Whether you’re a devout stoner, dedicated advocate for CBD, or a newbie to hemp and cannabis culture, you’ve probably asked yourself a variant of the same question: what cannabinoids can get you high? Scratch that. If you’re a devout stoner, you may be asking if there are any other cannabinoids that can get you high.
It’s always good to know what you’re putting into your body. It’s just as important to know what’s altering your mind.
Almost everyone knows the cannabinoid that gets you high: THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. But there are at least 100 different cannabinoids in marijuana and hemp, all of which have the ability to bind to receptors in your body and brain for a whole host of experiences that won’t get you high.
Surprisingly, THC is the only known cannabinoid to have psychoactive effects. Every other, including those found in the products we produce right here at our farm—CBD and CBG—have no known mind-altering effects. However, there is a cousin to THC that’s being heavily researched as an anti-obesity drug, and perhaps a better alternative to a THC high: THCV, or tetrahydrocannabivarin.
THCV is more like a fraternal twin to THC than a cousin. THCV is present in some, but not all, strains of cannabis. In small doses, THCV doesn’t have any psychoactive effects – in fact, it can tone down the mind-altering effects of THC – but in larger doses, it can produce an even stronger high, nearly psychedelic in nature.
Many have described the THCV high as euphoric and clear-headed in comparison to the typical cannabis high. Many researchers and those in the legal cannabis industry are currently developing strains high in THCV and low in THC to market to the general public. In fact, Dr. Michael Moskowitz, president of the Bay Area Pain Medical Associates (ooo, a scientist who’s also in Cali), describes THCV as follows:
“THCV is analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective, which means it protects the nervous system. It’s anti-nausea and vomiting. It helps with bone health and bone formation. It’s sleep-promoting, it’s anti-epileptic, it’s anti-anxiety. It’s a major anti-psychotic. And it helps with appetite suppression, it’s anti-diabetic and it’s anti-cholesterol.”
Lots of promises there, Doc. We aren’t sure where he’s adding in all these anti-s due to it’s two widely known positive effects – a clearer high and appetite suppression – because he lists antipsychotic and anti-anxiety (two side effects of THC) and anti-diabetic and anti-cholesterol (which would go along with appetite suppression). Nevertheless, it sounds good. There are also studies that show THCV helping reduce Parkinson’s Disease tremors, seizures, and panic attacks, among others.
Either way, THC and THCV are the only two cannabinoids that will alter your mind. At this point in time, marijuana isn’t legal at the federal level, so we can’t truly experiment with THCV. But we do know that CBD and CBG aid your endocannabinoid system without altering mental states, and that’s what can be found in our tinctures. Rest assured, we won’t get you high.
In time, we’ll have a better grasp on the nuances of THC and THCV. When it comes to psychoactive substances, it’s not something that we at Rolling Acre want to lay any blanket claims on, or promote. To each their own, but for us the point is not to get high, it’s to get healthy.
As hands-on aficionados of hemp, farmers, and chemists, we want those who use this wonderful plant to understand it as well as we do. That’s why we write these blogs and try to answer your most pressing questions candidly and thoroughly. We hope it helps. We’ll be back next week with another hot topic.
