CBD, cannabis, marijuana, hemp—the lingo is thrown around a lot these days and it can be all kinds of confusing to weed through. Article by: Jennifer Tzeses To make sense of it all, first you need to understand the cannabis plant, which is where it all starts. Cannabis is a species of plant that has over 100 different chemical constituents called cannabinoids and the two main cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD),” says Ryan Vandrey, Ph.D. associate professor Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Though they’re often used interchangeably, cannabis and marijuana are not the same thing. Cannabis is like an umbrella and refers to all products derived from the cannabis plant. Marijuana is a more specific term. It refers to parts of the cannabis plant containing high levels of THC, the substance that drives the psychoactive effects that make you feel high. There are three strains of cannabis: sativa, indica, and a hybrid of the two.
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Cannabinoids -- the active chemicals in medical marijuana -- are similar to chemicals the body makes that are involved in appetite, memory, movement, and pain.Medical marijuana received a lot of attention a few years ago when parents said that a special form of the drug helped control seizures in their children. The FDA recently approved Epidiolex, which is made from CBD, as a therapy for people with very severe or hard-to-treat seizures. In studies, some people had a dramatic drop in seizures after taking this drug. The cannabidiol Epidiolex was approved in 2018 for treating seizures associated with two rare and severe forms of epilepsy, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome. In addition, the FDA has approved two man-made cannabinoid medicines -- dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros) and nabilone (Cesamet) -- to treat nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy.
Although cannabis has been an herbal remedy for centuries, the evidence for how well it works is lacking in many cases. Scientists prefer large studies with certain types of controls before they draw conclusions, and much of the research thus far hasn’t met those standards. Products vary in strength and it’s hard to measure doses, which has made judging the benefits of marijuana even more complicated.Could cannabis help solve issues involving these powerful painkillers? In some states, prescriptions for this pain medicine fell and researchers found a link to fewer overdose deaths. But another study found a link between pot use and abuse of these narcotic drugs. Scientists need more evidence before they can say for sure.
Traditionally, indica strains are associated with more of a body high that makes you feel relaxed. They’re often recommended for people seeking strains to help with pain, insomnia, nausea, or poor appetite.While plenty of indica strains might produce these effects, strains aren’t an exact science.
Zaza Purple UrkleChoosing a cannabis strain can be confusing. With hundreds of types of cannabis available on the market, retailers are still trying to figure out the best way to break down strains into helpful categories.That’s why most cannabis menus break strains — or cultivars, if you want to get technical — into three categories: sativa, indica, and hybrid.Sativas are often associated with more of a head high than a body high, meaning they stimulate your mind but don’t leave you feeling heavy or sleepy.These associations are carried over from the unregulated cannabis market, though, and aren’t necessarily accurate.Still, as researchers continue to look closer at the factors — like cannabinoids and terpenes — that change the effects of different kinds of cannabis, the sativa versus indica distinction can still be a helpful tool for finding the right product.
CBD is nonpsychoactive but has a number of the same medical benefits as THC. This allows you to take advantage of the therapeutic benefits without leaving you with the “stoned” feeling that often goes hand in hand with THC.That said, marijuana-derived CBD products, or CBD products that contain THC, may be more effective than fiber hemp. But if you live in a state that hasn’t yet legalized medical marijuana or these strains are unavailable, you can still benefit from products containing industrial hemp-derived CBD.