The Science Behind Why CBD Won’t Get You High

 

Your brain is composed of millions, if not billions, of neurons that work to make life, your senses, and your emotions possible. But these neurons are not all on, all the time. They can be active or inactive depending on what’s going on inside and around you.

Think of these neurons like the battery terminals in an electronic device. One end emits the electricity while the other end receives the electricity. The receiving end is appropriately called the receptor.

When a battery is present in an electronic device, power flows into the receptor activating that device. The same can be said of the neurons in our brain. When a specific chemical is present, it plugs into receptors and turns the neuron on. That neuron then causes something else to happen somewhere else in the body or the brain (like relieving pain or making you happy).

One such neuron is known as the cannabinoid receptor (CB1). A THC molecule, then, acts like the battery (let’s say it’s an AA) in our electronic device illustration—it fits nicely into the receptor and provides the stimulation necessary to make that neuron active.  In this case, that active neuron causes the psychoactive effects of cannabis consumption.

CBD, on the other hand, is like placing an AAA battery into an AA space. It might fit, but it’s not an exact match. As such, it won’t provide the power necessary to turn that neuron on. In addition, it occupies the space within the receptor preventing your brain from getting the right molecule (THC) in.

Because of the way CBD blocks THC activity in the brain, it is known as a CB1 antagonist. Antagonists are basically substances that interfere with or inhibit the physiological actions of another substance.

The interesting thing about CBD is that while it’s inhibiting THC activity on the CB1 receptor, it is also activating other receptors. Chief amongst those receptors that CBD does activate are the adenosine receptor, the serotonin receptor, and the vanilloid receptor.

The adenosine receptors are involved in regulating anxiety. When CBD is introduced into the brain, it causes these receptors to function at 100%, thereby reducing any anxiety. The serotonin receptors, when CBD is present, work to reduce depression and contribute to a large number of neurological and biological systems (see below). The vanilloid receptors are involved in the regulation of pain. When CBD is present, pain and inflammation are not as acute.

To know more about cannabis and its products visit your nearby medical marijuana dispensary in Colorado Springs.