The question of state-legal cannabis has become so divisive that people often make assumptions without knowing all the information. Take medical cannabis. Did you know that not every medical cannabis product contains enough THC to quantify?
We typically think of THC and marijuana-derived products when the topic of medical cannabis comes up. There is a good reason for that. THC and marijuana-derived products are frequently used by medical cannabis patients to treat everything from PTSD symptoms to chronic pain. But there is another player in the medical cannabis market: CBD.
The Two Most Common Cannabinoids
Cannabis plants contain dozens of cannabinoids. The two most common, and plentiful is well, are THC and CBD. THC is the cannabinoid that produces high feelings when people use marijuana. CBD doesn’t make you high at all. It offers no intoxicating effect.
As it turns out, both cannabinoids can be used as medicines. And in fact, medical providers have been known to recommend CBD when a patient comes in expecting a THC recommendation.
There are also plenty of us, me included, who use CBD products for medical purposes. I use a CBD ointment to relieve chronic shoulder pain. The ointment contains no THC. Yet it still works to relieve my pain. I apply it topically, just like I would any other pain-relieving cream. Then I let it do its thing.
They Are Regulated Differently
Once you understand that both THC and CBD can be used medicinally, the next obvious question is why they are regulated differently. The operators of the Zion Medicinal pharmacy in Cedar City, Utah say it is all about the intoxicating effects of THC.
THC has a known intoxicating effect. It’s also believed by federal regulators to be highly addictive. That is why it remains – officially in the form of marijuana – on the CSA’s list of Schedule I controlled substances.
The federal government, understanding that CBD is neither intoxicating nor addictive, threw the door open wide when it legalized hemp nationwide back in 2018. As a result, Zion Medicinal can freely sell CBD products alongside its medical cannabis if it so chooses. But the local convenience store selling CBD products cannot carry medical cannabis.
Of course, my reference to medical cannabis assumes THC content above the federal threshold. By a strict dictionary definition, a CBD product used medicinally would still be medical cannabis.
Different Products for Different Uses
It all boils down to the reality that there are different medical cannabis products for different uses. The vast majority of medical cannabis patients rely on vapes, unprocessed flower (heated in a special dry heating vaporizer), gummies, and tinctures. Many patients even layer different types of medical cannabis in order to achieve adequate symptom relief.
A patient experiencing chronic nausea might find sufficient relief using THC gummies several times per day. Meanwhile, a chronic pain patient might prefer medical cannabis vapes but offer more instant and powerful pain relief.
As for patients like me, THC is not necessary. We prefer treating with a CBD product instead. Personally, I get plenty of relief with a CBD ointment. I don’t need the intoxicating effects of THC to feel better.
An Emerging Form of Medicine
I suppose the right way to look at medical cannabis is to see it as an emerging form of medicine. Compared to what we already know about it, there is a lot more we don’t know. So until we nail things down, there will be plenty of questions about THC and CBD. What we can say for sure is that not all medical cannabis products contain THC.
