Does CBD Oil Get You High?
No. CBD oil cannot get you high.
THC is the component of cannabis that causes a high, CBD does not. That being said, some CBD products contain trace amounts of THC in them.
Legally, CBD oil must contain less than .3% THC in order to be in compliance with the 2018 Farm Bill. Even if the CBD oil you’re using has the max THC percentage allowed, it wouldn’t be nearly enough for there to be noticeable psychoactive effects. While some people do notice feelings of relaxation and calm after taking CBD, it certainly isn’t the same thing as being high.
It is important to buy your CBD from a reputable source that uses industrial hemp and adheres to federal law. If CBD oil is made with marijuana rather than industrial hemp, it is possible it could have psychoactive effects- but that product would be federally illegal.
THC vs CBD in the Brain
Our body actually has a system called the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS, made up of receptors that interact directly or indirectly with cannabinoids (cannabis compounds) like CBD. That’s right, an entire system in our bodies that’s devoted to interactions with cannabinoids!
The two main kinds of receptors present in the endocannabinoid system are CB1 receptors and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are primarily found in the brain and seem to play a critical role in things like muscle spasms, sleep patterns, chronic pain, and appetite stimulation. On the other hand, CB2 receptors exist in the immune system and vascular system and appear to be primarily responsible for inflammation.
CBD has indirect interactions with CB1 and CB2 receptors, which means CBD interacts with those receptors without actually binding to them. The indirect interaction allows CBD to impact the endocannabinoid system and therefore the body, but it cannot cause a high without binding to CB1 or CB2 receptors.
THC, on the other hand, has direct interactions with the Endocannabinoid System. THC’s ability to fully bind to these receptors seems to be what gives it psychoactive properties- that’s how it causes a high.
Because CBD products have all or almost all of the THC removed, CBD products cannot get you high.
