Medical marijuana is becoming the “Starbucks” of the healthcare world. Patients are leaving the skeptics behind and choosing it as their medical aid partner. Some are enjoying cannabis smoking or vaping while others are looking for healthier options like oils, transepidermal patches, sublingual, capsules, or others. But, whatever method you choose after your 420 evaluations, the “cannabis entourage effect” will always come into play.
Let me take a wild guess; you are rolling your eyes with the idea of THC and CBD. And that they work separately. So, how does “entourage effect” come into this picture?
Unlike what’s being written online or in published articles. There is more to cannabis besides the “intoxicating THC or that miracle compound, CBD.” Keep reading to learn about the phenomenon a bit better.
What Is The Entourage Effect?
The entourage effect is nothing but every ingredient working together to produce effects that are possible when they are alone. In other words, the entourage effect makes the entire therapeutic phenomenon more unique than what you get with isolated cannabis molecules. For instance, if you go for THC alone, it will produce psychoactive effects, including specific intoxicating effects such as anxiety or paranoia. However, if you use THC with CBD, it will modulate the “psychoactive ceiling” of THC. Therefore, turning the effects into a range where you won’t feel any adverse effects.
You must be thinking about why I was going for CBD isolates when the whole plant was so useful. I know the feeling. So, here we are talking about other aspects of cannabis to make your choices better, in case you are using cannabis after your 420 evaluations.
Also, Read- How Does Marijuana Work in Your Body?
Cannabis Entourage Effect- More to it
We talked about CBD mitigating the effects of THC above. But, the entourage effect goes beyond the interaction between these two. Many compounds present in the plant play an important role in marijuana’s full range of therapeutic potential. So, let’s take a closer look at the different molecules taking part in this exciting phenomenon.
The first one of the lot is terpenes. They play a second-most important role in bringing out the entourage effects. They are aromatic compounds that tend to enhance the therapeutic potential of other ingredients present in cannabis. Other than that, you will find more than 100 types of cannabinoids, including THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, CBN, THCA, and a lot of others. Besides that, one can find flavonoids, enzymes, sugars, and a lot more. All in all, every component plays a part in producing the desired medicinal effect.
Cannabis Entourage Effect- Is it Beneficial?
If you are into recreational marijuana, you might not give much thought to this concept. However, if you are looking for cannabis as a therapeutic aid, the entourage effect is something that you must be aware of. Earlier, people used to talk about terpenes only when it was about taste or aroma. But, now, terpenes have turned out to be star molecules that have caught attention.
For example, the FDA-approved cannabinoid medicine, Sativex, has THC, CBD along with terpenes and flavonoids for relieving MS spasms. Studies found that CBD enhances the pain-relieving actions of THC and mitigates the side effects. That’s why doctors providing 420 evaluations often suggest going for THC and CBD combinations. However, that’s not the case with cannabinoid-terpenes entourage effects. A 2019 study found that none of the six terpenes worked through CB1 or CB2 receptors. So, the mechanism of their functioning is still unknown.
But, the fact that taking cannabis as a whole would be better than cannabinoid isolates is entirely accurate.
Cannabis Entourage Effect- Final Thoughts
As the popularity of medical marijuana is rising every day, manufacturers are hopeful that full-spectrum products will continue to top the charts. Especially now that we know about the entourage effect, it would be a better idea if you choose full-spectrum cannabis products instead of THC or CBD for long-lasting and potent effects. It is a must for the users who wish to access the therapeutic benefits of cannabis after their 420 evaluations. What will you choose if given a chance? Please share your thoughts with us.
