Is cannabidiol (CBD) the same thing as marijuana? Is it legal in the United States?

Marijuana—which can also be called cannabis, weed, pot, or dope—refers to the dried flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds of the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant contains more than 100 compounds (or cannabinoids). These compounds include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is impairing or mind-altering, as well as other active compounds, such as cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is not impairing, meaning it does not cause a “high”.^[1]

[1] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: the current state of evidence and recommendations for research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2017.

Marijuana is different from cannabidiol (CBD). Marijuana refers to the dried flowers, leaves, stems, and seeds of the cannabis plant. CBD is one of the many compounds, along with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), that can be present in the cannabis plant. CBD does not cause a “high” by itself. CBD can be derived from hemp, which is defined as any part of a cannabis sativa plant with no more than 0.3% of THC, or non-hemp plants.

In 2018, the U.S. Congress passed and signed into law the Agriculture Improvement Actexternal icon.[2] This law removed hemp from the federal Controlled Substances Act, effectively legalizing CBD if it comes from hemp.

However, a few states have not removed hemp from their state’s controlled substances acts, so legality of CBD products differs across states.

[2]Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018. H.R.2, 115th Cong. 2017-2018. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2.

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Marijuana can be used in a number of ways.[3],[4] Marijuana can be smoked in joints (like a cigarette), in blunts (cigars or cigar wrappers that have been partly or completely refilled with marijuana), or in bongs (pipes or water pipes). Marijuana also can be mixed or infused into foods like cookies, cakes, or brownies (called edibles) and can be infused in drinks.

It can be vaped using electronic vaporizing devices (i.e., e-cigarettes or vape pens) or other vaporizers. Compounds (or cannabinoids) in marijuana can also be extracted to make oils and concentrates that can be vaped or inhaled. Smoking oils, concentrates, and extracts from the marijuana plant, known as “dabbing,” is on the rise. Health and safety risks exist for each of the different ways of using marijuana.

References

[3] Schauer GL, Njai R, Grant-Lenzy AM. Modes of marijuana use – smoking, vaping, eating, and dabbing: Results from the 2016 BRFSS in 12 States. Drug Alcohol Depend. Apr 1 2020;209:107900.

[4] Schauer GL, King BA, Bunnell RE, Promoff G, McAfee TA. Toking, vaping, and eating for health or fun: marijuana use patterns in adults, US, 2014. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2016;50(1):1-8.

Marijuana products that contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can have health risks regardless of how they are used because THC is impairing and can affect memory, attention, decision-making, and risk-taking.[1]

Health and safety risks exist for each of the different ways of consuming marijuana, and scientists do not have enough evidence to say that consuming marijuana in one way is safer than another. For example, smoking marijuana can expose you and those around you to harmful chemicals.[5]

Oils and concentrates used in vaping and dabbing (which is a specific method of inhaling THC concentrates) often have highly concentrated forms of THC and may contain additives or be contaminated with other substances.[6] The effects of using these more concentrated forms of THC are not well understood but may include higher risk of developing cannabis use disorder.[1],[7] Vaping has also been linked to lung injury.

References

[1] National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: the current state of evidence and recommendations for research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press; 2017.

[5] Moir D, Rickert WS, Levasseur G, et al. A comparison of mainstream and sidestream marijuana and tobacco cigarette smoke produced under two machine smoking conditions. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 2008;21(2):494-502.

[7] Compton WM, Grant BF, Colliver JD, Glantz MD, Stinson FS. Prevalence of marijuana use disorders in the United States: 1991-1992 and 2001-2002. JAMA. 2004;291(17):2114-2121.

CBD is suitable for daily use.

There are 8 reasons to use CBD every day:

1. CBD Keeps the Body Balanced

2. CBD is Safe to Use

3. Mood and Stress Support

4. Promotes Better Sleep

5. Aches and Soreness Support

6. Natural Skin Care

7. You Can Use CBD Anytime

8. Natural Treatment

Medical cannabis is legal in over half the U.S., but the problem with “marijuana” is its high THC content. While it may relieve your symptoms, the intoxication can make your work unsafe or affect productivity.

Fortunately, hemp-derived CBD contains no more than 0.3% THC, making it impossible to get even remotely high.

Still, some people are concerned about THC. In that case, our broad-spectrum CBD products are entirely THC-free, and we do that without diluting our oil just so third-party lab reports show it’s “THC-Free.”

But what really puts us ahead of other CBD companies in our industry is our extraction process. Our proprietary method allows us to naturally retain terpenes, cannabinoids, and flavonoids using low heat, one of the main enemies as it burns off or degrades these crucial compounds.

Keeping these other plant compounds provides the best overall effects anytime you need them.

Ultimately, you get the therapeutic effects of cannabis without intoxication – and that’s a massive win in our book.

Generally speaking, CBD with high purity is not a drug, and CBD with THC concentration less than 0.3% cannot be detected by drug testing. However, many CBD products on the market may have excessive THC content due to non-standard requirements, which may be detected by drug testing.

CBD can cause side effects such as dry mouth, diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy and fatigue. CBD can also interact with other drugs you are taking, such as blood thinners. Another cause of concern is the unreliability of the purity and dose of CBD in the product.

There is moderate evidence that CBD can improve sleep disturbances, fibromyalgia pain, multiple sclerosis-associated muscle spasticity, and anxiety. People report that oral CBD reduces anxiety and pain and  leads to better sleep.

The fact that marijuana is legal in some states for medical or nonmedical adult use does not mean that it is safe. Using marijuana at any age can lead to negative health consequences:

• Using marijuana heavily (daily or near-daily) can damage your memory, attention, and learning ability. This can last a week or more after the last time marijuana was used.[1]

• Using marijuana during pregnancy or while breastfeeding may harm the baby.[1],[29]

• Marijuana use has been linked to social anxiety, depression, suicide, and schizophrenia. Scientists don’t yet know whether marijuana use directly causes these health issues, but it may make symptoms more severe.

• Smoking any product, including marijuana, can damage your lungs and cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels).[5] Eating or drinking foods with marijuana can take longer to have an effect and may increase the chance of consuming too much.1 Vaping marijuana has led to lung injury and even death.[8] Use of concentrates in vaping or dabbing devices may increase a number of health risks because of the concentration or strength of marijuana being used.[6],[30]

More research about the effects of secondhand marijuana smoke is still needed. The known risks of secondhand exposure to tobacco smoke—including risks to the heart or lungs[24]—raise questions about whether secondhand exposure to marijuana smoke causes similar health risks. Secondhand marijuana smoke contains many of the same toxic and cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco smoke and contains some of those chemicals in higher amounts.[5]

More research is needed to understand how secondhand marijuana exposure may affect children. Secondhand marijuana smoke contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the chemical responsible for most of marijuana’s psychological effects (or the “high”). THC can be passed to infants and children through secondhand smoke, and people exposed to secondhand marijuana smoke can experience psychoactive effects, such as feeling high.[25],[26] Recent studies have found strong associations between reports of having someone in the home who uses marijuana (e.g., a parent, relative, or caretaker) and the child having detectable levels of THC.[27],[28]

Children exposed to THC are potentially at risk for negative health effects. Other research shows that marijuana use during adolescence can impact the developing teenage brain and cause problems with attention, motivation, and memory, suggesting that secondhand smoke exposure could lead to similar negative health effects in children.[29]

References

[5] Moir D, Rickert WS, Levasseur G, et al. A comparison of mainstream and sidestream marijuana and tobacco cigarette smoke produced under two machine smoking conditions. Chemical Research in Toxicology. 2008;21(2):494-502.

[25] Taylor DR, Poulton R, Moffitt TE, Ramankutty P, Sears MR. The respiratory effects of cannabis dependence in young adults. Addiction. 2000;95(11):1669-1677.

[26] Wilson KM, Torok MR, Wei B, et al. Detecting biomarkers of secondhand marijuana smoke in young children. Pediatric Research. 2017;81(4):589-592.

[27] Moore C, Coulter C, Uges D, et al. Cannabinoids in oral fluid following passive exposure to marijuana smoke. Forensic Science International. 2011;212(1-3):227-230.

[28] Broyd SJ, van Hell HH, Beale C, Yuecel M, Solowij N. Acute and chronic effects of cannabinoids on human cognition—a systematic review. Biological Psychiatry. 2016;79(7):557-567.

[29] Garry A, Rigourd V, Amirouche A, Fauroux V, Aubry S, Serreau R. Cannabis and breastfeeding. Journal of Toxicology. 2009;2009:596149.

Breastfeeding persons are encouraged to avoid using marijuana.[23] The health effects of a breastfeeding person’s use of marijuana on her infant are not yet fully known, and the available data are limited and conflicting. However, we know that chemicals from marijuana can be passed to a baby through breast milk. In addition, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is stored in body fat and is slowly released over time, meaning that a baby could still be exposed even after a breastfeeding person stops using marijuana.

References

[23] Ryan SA, Ammerman SD, O’Connor ME. Marijuana use during pregnancy and breastfeeding: implications for neonatal and childhood outcomes. Pediatrics. 2018;142(3).

Synthetic cannabinoids (called spice, K2, and other names) are man-made chemicals and, despite the name, are not marijuana or cannabinoid medicines.20 Synthetic cannabinoids are often sprayed onto dried plant material that can then be smoked or sold as liquids to use in vaping devices.

Synthetic cannabinoids are part of a group of unregulated, mind-altering drugs that attempt to produce effects similar to illicit drugs. Their effects are not fully understood and can cause dangerous and unpredictable health effects because of their unpredictable chemical contents.21  Once these products are identified in the illegal marketplace, they are added to the list of schedule I substances by the Drug Enforcement Administrationexternal icon. Schedule I substances are illegal throughout the United States and are defined as having no medical use and high potential for abuse.

Synthetic cannabinoids can affect the brain much more powerfully than marijuana, creating unpredictable and, in some cases, life-threatening effects, including:

• nausea

• anxiety

• paranoia

• brain swelling

• seizures

• hallucinations

• aggression

• heart palpitations

• chest pains

Cases of severe injury and death from use of synthetic cannabinoids have been reported, along with regional outbreaks when a contaminated batch enters a specific community.22 For additional questions around synthetic cannabinoids, visit CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health page on synthetic marijuana or the National Institute on Drug Abuse page on synthetic cannabinoidsexternal icon.

If someone you know has used synthetic cannabinoids and needs help, you can take the following steps:

• Call 911 immediately if someone stops breathing, collapses, or has a seizure. These symptoms can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.

• Call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222.

• Call your doctor.

Using alcohol and marijuana at the same time is likely to result in greater impairment than when using either one alone.[17] Greater impairment can result in greater risk of physical harm. Using marijuana and tobacco at the same time may also lead to increased exposure to harmful chemicals that could cause greater risks to the lungs and the cardiovascular system (heart and blood vessels).[18] Also, marijuana may change how prescription drugs work.[19] Always talk with your doctor about any medications you are taking or thinking about taking and the possible side effects when mixed with other things, such as marijuana.

Learn more about marijuana and the risk of using other drugs.

References

[17] Yurasek AM, Aston ER, Metrik J. Co-use of alcohol and cannabis: A review. Current Addiction Reports. 2017;4(2):184-193.

[19] Antoniou T, Bodkin J, Ho JM. Drug interactions with cannabinoids. CMAJ. 2020;192(9):E206.

While a fatal overdose caused solely by marijuana is unlikely, marijuana is not harmless. The signs of using too much marijuana are similar to the typical effects of using marijuana but more severe. These signs may include:

• extreme confusion

• anxiety

• paranoia

• panic

• fast heart rate

• delusions or hallucinations

• increased blood pressure

• severe nausea or vomiting

In some cases, these effects can lead to unintentional injury, such as a motor vehicle crash, fall, or poisoning. Overconsumption of marijuana can happen especially when using marijuana-infused products like edibles and beverages, since it can take up to 2 hours to feel the effects from the drug.1 Infants or young children who accidentally ingest marijuana are more likely to require hospital admission compared to older children who ingest similar concentrations due to their smaller size and weight and increased severity of symptoms.16

Marijuana may be laced with other substances, either known or unknown to the consumer. Using marijuana in combination with other substances may result in greater impairment than when using marijuana alone and may increase the risk of overdose.

Learn more about marijuana and potential risk of poisoning.

If you or someone you know is showing signs that might suggest they have used too much marijuana, call poison control center at: at 1-800-222-1222. In case of emergency, call 9-1-1.

For more on the health risks and effects of marijuana, visit CDC’s web page on marijuana and health effects.