According to the research at Indiana University, cannabidiol, which is a non-psychoactive compound in cannabis is found to protect against the long-term negative psychiatric effects of THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient of cannabis.
It is also found that increased use of cannabis increases the risk of psychiatric and neurological disorders, such as schizophrenia among adolescents. It is therefore found that cultivation of plants with higher levels of THC has also increased exposure to the compound.
CBD’s Protective effect against THC
According to author Dr.Ken Mackie, strains of cannabis with similar levels of CBD and THC would pose a significantly less long-term risk due to CBD’s protective effect against THC. This is indeed good news for cannabis lovers who can benefit from the amount of CBD in their consumption.
What is THC?
THC is also known as tetrahydrocannabinol, and it is the chemical in cannabis that causes a ‘high’ due to its use. Cannabis which contain higher levels of THC are said to possess lower levels of CBD, and vice versa. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the THC levels have risen by 300 percent and the levels of CBD have declined 60 percent over the last decade.
The amount of CBD is indeed important as it is the basis for the medical effects of cannabis e.g for epilepsy, depression etc. according to Mackie, “This is the first study in a rigorously controlled animal model to find that CBD appears to protect the brain against the negative effects of chronic THC,”
The study was conducted with mice and their reactions to THC and CBD. Mice that received CBD with THC exhibited no behavioural changes. These results indicate that long-term use of cannabis strains which contain similar amounts of CBD and THC are less harmful than high-THC strains.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute and is great news for all advocates of CBD.