One of the reasons why cannabis is such a great medicine is because treatment can be personalized for different conditions. If you look at a cannabis bud closely, you will find that it is wrapped in a sticky dusting of crystal which contains numerous therapeutic compounds, which are used for the treatment of various ailments, including cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and numerous mental disorders. These compounds are called cannabinoids and terpenoids.
During the determination of a treatment plan for a person experiencing pain, the physician considers the balance and complimentary benefits of CBD and THC. But whatever the case may be, both the drugs go hand in hand. A pure CBD or THC formulation will not provide a less than sufficient therapeutic effect.
Each strain of marijuana is made up of a different set of chemical compounds. The way these compounds interact with each other changes how effective your medication is.
These two compounds work better when combined together. When taken as a pair with the variation in the dose of each, it can work wonders in assisting many serious diseases. THC, tetrahydrocannabinol, and CBD, cannabidiol, work together to bring synergistic effects in the formulation that a patient will consume.
When THC and CBD are paired together for human consumption as medicines for treating ailments specific to mental health or even as pain subsiding agents, they produce certain healing energies. This entwined combination of CBD and THC, in simple words, the synergy between these two cannabis compounds is known as an ‘’Entourage effect”.
Sometimes people ask for CBD-only medicine or even THC-only formulations. Little do they know that only CBD or only THC doses of medical cannabis purposes will have much less of a positive effect of alleviating the ailment. Both, in the right proportions, have been shown to propagate exponential effects. Simply, whenever these two drugs are combined (in varied compositions), the outcome of that combined drug is much more effective than expected.
As we move forward, discussing these two life-saving drugs, in this post, we’ll explain why having a variety of cannabinoids present may treat your condition better as compared to their individual dosage. Before we dive deeper to know the power-packed combination effect of THC and CBD together, let’s take a quick glance at the term which is paving its way gradually in the field of medicine and treatment inasmuch, the ‘Entourage Effect’
What is the Entourage Effect?
The ‘Entourage Effect’ refers to the way marijuana’s chemicals—called cannabinoids—interact when they’re present together. Terpenes, which are responsible for the smell, also are involved in this effect.
Each cannabinoid has its own set of therapeutic benefits. However, when multiple cannabinoids are consumed, they enhance each other’s effects. In this way, cannabinoids are more effective together than they are alone.
Let’s use the two most popular cannabinoids—THC and CBD—as an example. A patient may be prescribed a high-THC medication to help their nausea and increase appetite. However, they would also want some CBD to be present because it helps reduce THC’s side effects, such as paranoia.
What happens when a patient is advised THC-only medicine?
When a patient is prescribed THC-only medicine, it means the person has been advised to take synthetic renderings of THC. The two most common constituents of THC-only medicines are Marinol or dronabinol and the other one is known as Cesamet or nabilone. These medications are THC-only compositions. THC-only composition is prescribed for the treatment of cancer related nausea that the patients suffer especially after undergoing physcially draining chemotherapy sessions and after consuming strong cancer medications. This pharmaceutical composition has a legal status throughout the country and that’s how it is readily available and accessible for cancer fighting patients.
But when it comes to discussing the efficiency that these drugs have on the patients, the result is a big question on the whole pharmaceutical world!
A survey on the effectiveness of THC-only medicines on cancer patients reveals that it takes hours for a THC-only pill to relieve the sickness symptoms among cancer patients. Due to its slow reaction time and effect, it delays the relief process of the patients.
What happens when a patient is advised CBD-only medicine?
The whole plant-based medicine which is commonly known as CBD-only medicine, has a proven record of being a life saving therapeutic option for patients suffering from chronic pains, seizures and epileptic conditions.
CBD only medicines have been gaining popularity in the field of medicines especially after the much talked about case of treating an epileptic child with a non-intoxicating cannabis strain which was processed into a CBD rich oil.
This phenomenal incident changed the way the medical community as well as ordinary people used to look upon CBD-only medication for good. This astounding remedy encouraged various states to initiate and adopt CBD-only medication as a legal therapy. This revolutionised the merchandise of the medicine throughout as the demand for it saw a gradual rise among the consumers seeking relief from the kind of pain they have been experiencing throughout.
It has been also noticed that CBD-only medicines have proven life savers in the case of patients suffering from seizures. A whole plant -based medicine and yet so effective, then why have CBD-only formulation consumption gradually dipped with time?
A combination drug: THC-CBD?
If you’re having a hard time understanding this concept, think of it as a good food pairing, like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. A sandwich with just peanut butter may taste okay. And a sandwich with just jelly may taste alright, too. But when they’re combined together, they enhance each other’s flavors for a better experience.
Another approach towards the above-mentioned example would be by depicting the advantages that the combination of CBD-THC medicines have on patients when they work together as a much more potent medicine dealing with various ailments when combined together for a dose. The therapeutic substances that are processed out of THC and CBD medicines offer the patients with a wide coverage of various symptoms and conditions of the diseases they are suffering from.
Studies on the Entourage Effect
The entourage effect is a fairly new theory and more research needs to be done so we can fully understand how it works, though its effects are clear and present. There are over 100 different cannabinoids and about 200 different terpenes that may be present in marijuana. Because there are so many possible combinations, researchers have a lot of work to do before we know the role the entourage effect plays when certain compounds are combined.
However, the research available today presents some interesting findings:
- A2010 study found that CBD increased THC’s ability to treat pain in cancer
- A 2013 review of researchfound that CBD has protective effects that help counteract some psychological side effects of THC (anxiety, cognitive impairment, paranoia, etc.).
- A 2011 reportsuggested that terpenes may interact with cannabinoids in a way that enhances marijuana’s ability to treat pain, cancer, inflammation, anxiety, depression, epilepsy and more.
This research has also changed the way pharmaceutical companies are making cannabis products. Some marijuana-based pharmaceutical drugs, such as Marinol, only contain THC. When surveyed in 2011, 98% of participants said they liked natural cannabis more than Marinol.
The entourage effect is part of the reason why each strain—or type—of cannabis can create different effects. That’s why choosing the correct strain is critical to treatment. Our doctors are experts and can help you find which medicine works best for your condition.
Cannabinoids and Terpenes – A combination to look forward to?
As we move forward with a whole plant-based treatment plan for various chronic ailments, adding cannabinoids and terpenes in a combined form, takes the treatment levels to a whole new level of efficacy.
Various studies in this regard, as well as the researche that is taking place, will definitely bring around innovations in the pharmaceutical world. This rare, as well as new, combination of these two drugs holds the capability of taking the medicine world to new levels.
An instrumental development
We have been assessing the examples of how the combination of THC-CBD -terpenes have taken over the medicine counter as compared to other traditional forms of medicine so far.
Taking a step forward in this direction, the research analysis of a neurologist, named Ethan Russo, M.D. has a long way to go. He studied the effects of cannabis compounds and their further action-reaction time, and role in alleviating pain in the human body.
In his study named: “Taming THC: Potential Cannabis synergy and Phyto cannabinoid-terpenoid entourage effects” he revealed how cannabis compounds influence the mechanism of each other while reacting on the human body.
Not only this, as we practically approach the combination of drugs after going through researches and reading some great theories, it has been found that the teaming up of CBD -Terpenes has worked tremendously well.
How the CBD-Terpenes combination helps?
The combination of terpene myrcene helps in reducing the resistance of the blood-brain barrier. It helps in making an easy way for other beneficial chemicals to pass on.
Another drug therapy called Pinene helps in recovering through compromised memory and cognitive activities of the brain which was caused by consuming THC.
One extremely efficient combination that helps people suffering from anxiety over a long period of time is – terpenes pinene, myrcene and caryophyllene. This is a wonderful medicine for assisting with mental health issues. It has been seen that in the name of a cure, people are actually administered such type of drugs that make them more of an addict than heal them properly. The above-mentioned combination will actually bring relief without the fear of making patients addicted to the drug.
For the treatment of MRSA, mixing terpenes linalool and limonene with the cannabinoid CBG, works magnificently well.
When THC is combined with CBN, it enhances the sedating effects.
In case you are wondering whether any of the combinations works for skin problems too, here is one apt solution for this. When Linalool and limonene are combined with CBD, it helps to fight acne related issues. Be it stubborn acne or problem of acne in sensitive skin, this combination of drugs helps to cure all skin related issues.
A saviour on its way!
As we glanced through the benefits of whole plant-based combinations with which it is possible to heal even persistent diseases with a step by step symptomatic approach, it can be definitely said that it’s better to use these cannabinoids in a combined form rather than using them as single elements.
All these synergies give a huge amount of hope and faith to people who have suffered chronic ailments over years and years. With the new approach of scientifically administering cannabis compounds by combining them with each other, it is proving an innovation in pharmacology and medicine.
It will be really heart filling to see how more advancements in the field of medicine by researching about these combination drugs will bring about for the betterment of the society.
The sole thought that this invention and advancement will have the power to change the world we live in, by making the people healthy through eradication of deadly diseases would be so overwhelming to see.
Some Takeaways about THC and CBD drugs:
- Both CBD and THC have numerous medicinal benefits. As far as the treatment line goes for these drugs, they are considered safe under medical supervision of a specialist. But the only disadvantage is the side- effects that these drugs bring to the table when taken as self medication or without the permission of a medical practitioner. Basically, these need to be treated the same as prescription drugs and should be taken under the guidance of a physician. Trying to self-medicate will only lead to inadequate and disappointing results.
- The extraction process of CBC drug can be done in several ways. It can be extracted from the cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3 percent of THC. The other way of extraction can be from marijuana plants. The marijuana cannabis plants which posses a higher concentration of THC.
- The interesting fact about CBD is CBD drug isn’t detected in hemp products but hemp products may contain the traces of amounts of THC. In case of a drug test, THC may show up more than high enough concentrations to give a positive drug test.
- The cannabinoids including THC and CBD when consumed, are absorbed and stored in our body in the form of fat. Upon undergoing a drug test, there are high chances that they turn the drug test positive even if you take the test after several days or weeks of consumption.
- When it comes to discussing side-effects of these drugs, CBD is a well tolerated and absorbed drug in our body, even in large doses. It might have side effects when it is mixed up with several other drugs. In case of THC, it will produce long-term negative psychiatric effects on human body. This becomes too evident in the cases where adolescents consume large doses of the drug, even without medical supervision. This also can turn them in to addicts of the drug.
- CBD is known as a non-psychoactive compound. It simply means that this drug doesn’t take the consumer in the state of euphoria. On the other hand, when we talk about THC, it combines with cannabinoid 1 also known as CB1 receptors in the brain. This drug is responsible in producing a sense of complete euphoria.
- CBD and THC both are chemically similar with the human body’s endocannabinoids. When the desired dose of any of the two or a combined dose is taken, it affects the release of neurotransmitters in the human brain. These neurotransmitters when released, allows the in-relaying messages between the cells in the brain. It also helps in relieving the pain, reducing stress, getting back to sleep and building up the immune function too.
By now we are well aware of the two life saving drugs and their effect on human body. These magical drugs are loaded with abundant uses when taken separately and their benefits multiply when consumed as a combined drug for the treatment of various physical as well as mental health issues.
As the saying goes, your safety is in your hands, and that’s how it should be. CBD and THC are two of the best medications available today and if we chose our actions widely, not only us but the whole human race can benefit from these two drugs in dealing with prolonged symptoms, sickness, illness and chronic pain that went untreated so far due to the lack of a proper medication schedule and drug to cure.
