THC and CBD, compared

These are the two names on nearly every package, and “what’s the difference” is comfortably our most-asked question.

Both are cannabinoids

Cannabis produces well over a hundred related compounds called cannabinoids. THC and CBD are the two that show up in the largest quantities in most plants, which is why they’re the two that end up on labels.

Chemically they’re close — near-identical molecular formulas, arranged differently. That small structural difference is the entire reason they behave differently in the body.

THC

THC is the compound responsible for the intoxicating effect of cannabis. When somebody says a cultivar is strong, THC is usually what they mean.

CBD

CBD is not intoxicating. A product high in CBD and low in THC will not produce the effect people associate with cannabis.

That’s why CBD turns up in formats where intoxication isn’t the point — drops, topicals and pet products among them.

Ratios

Plenty of products carry both, and the ratio usually tells you more than either figure on its own. A 1:1 product and a 20:1 product are not the same proposition just because one of the numbers matches.

Our own packaging states the cannabinoid content, and that’s the figure we go by. What’s printed on the package is what’s in it.

What we’re not going to tell you

We’re not going to tell you what either one is for. Cannabis is not a treatment for anything as far as this store is concerned, and any question in that territory belongs with a doctor rather than with a budtender. We’re good at our job; that isn’t our job.

What we can do is explain what’s in a product, help you read a label, and point you somewhere sensible to start. Start with a small amount and give it time. You can always take more later — and we are happy to talk it through before you buy.