Is Delta 8 THC The Same As CBD?

Is Delta 8 THC The Same As CBD?

In recent times, there has been quite a lot of talk regarding Cannabinoids. If we look at its market, it has experienced quite a lot of increase in its demand. Cannabinoids are a group of substances naturally found in hemp plants. 

Amongst 480 different kinds of compounds present in these plants, in which only about 66 are cannabinoids. The cannabinoids interact with receptors in the human body after being consumed to give them a specific type of high. These are used for recreational and medicinal purposes. 

There are many types of cannabinoids. The most widely used and known ones are THC and CBD. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol, and CBD is known as cannabidiol as well. Today we will discuss CBD and a variant of THC, Delta 8 THC. Let’s get right into it!

What Is Delta 8 THC?

Delta 8 THC is a type of cannabinoid that has psychoactive effect found in the hemp plant. They are similar to Delta 9 THC, another variant of THC. Both have the same empirical formula; however, they differ when it comes to the arrangement of their atoms. Delta 8 THC is found in minimal quantities. Most of the Delta 8 THC currently available in the market is made from hemp-derived CBD, making it a semi-legal and regularized substance.

Uses of Delta 8 THC

There are various kinds of uses when it comes to delta 8 THC. These are some of its uses: 

• Chronic pain
• Anxiety
• Spasms
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Depressions

What Is CBD?

The full form of CBD is cannabidiol. This substance ranks number two when it comes to naturally found substances in hemp plants. Just like THC, CBD products that are currently available legally in the market are derived from hemp. CBD is seen to have some effects on specific chemicals in the brain. CBD seems to have the primary quality of having medicinal properties in it. However, many people use it for personal and recreational use.

Uses Of CBD

CBD has various types of uses. It has been observed to solve multiple problems, Some of which are the following:

• Headaches
• Arthritis
• PTSD
• Depression
• Insomnia

Similarities Between Delta 8 THC and CBD

Before moving forward, we will now look at the major reasons why Delta 8 THC and CBD are similar. There are various qualities of both products that make them alike. 

When it comes to relaxation provided by both substances, both of them offer similar solutions. 

Moreover, studies have even shown that when taken together, CBD and delta 8 THC offer far greater health benefits instead when taken alone. 

When it comes to the legal status of both of them, they are treated the same way as per federal laws. Both CBD and delta 8 THC are legal as far as they don’t contain more than 0.3% delta 9 THC. 

Differences Between Delta 8 THC and CBD

While there are some similarities between Delta 8 THC and CBD, when it comes to the differences between them, they outweigh much more. Here are the differences between both hemp-driven substances.

Interaction With The Endocannabinoid System (ECS)

The first difference between CBD and delta-8 THC is how they interact with the ECS system. When it comes to delta 8 THC, it interacts directly with the CB1 and CB2 receptors found in the human body. These receptors are responsible for regulating everything in the body. 

However, when it comes to CBD, it does not have any direct interaction with CB1. It does have some affinity with CB2, and this is the one major reason why CBD does not get you high as delta 8 THC does. Instead, what CBD does is that it acts as a modulator of the ECS acts with other 65 molecular pathways that are not dependent on the ECS.

Effects on The Brain

The second difference between delta 8 THC and CBD is how they affect your brain, more specifically, your cognition and perception. Talking about the strength of the impact that these substances have, delta 8 THC takes the lead. 

It gives you a similar high to delta 9 THC, which is a much more famous THC. However, it does not lead to threatening situations like paranoia and anxiety. CBD, on the other hand, although it is also known as a psychoactive substance as well, does not have the same level of impact on the brain. 

Impact on Your Appetite

When it comes to our third difference between delta 8 THC and CBD, which is the impact that they have on your appetite, delta 8 THC is far ahead in this comparison. Even though delta 9 THC is known to be more potent than delta 8 THC, when stimulating your appetite, delta 8 THC has close to no competitor.

However, talking about our second star of the show, CBD literally has the opposite impact on your appetite. When it is consumed, it offers a reduction in your appetite. So, if you are someone looking to lose weight effectively, make CBD your partner. 

Drug Testing

There is a clear difference between delta 8 THC and CBD when it comes to drug testing. When it comes to delta 8 THC, it might make you fail a drug test. The main reason behind this is the fact that the equipment used in these tests cannot effectively distinguish between delta 9 and delta 8. Make sure you stop taking delta 8 THC at least three weeks before going through your drug screening.

Talking about CBD, it will not give you false results on drug tests. However, for that to be made absolutely certain, you need to make sure that the substance you are using comes from a certified place and has a potency of less than 0.3% THC.

Wrapping It Up

All in all, there are some similarities between delta 8 THC and CBD, such as their relaxation qualities and legal status. However, if we look more closely, there is far more difference between the two than there are similarities. Most importantly, when we look at how they both interact with the ECS and how they impact our brains, we realize both substances are very much unlike.