ENFLEUR would like to address the topic of THC as it’s found in a full-spectrum CBD product. The stigma against THC has been waning for some time now, particularly in terms of its therapeutic applications, with medical marijuana commonly prescribed to treat symptoms such as pain, nausea, muscle spasms, anxiety, multiple sclerosis, and sleep disorders, to name a few. A major component of medical marijuana’s effectiveness comes down to THC, the psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.
Now that industrial hemp, a variety of cannabis with less than 0.3% THC, has been made legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, some CBD products may contain trace amounts of THC. After considering the straightforward concerns about drug testing, or whether or not a full spectrum product can get you high, it’s useful to consider why one might choose a full spectrum CBD with trace amounts of THC product over, say, a broad spectrum CBD product with no THC. Here are some things to consider when deliberating between the two:
– The Entourage Effect: in short, this is the theory that the whole plant extract is greater than the sum of its parts. Cannabinoids and terpenes, the chemical constituent of cannabis that gives different strains their unique smell and flavor profiles, work together to amplify each other’s therapeutic effects. Though broad spectrum CBD contains all of the cannabinoids and terpenes of a whole plant extraction minus THC, the inclusion of the trace amounts of THC present in a hemp-derived full spectrum product carries additional benefits.
– THC has been long studied for its therapeutic activity, some of the benefits being:
o clinically significant pain management
o clinically demonstrated neuroprotective activity
o clincally demonstrated antibacterial activity, even against antibiotic resistant pathogens
o clinically demonstrated to help insomniacs fall asleep faster
ENFLEUR embraces whole plant medicine. While our full spectrum CBD is not medical marijuana, the trace amount of THC it contains (less than 0.3%) does contribute meaningful therapeutic benefits of its own.
Why does this matter? Those who are sensitive to the psychoactivity of the trace amounts of THC present in hemp-derived full spectrum CBD may prefer to supplement with a THC-free broad spectrum product. However, if purchasing a high-quality, fully transparent full spectrum product, there is good reason to anticipate additional therapeutic benefits.