Effects of CBD
CBD is non-psychoactive, meaning it does not cause a high. In fact, studies show CBD can reduce the mind-altering effects of THC.
Both THC and CBD are believed to interact with the endocannabinoid system. But CBD does not appear to act on the same pathways as THC. Instead, studies suggest CBD may boost activity of the body’s endocannabinoids by preventing their breakdown.
CBD is remarkably non-toxic and has not been associated with any major side effects. A number of studies have evaluated the safety of CBD. Their findings include:
Embryonic development – Studies found CBD to have no negative effect on embryonic cells.
Food intake – Unlike THC, CBD does not appear to stimulate appetite or food intake.
Motor activity – CBD has not been shown to cause motor impairment.
Physiological effects – CBD seems to have no impact on major physiological measures, including blood pressure, heart rate and body temperature.
Grotenhermen F, Müller-Vahl K (2012). The therapeutic potential of cannabis and cannabinoids. Dtsch Arztebl Int, 109:495-501.
Karschner EL, Darwin WD, McMahon RP, Liu F, Wright S, Goodwin RS, Huestis MA (2011). Subjective and physiological effects after controlled Sativex and oral THC administration. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 89:400-407. doi: 10.1038/clpt.2010.318
Morgan CJ, Schafer G, Freeman TP, Curran HV (2010). Impact of cannabidiol on the acute memory and psychotomimetic effects of smoked cannabis: naturalistic study. Br J Psychiatry, 197:285-90. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.110.077503
Paria BC, Das SK, Dey SK (1995). The preimplantation mouse embryo is a target for cannabinoid ligand-receptor signaling. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 92:9460-4.
Riedel G, Fadda P, McKillop-Smith S, Pertwee RG, Platt B, Robinson L (2009). Synthetic and plant-derived cannabinoid receptor antagonists show hypophagic properties in fasted and non-fasted mice. Br J Pharmacol, 156:1154-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2008.00107.x
Rosenkrantz H, Fleischman RW, Grant RJ (1981). Toxicity of short-term administration of cannabinoids to rhesus monkeys. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol, 58:118-31.