Will Full Spectrum CBD Get You High? The Answer May Surprise You

March 30, 2021

If you’re familiar with THC, there’s a good chance you’ve heard (or even experienced) a story that goes a little something like this: There’s a party going on. Someone walks in with a tray of brownies and offers them around. “Be careful,” they say, “they’re strong.” Some ill advised, wannabe superhero decides to eat a whole brownie or two, and over the course of the next few hours they get way, WAY too high. It starts with a racing heartbeat, followed by rampant paranoia, then an indescribable urge to eat an entire packet of Oreos, and usually ends with them trapped on the couch, unable to move because the entire world is spinning. The next morning they wake up and swear off THC for good. Unfortunately, narratives like this are all too common when it comes to THC. Between inexperienced amateurs baking brownies with haphazard dosages and recreational companies aiming for the strongest effects they can achieve, edible THC has built up a reputation as being for thrill seekers or those with high tolerances. Standard dosage sizes for recreational and even some medicinal marijuana is often around 10mg THC per dose, but can often be even higher. And to further complicate things, it’s incredibly common to find THC edibles that contain multiple doses in products that would traditionally be eaten in a single sitting - like cookies or brownies. This can lead unsuspecting users to consume much more THC than they intended, resulting in bad experiences. That’s not to say THC is all bad. THC can be a wonderful tool to calm symptoms of anxiety and depression, soothe inflammation, ease pain in the body, and it may even help with serious diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer. Luckily, when THC is combined with CBD and other cannabinoids in the right dosage, scientists are beginning to understand the secret to unlocking the beneficial aspects of THC while avoiding the negative effects – something known as the entourage effect. The Entourage Effect The entourage effect is a reaction in the body that’s produced when the full array of naturally occurring compounds in the hemp plant are combined together. These compounds include THC and CBD, as well as minor cannabinoids like CBN, CBG, terpenes, flavonoids and more. When all of the naturally occurring cannabis compounds are combined – like in any Full Spectrum CBD product – they create an “entourage effect”. This simply means that the combination of the compounds produce an effect together that is much greater than the sum of their constituent parts. The entourage effect has a twofold benefit when it comes to Full Spectrum CBD. Not only does THC work to help potentiate the effects of CBD and other cannabinoids and terpenes, but these other beneficial extracts also help to mitigate some of the unpleasant effects of THC. At high concentrations, THC can cause anxiety, discomfort, and even paranoia. But CBD’s calming effects, combined with the effects of the other cannabinoids and terpenes help prevent these unpleasant side effects. Will Full Spectrum CBD Get Me High? Not if you take the recommended dose! A recommended dose is typically no more than 2mg of THC. If you’re unfamiliar with THC, or haven’t tried it in a long time, then you may feel some effects, but you won’t be blasting off towards the dark side of the moon or finding yourself stuck on the couch. The effects of THC can be different for each person, and are determined by a variety of factors. Some of the most common effects reported at small doses are: a pleasant feeling throughout the body, relaxation, calmness, and sleepiness. Although the effects are mild, please keep in mind that it may cause a calming effect and possibly drowsiness--so better to plan for a relaxing night at home to experience the full benefits. Getting Started If you are unfamiliar with THC or Full Spectrum CBD products, you may want to consider consuming a half dose your first time, or even your first couple of times! We recommend taking things slowly when it comes to finding the right dosage for your body. What may work for some people might not be right for you. And if you plan on trying a Full Spectrum CBD product, be sure to do your research on the source. Buy CBD products from reliable companies that lab-test their products through third parties to ensure that they’re free of heavy metals, pesticides, and other potentially harmful substances. Purchase products that clearly state the amount of CBD and THC on the label, and look into the ratio of CBD to other minor cannabinoids. Some products claim to be Full Spectrum, but have so few of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids that produce the entourage effect that they’re closer to CBD isolate than Full Spectrum. If you’re interested in learning more about Full Spectrum CBD products and if they’re right for you, follow the link below to see how Full Spectrum can work for you.