CBD has surged in popularity in recent years as more people have become tuned into the tremendous benefits it can offer for health and wellness. CBD has potential to enhance well-being from helping to alleviate arthritis and anxiety in both people and pets, supporting weight loss goals, and even improving athletic performance, to name a few.
However, the connection between CBD and marijuana (as both products derive from the same plant family) has created skepticism around CBD. Some people are concerned about the THC concentration in CBD, and therefore, its possible implications for being an addictive substance.
At River Organics, we are passionate about the potential CBD has to support overall well-being, and are committed to helping our customers and community understand and experience its amazing benefits. That’s why we also strive to dispel myths surrounding CBD that can keep people from enjoying all it has to offer. Whatever your reason for considering CBD, we want you to feel safe and comfortable using this therapeutic supplement.
So, today we will take a closer look at exactly why, even with regular use, you will not become addicted to CBD.
What Is Cannabis and What Exactly Does It Do?
Cannabis is the collective term for a group of plants that includes cannabis sativa. Of the 113 natural compounds (cannabinoids) produced by this plant, cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are the two most researched. Different plant strains have been developed to minimize or maximize CBD and THC amounts to be used in different ways, including therapeutic remedies, medicinal purposes, and recreational use.
As cannabinoids interact with our body’s endocannabinoid system, they induce various mental and physical effects. This system regulates multiple bodily functions such as sleep, mood, appetite, memory, reproduction, and fertility. While researchers are still working on learning more about this complex system and the various ways in which both CBD and THC interact with it, what they do know is that the effects of these compounds are vastly varied.
This is due to the fact that CBD and THC impact receptors in the brain in different ways. As THC interacts with receptors in the brain, it creates a series of psychoactive effects associated with marijuana and the ‘high’ that recreational users of the drug experience. CBD, on the other hand, does not share these intoxicating properties, although it does promote feelings of calm and relaxation along with its other powerful health and wellness benefits. This is why you would adjust your dosage of CBD depending on the type of effect you are looking for and the ailment you are aiming to alleviate.
Why CBD Is Not Addictive
Addiction is defined as the compulsive need to use a substance despite the negative consequences of doing so. People become addicted to substances due to their activation of pleasure centers in the brain that trigger the release of dopamine, aka the ‘feel-good’ hormone. As a derivative of cannabis, CBD often gets lumped in with narcotics and recreational drugs that do have implications of being addictive substances.
THC, with its psychoactive properties, does fall into this category, and evidence suggests that marijuana does pose a risk of addiction to its users. That being said, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cites a study indicating only a 10% addiction rate, making it far less of a risk than either alcohol or nicotine. We can conclude from this that most people who use cannabis do not become addicted to it. However, today's more potent strains (up 15-fold from the 1970s) can be habit-forming with long-term use.
CBD, though, is considered entirely exempt. According to the World Health Organization, it “does not appear to have abuse potential or cause harm.” To abide by federal law, CBD derived from hemp is required to contain less than 0.3% THC. This means that depending on its form (full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or CBD isolate), CBD contains little-to-no THC and, therefore, will not create psychoactive effects or lead to addictive tendencies.
Here at River Organics, it is our passion to elevate the health and wellness of our customers, our community, and the planet as a whole. It is our mission to produce all our CBD products organically, sustainably, responsibly, and ethically at our family-owned farm in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. All of our CBD products contain under the legally required 0.3% of THC to ensure that you can enjoy their therapeutic benefits without any intoxicating effects or addictive tendencies.
