, reduce inflammation, and linalool terpenes contained in lavender can have anti-anxiety effects.
So, there are multiple aspects of the cannabis plant that can affect the human body in different ways, but what about when you mix different terpenes or cannabinoids? It’s more complex than you may realise.
Combining CBD and THC doesn’t necessarily mean you will have the effects of both, instead they can interact with each other and other terpenes and cannabinoids to create a new synergistic effect known as the “entourage effect”.
Sadly due to the stigma around THC and its psychoactive effects, cannabis has had prohibitive restrictions applied to it for many years. In addition, the entourage effects of the plant have not been researched as well as they could be, and what combinations of cannabinoids and terpenes can produce medical results.
Combining CBD and THC extract: Further research required
“Taming THC: Potential cannabis synergy and phytocannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects” is a seminal research paper recently presented by Dr. Ethan Russo.
A summary of his studies shows the therapeutic effects of cannabinoids and terpenes, which explains the entourage effect.
Each terpene offers something unique due to its chemical composition. In addition to cannabinoids, some cannabis strains additionally contain terpenes, making it difficult to determine which combination of cannabinoids and terpenes will produce an entourage effect.
According to Dr. Russo, myrcene is the main sedative terpenoid in cannabis, and used in conjunction combined with THC extract, produces an entourage effect. As a result, if THC mixed with myrcene can have an entourage effect, one wonders what other combinations are possible.
When CBD and THC are combined, THC is more effective at reducing cancer-related pain than CBD alone. As compared to THC alone, the combination of THC and CBD demonstrated good effectiveness.
The results demonstrate how different cannabinoids can work together in an entourage effect, which is exciting and promising. CBD can also reduce the psychoactive effects of THC, but the process is complicated because it indirectly interacts with your body’s endocannabinoid receptors in a way that prevents them from binding with the THC cannabinoids.
Most strains of cannabis recreationally are selectively bred to optimise the THC content, so very little is known about the other cannabinoids, of which there are more than 118 varieties. Continuing research on a larger scale could unlock hitherto unforeseen medical effects of the plant, by combining certain cannabinoids and terpenes in varying amounts.
The most important thing to remember about the entourage effect is that it reinforces the long-held idea by practitioners all over the world that cannabis has huge potential as a medicine.
