The cannabis plant itself contains dozens of different cannabinoids and of those the most well known among them are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). One distinct difference between the two is that CBD doesn’t have the same psychoactive component that THC does and therefore the CBD is unable to get you high in the same way that THC will.
The fact that CBD-rich cannabis oil doesn’t give you high is one of the reasons that a growing number of parents and doctors have been using this variety of cannabis for treating a variety of illnesses in children. According to a recent study however, it has been suggested that CBD can get medical cannabis users high if they have enough acid in their stomach. The study was conducted by four U.S. Researchers that were led by John Merrick at Pace Analytical Services in Minnesota. They have suggested that CBD can degrade into THC in a highly acidic environment.
Merrick had designed his study to replicate what happens when CBD enters the gastrointestinal tract and they demonstrated with their study that psychoactive cannabinoids can be created when CBD is placed in simulated gastric fluid. The researchers concluded that delivery methods which would decrease the potential for formation of psychoactive cannabinoids should be explored.
There will need to be more studies conducted in the future in order to replicate and confirm the results. Despite the worry for some that CBD might end-up developing the psychoactive cannabinoids, it still is looking like a far superior treatment for many young children and families who haven’t been able to find anything within the big pharma market that can ease their symptoms for them.