Predicting the effects of a strain using only THC and CBD
Guessing how any one strain might affect you is like determining whether or not you like the taste of a specific food or the scent of an exotic flower without ever having experienced it firsthand. It’s arduous and almost impossible to predict with 100% accuracy. This might be disappointing to hear for cannabis consumers who are under the impression that they can depend on the THC effects, but that notion is entirely wrong.
Since there are virtually thousands of different elements that are produced by cannabis plants, all of which may have some form of impact of the experience, there is no way to tell for certain what you’re going to get with these numbers alone. However, it is the most widely used tool of gauging that we have at our disposal, and that is why it is important to understand everything that you can about how THC and CBD work on the human body.
THC effects
THC effects are relatively standard, and most know this, as they see it everywhere hung like a badge on highly priced cannabis strains that produce generous portions of this element. This cannabinoid is believed to be the primary driver behind that euphoric feeling that you’ll get after consuming cannabis, so if you choose a low THC strain (1%-10%) you’re likely to experience mild THC effects and if you go a bit higher (15%-20%), or even more potent yet (22%-30%) then the sensations that you’ll experience are likely to get more intense.
CBD effects
CBD effects are much less subtle, and you aren’t even likely to notice them unless this cannabinoid is used in combination with THC. CBD can stimulate the mind, keep you awake, and help to regulate and control things like appetite, pain, and to manage a wide range of common medical conditions, but it by itself isn’t going to get you high in any stereotypical sense.
That is why this element is so highly sought after by medical patients more than it is by recreational consumers, whom it has no use to. A low dose of CBD (0.5%-5%) is liable to have very little if any, effect and higher amounts (6%-14%) will be more powerful and effective long term, but no matter which one you go with, you won’t end up impaired or high.
CBD vs THC effects
This is an important thing to remember, and it’s not that the two cannabinoids should be in anyway pitted against one another. However, one does tend to undo the effects of its counterpart which could lead to skewed results if you aren’t expecting it to happen. High THC strains can get you really high, but if they also come equipped with a fair dose of CBD, then they might not pack as potent of a punch as you might think.
You see, CBD coats the CB1 receptors that interact with THC to produce the euphoric high, and when it does, it can actually minimize the more intense effects that can go along with the latter cannabinoid, but if you’re a medicinal patient that isn’t quite getting the results that you seek by using CBD alone, then a small dose of THC might be just enough to bolster the CBD effects to provide a more reasonable level of comfort.
How to predict the effects of cannabis
You can use other cannabis elements to predict what certain strains or products might taste or smell like, but when it comes to the effects, all we really have is the cannabinoid count. It’s a messy system that surely needs some adjustments along the way, but if you assess the amount of both THC and CBD in each strain, and keep in mind what we’ve told you, then you should at least be able to gauge whether or not a cannabis strain might have what it takes to soothe what ails you.
