CBD has quickly become one of the most beloved health supplements in the modern world, with more and more people turning to its use. Unfortunately, there is a lingering stigma against CBD supplements due to their relationship to marijuana. A disappointingly large demographic believes that CBD is just as much of an intoxicant as marijuana is and, therefore, cannot be trusted as a health supplement. While this is not true, some wonder if the consumption of CBD products can help people kick their marijuana use.
For many, the use of marijuana is something they are eager to stop, given the stigma around it. In many places, the use of marijuana for any reason is still illegal. However, the fundamental differences between CBD and marijuana have led some to believe that using the former will allow them to benefit from all of the latter’s advantages without intoxicating themselves. Although, whether this is a viable option for kicking the habit remains to be seen. We hope to answer whether CBD can be just what you need to kick your marijuana use with this article.
What is the Difference Between CBD and Weed?
The biggest commonality between CBD and marijuana is that they originate from the cannabis plant. This is why many believe they are the same and erroneously use the two terms interchangeably. However, several key differences between CBD and marijuana would disprove this misconception. The biggest is the concentration of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in each substance.
THC is the psychoactive compound present in cannabis plants that induce the infamous “high” of marijuana. THC is the primary component of marijuana use as the marijuana is unable to yield any recreational effects without it.
However, THC has no bearing on the health benefits associated with either CBD or marijuana. By law, CBD products sold to the general public do not contain more than 0.3% THC in any given pack. This is because the purpose of CBD is not to intoxicate but to medicate. Conversely, THC levels in marijuana are substantially higher since the main use of marijuana is recreational, with secondary medical benefits only recently being legalized. This THC concentration truly distinguishes CBD from marijuana. However, both products also have some fairly distinct effects on the body that differ.
For example, while CBD does not increase one’s appetite in and of itself, marijuana has been known to make users experience sudden hunger. This trait has been colloquialized as “having the munchies” in most media. However, all but a few benefits offered by CBD are shared with THC, meaning the main health benefits come primarily from the former, while the latter is primarily for those who seek to use marijuana recreationally. Although, there is always the question of how addictive marijuana can be.
Is Marijuana Addictive?
There has been a long debate about whether marijuana has addictive properties. The argument has always been about how the marijuana addiction was a myth meant to keep demonizing the substance. However, the science about the addictive traits of marijuana is slowly shedding light on just how true this alleged smear campaign is.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse performed a lengthy investigation into whether marijuana has addictive properties or not. This investigation has shown that there was a little more truth to the idea that marijuana is addictive than some people would like to believe.
While outright addiction to marijuana is not common, it is entirely possible to become addicted. That being said, it is more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder than become addicted. Data gathered by NIDA had found that 30% of marijuana users develop a form of marijuana use disorder, with the odds being up to 7 times more likely if marijuana use began before the user was 18. These disorders lead users to depend on marijuana as they experience withdrawal symptoms on days when use is impossible.
These withdrawal symptoms can cause side effects, including:
- Irritability
- Restlessness
- Decreased Appetite
- Discomfort
- Insomnia
Marijuana dependence has become a very common issue amongst users who have used marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes. The studies surrounding marijuana use disorders have shown that 9% of marijuana users are likely to develop a dependency, spiking to 17% if the initial use begins in their teens. As of 2015, 4,000,000 Americans have met the criteria to be diagnosed with marijuana use disorder. Unfortunately, only 138,000 of these Americans have willingly sought treatment for their condition.
The fact that marijuana can induce dependency can make it a hazardous substance. Combined with the fact that most of the benefits of marijuana are surpassed by CBD supplements, weaning yourself off marijuana can be in your best interest. Whether or not CBD can be used to help achieve this goal is still up for debate.
Can CBD Help You Quit?
CBD and marijuana might share a lot of common factors, right down to the plant they came from, but their purposes are different. While one is a powerful health supplement, the other is best known for its recreational uses. Unfortunately, only one of them lacks a risk of dependency. Marijuana is known to cause a dependency in a significant percentage of users, meaning that the use of CBD for health improvement is the superior choice.
While CBD cannot offer you any psychoactive effects for recreational use, it will still leave you healthier than you were before. However, for those who have already taken to smoking marijuana for their needs, finding a way to end your marijuana use can prove challenging. Fortunately, it might be possible for you to use CBD to transition out of marijuana use in favor of CBD use.
CBD offers more health benefits than marijuana and lacks any psychoactive effects. Meaning that the sensations to withdraw from when taking CBD in place of marijuana is limited to the intoxication. However, the effects of marijuana on pain relief, migraines, insomnia, etc., are also available with a CBD supplement. This indicates that CBD will enable you to transition from marijuana use to CBD use with minimal discomfort. This hypothesis has been evaluated in a scientific evaluation published in 2020.
The study involved an adaptive Bayesian trial conducted at the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit at the University College London. The study initially began with 48 candidates suffering from a cannabis use disorder who were assigned varying doses of CBD for four weeks. An additional 34 subjects were added in the experiment’s second stage. The test groups were divided into a 1:1:1:1 ratio, with each group receiving one of the following throughout the experiment:
- Group 1 was given a placebo.
- Group 2 was given a 200 mg dose of oral CBD.
- Group 3 was given a 400 mg dose of oral CBD.
- Group 4 was given an 800 mg dose of oral CBD.
The experiment had the subjects using the CBD supplements in place of marijuana use. As the experiment continued, the subjects taking the CBD showed increased resistance to their marijuana dependency and could sustain their abstinence from marijuana use for longer periods. The placebo group showed no promising results, while the 200 mg group had minimal results. The 400 mg and 800 mg groups showed a remarkable resistance to their marijuana dependency and could transition to CBD use with minimal issue. Additionally, there were no severe side effects from using the CBD throughout the experiment.
So, the simple answer to this question is “yes.” Through CBD use, you can wean yourself off marijuana. It will be time-consuming, and there will be some discomfort throughout the process. However, you will likely have a much easier time of things using CBD as a segue into quitting marijuana outright. The initial discomfort will likely hit within the first week of ceasing the use of marijuana and will last for up to two more weeks when quitting marijuana.
However, CBD’s health benefits seem to mitigate the withdrawal symptoms until you no longer need marijuana at all and can use a safer CBD product instead. That said, you might be wondering how safe CBD is compared to marijuana and THC-based supplements.
CBD vs. THC Side Effects
The most prevalent difference between THC and CBD in terms of side effects is the former causes the user to become intoxicated. However, the substances have several key differences that determine the parts of the body that respond to them. For the most part, both substances are fairly safe for human use. However, neither one is completely perfect.
THC carries a much higher risk to your health and safety when compared to CBD. Most of the side effects of THC use are temporary and as far from fatal as one can get, while others are more serious and can leave you debilitated or disoriented. These side effects include:
- Increased heart rate
- Coordination issues
- Dry mouth
- Red eyes
- Slowed reaction times
- Memory loss
- Anxiety
While some of these will fade quickly and others can last a significant amount of time, some long-term issues might arise. There is some research linking the use of THC to psychiatric conditions. Though the psychiatric consequences of marijuana use are still being evaluated, and there is no evidence linking marijuana use to issues like schizophrenia.
Aside from that, the side effects of CBD are fairly minimal and are only likely to occur due to interactions between the CBD and other medications you might be taking at the time. These include:
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Dizziness
- Diarrhea
None of these are particularly life-threatening and are rare enough that you should not have to worry about them. Of course, there also remains the issue of whether or not CBD and THC share the ability to cause a drug test to come back positive.
Drug testing is a common occurrence in many occupations and educational facilities nowadays. So, when using a substance like CBD for medicinal purposes, having a test come back positive can be a problem. Both CBD and THC are cannabinoids stored in our body fat, allowing them to persist in our system for weeks.
This means that a standard drug test can detect THC weeks after your last puff of marijuana. However, CBD is less likely to trigger a positive result on a drug test since standard tests are not designed to detect it. Specific tests are designed to flag CBD, but they are not commonly employed since CBD has legal standing in the medicinal field. So, if you take CBD for your needs and to wean yourself off marijuana, you will likely have less to worry about when it comes to drug tests.
If you are interested in using CBD to neutralize your dependency on marijuana, there is still one last concern. That concern is finding a reliable CBD supplement for the job.
X-perience CBD
The consequences of marijuana use can be debilitating if you become dependent on its effects to function. Fortunately, the revelation that CBD can be used as a tool for quitting like nicotine patches is nothing short of extraordinary.
This benefit is likely because CBD and THC are close relatives, enabling a simpler transition from one substance to another. This change can allow you to live a healthier life without the fear of dependency or any other major consequence of smoking marijuana. However, the trick to this transition lies in finding a reliable CBD supplement that will not jeopardize your progress.
That is where we at Neuro XPF come in. We specialize in creating CBD supplements that are available in all forms. Even if you are the kind of person who prefers the sensation of smoking, we can provide CBD vape fluid that will allow you to transition from marijuana to CBD without giving up inhalants.
Each of our products has an attached certificate of analysis you can use to verify the product’s contents to ensure the chemical composition does not include unwanted substances. If you want to transition from smoking marijuana, visit our website and x-perience the best CBD in the game.
Do you have any questions or concerns about CBD use, or how it can help someone quit their smoking habit? If so, please feel free to drop us a line at any time! We’ll gladly answer any of your questions, clear up any concerns you may be having, and assist you however we possibly can!