THC and CBD are two of the best-known cannabinoids found in cannabis. But cannabis consumers don’t necessarily have to choose between the two. Ratio products containing both THC and CBD, including 1:1 flower and edibles, are widely available. While some research and anecdotal reports suggest CBD may reduce certain effects of THC, a new meta-analysis complicates that conventional wisdom.
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Researchers analyzed results from 14 human studies involving 341 participants. Seven studies involved oral cannabinoids, five involved inhalation, and the others used intravenous or mixed administration.
The scientists examined levels of THC and its active metabolite, 11-hydroxy-THC, circulating in the blood when THC was taken alone or alongside CBD.
The results? People had greater overall exposure to THC when they consumed it alongside CBD.
CBD seems to have an even bigger impact on 11-hydroxy-THC, a psychoactive metabolite produced when the body breaks down THC. The metabolite is believed to help explain why edible cannabis can produce a different, and sometimes more intense, experience than smoking.
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So does this mean that taking an edible that contains both THC and CBD will make you higher? Not necessarily.
Dose appears to matter. Higher CBD doses were associated with greater increases in 11-hydroxy-THC, specifically. The effect was most apparent at higher CBD doses, particularly 100 milligrams or more. Lower doses appeared to have little effect.
That distinction is important for consumers: the findings don’t necessarily mean a typical low-dose 1:1 gummy will suddenly make THC hit harder.
Still, the authors said cannabis consumers and medical providers should be aware that CBD and THC may interact pharmacokinetically when used together.
“Prescribers and users of cannabinoid products should be aware of this interaction, particularly with high doses of CBD,” the authors wrote.
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The analysis complicates the popular belief that CBD simply counteracts THC. While CBD may reduce some of THC’s subjective effects under certain circumstances, it may simultaneously increase the body’s exposure to THC and its psychoactive metabolite.
It also confirms there’s a lot more to learn about how cannabinoids work together in the body.
