Contrary to popular belief, CBD doesn’t mellow out the wild ride of THC. In fact, it seems that high doses of CBD may actually turbocharge the effects of THC. Yes, that’s right—the very thing people thought would take the edge off might just sharpen it instead. Surprise!
The study involved 37 brave (and very chill) volunteers, aged 18 to 45, who had some prior experience with cannabis but weren’t regular users. These volunteers took part in an experiment that looked like a marijuana-themed game show—five different treatments in random order, including THC alone and THC mixed with three different CBD doses (10 mg, 30 mg, and 450 mg). The 450 mg dose, as it turns out, cranked the THC effects up to 11. Cue the dramatic twist music.
To put it simply, participants felt way higher with the 450 mg CBD dose, experienced more cognitive impairment, and had a harder time with tasks like balancing and reaction times. Basically, it made THC feel like it got an upgrade, thanks to CBD slowing down the body’s ability to break down THC. So, instead of playing the role of a calming sidekick, CBD grabbed the steering wheel and floored it. Talk about a plot twist!
Lead researcher Geert Jan Groeneveld, who sounds like the cannabis Sherlock Holmes, explained, “People in the cannabis world like to say CBD ‘takes the edge off’ THC, but we’re pharmacologists—we deal in cold, hard facts.” And those facts show that when it comes to THC, CBD is more like a gasoline can than a fire extinguisher.
But here’s the kicker: even though CBD was stirring the pot (pun intended) by enhancing THC’s psychoactive effects, it didn’t do much for pain relief. Despite the intensifying high, the pain-relieving effects of THC stayed about the same no matter how much CBD was involved. So while your brain might be going on a little joyride, your sore back isn’t getting any extra help.
The researchers did a deep dive into how people felt during the sessions—both emotionally and physically. Participants were asked to rate their mood, anxiety, and overall “high” feeling while the researchers tested their cognitive and motor skills. They also threw in some pain tests for good measure (because why not?). But no matter how you sliced it, the results were clear: CBD was not the chill pill it’s cracked up to be, at least when mixed with THC.
Now, before you start tossing your CBD products in panic, it’s important to note that this study only looked at oral consumption of THC and CBD. Other methods, like smoking or vaping, might have different results because they affect how quickly your body absorbs and processes the compounds. Plus, the researchers didn’t have a CBD-only control group in this experiment, so we still need more data to see exactly what CBD does on its own. (Spoiler alert: they’re working on it.)
Interestingly, these findings line up with another recent study, which found that adding CBD to THC didn’t just fail to mitigate its effects—it sometimes made things worse, particularly when it came to disrupting brain connectivity. So, if you thought CBD was your brain’s trusty copilot in taming THC, think again.
Long story short, it’s time to rethink the whole “CBD balances out THC” narrative. Maybe the two aren’t the dynamic duo we imagined—more like frenemies at best.
Photo by Matteo Badini from corelens
