How Does Taking CBD Feel and Does it Give you A High?

CBD is a non-psychoactive cannabis component. This article will discuss factors such as how you will feel after taking CBD and if CBD will give you a high. It also discusses factors that can make CBD give a high.

The legalization of hemp was the beginning of the excitement towards CBD, a hemp derivative, because it was the impetus toward more research, awareness and destigmatization of hemp, which was previously considered illegal and placed at the same level with illicit drugs such as LSD.The craze towards hemp has led to more industries producing hemp products in desirable forms to reach as many consumers as possible. CBD is currently among the most popular hemp products; you can purchase it as powder, oil, gummies, vapes, skin care products, etc. This article will discuss how CBD feels when consumed and if it can give you a high. Read on;

What is CBD?

Hundreds of chemical elements known as cannabinoids exist in hemp and marijuana, and CBD(cannabidiol) is one of them. Hemp and marijuana are usually confused as if they were the same plant, but they are not, although they are both cannabis. The difference between hemp and marijuana is based on the amount of THC(tetrahydrocannabinol) they contain. Hemp has a negligible amount of THC, while the level of THC in marijuana is high. It is worth noting that THC is the cannabinoid responsible for the psychoactive qualities of marijuana. Most cannabis laws that allow hemp use are based on THC levels. For instance, most states in the US allow THC levels that do not exceed 0.3, while the allowed percentage in the UK is 0.2%.

How Does it Feel After Taking CBD

When buying a product, it is natural to have expectations about your experience. When most people use cannabis, they expect to feel euphoric. CBD is meant for therapeutic benefits and recreational reasons but does not have psychoactive properties. As per Prosk et al. (2020), CBD is non-intoxicating. The following are some effects that you will experience from using CBD;

Relief from pain and inflammation

The human body has a network in every part known as the endocannabinoid system comprising receptors called endocannabinoids. The endocannabinoid system controls temperature, mood, pain, etc. Cannabis plants also have a system known as the phytocannabinoid system. After consuming cannabis, the cannabinoids in the plants interact with the endocannabinoid and interfere with the transmission of signals. The effect on the person is relief from pain and inflammation.

You will feel relaxed

When distressed, the levels of a hormone known as serotonin reduce. CBD helps by increasing serotonin levels hence improving your moods. This aspect has caused many jurisdictions to uphold the criminal status of hemp because they believe it changes moods. THC is an active psychoactive agent. However, hemp(and CBD) do not change a person's mental like THC. Hemp does nothing beyond increasing serotonin levels and does not make the user euphoric.

Your sleeping pattern will improve

Adequate sleep depends on general health, and lack of sleep can affect a person's quality of life. A person in pain or undergoing distressing situations cannot sleep well. CBD may not affect sleep directly but alleviates factors that might impede quality sleep, such as pain and emotional, mental, and psychological distress.

Will CBD give you a high?

CBD will not give you a high because it lacks psychoactive properties. For cannabis to make the user high, it must have high levels of THC. CBD does not contain any THC because they are independent cannabinoids, even though you can sometimes purchase CBD as a combination of CBD and THC. However, CBD alone will never make the user feel high.

Is CBD addictive?

For a substance to be addictive, it should be able to have psychoactive qualities, which will consequently cause dependency. CBD lacks psychoactive qualities and has sometimes been used to counter drugs like opioids.Brave (2019) stated that CBD could manage drug and substance addictions such as opioid addiction.

The user may have a craving for a CBD product, but CBD will never cause an addiction, and the user should never worry about withdrawal issues. CBD is a substance that you use or quit using at your convenience.

Does overdosing on full-spectrum CBD cause a high?

It may be tempting for users to overdose on CBD to get high on its negligible amount of THC. The amount of legally allowed THC in a CBD product in the US is 0.3%, and in the UK, it is 0.2%. A user must overdose on plenty of CBD full-spectrum to reach the amount needed to achieve a high. By reaching the threshold, you will struggle with the side effects of CBD full-spectrum overdose.

Factors that can make CBD give a high

CBD will never give a high. It lacks psychoactive qualities, and you will never get high, no matter how much you consume it. Instead, you might have to deal with the side effects that will be caused by overdosing on CBD. Below are some of the reasons why your CBD product made you high;

You purchased low-quality CBD

Low-quality CBD comes with low-quality, unlabeled, or mislabeled products that may have high amounts of THC. The companies that make low-quality CBD products usually use less advanced machinery and materials, and eventually, the customer buys CBD that lacks uniformity in the content. Therefore, it is best to avoid low-quality CBD products by purchasing from companies with a good reputations. Kruse & Beitzke (2020) opined that CBD should be regulated to protect consumers from low-quality CBD.

A substance may have been added to your CBD to give it a high

Some users may purchase CBD, hoping it will give them high and dubious companies may opt not to disappoint the buyers. Therefore, they may add a drug with psychiatric properties to impress the buyer. The problem with the CBD market is that it is unregulated, and the consumer is exposed to all kinds of ills when they purchase low-quality CBD products that are appealing because they are cheaper.Evans (2020) stated that the black market is not reliable or safe because of mislabeled ingredients.

Your CBD was contaminated

It is common to buy CBD products contaminated with intoxicants, e.g. THC. The contamination may have occurred during extraction or processing. The consumer can avoid contaminated CBD products by buying from reputable companies which allow third-party testing on their products and have a certificate of analysis to assure the consumers that the contents of the CBD products have been accurately presented if that is not the case, such companies have their addresses indicated on their labels so that the clients can reach them in case of any issues. Lacheinmeir et al. (2019) noted that a consumer would suffer the consequences of a CBD product contaminated with THC than with CBD itself. According to Sharma (2020), contaminants that have been traced in CBD include THC, mould, yeast, and heavy metals. 

Conclusion

When most people hear of cannabis, they expect to get a high from it,which is the case among first-time users of cannabis who do not know the difference between hemp and marijuana nor the difference between THC and CBD. Hemp-derived CBD does not contain any psychoactive properties, and even an overdose of CBD full spectrum cannot cause a high. For CBD to cause a high, it has to contain a substance with intoxicating properties, such as drugs and alcohol, which the user can unknowingly purchase as low-quality cheap CBD products. The best tip for any CBD user is to purchase the product from a reputable company.

References

Lachenmeier, D. W., Habel, S., Fischer, B., Herbi, F., Zerbe, Y., Bock, V., ... &Sproll, C. (2019). Are adverse effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?. F1000Research, 8.

Kruse, D., &Beitzke, B. (2020). Comment on Lachenmeier et al (2020)“Are side effects of cannabidiol (CBD) products caused by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination?”: disputation on various points in the publication. F1000Research, 9

Evans, D. G. (2020). Medical fraud, mislabeling, contamination: all common in CBD products. Missouri Medicine, 117(5), 394.

Brave, L. (2019). CBD the Skin, Mind and Body. J Altern Complement Integr Med, 5, 060.

 Sharma, P., Holland, A., Sheikh, T., Novy, B., Oesterle, T., Platt, R., & Hammond, C. J. (2022). Primary care provider attitudes, experiences and practices about cannabidiol (CBD) and barriers to patient-provider communication about CBD use: A qualitative study. PEC Innovation, 1, 100044.

Prosk, E., Gamaoun, R., El Hage, C., Arboleda, M. F., & Vigano, A. (2020). The CBD craze: making a case for observational clinical data to assess medical cannabis treatment effectiveness. Pain, 66, 56-80.