The cannabis plant contains more than 100 chemical compounds called cannabinoids, but by far the two most well-known are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). If you’re considering a career in cannabis retail, chances are you’ll encounter many customers who have heard about THC and CBD and want to know what they are and how they work.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of misunderstanding and misinformation surrounding these two cannabinoids. So let’s take a look at what these two cannabinoids can actually do.
Students in Cannabis Retailer Training Should Understand CBD’s Health Benefits
CBD has become extremely popular in recent years because it promotes a range of health benefits without any intoxicating effects. For this reason, health-conscious consumers often favour CBD products over products that may contain THC. CBD’s benefits are believed to stem from how it improves the body’s production of endocannabinoids, which play a role in many biological and cognitive functions, including mood, memory, pain, and appetite.
CBD is highly valued by health-conscious consumers for its health benefits
While some of the popular health claims surrounding CBD are a bit exaggerated, CBD does have some proven health benefits. In particular, it can help:
- Control seizures
- Decrease anxiety
- Improve sleep
- Ease pain and inflammation
- And it may have anti-psychotic properties
CBD can help relieve pain and inflammation in some people
Early research has also shown some promise in using CBD to treat schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, and opioid addiction, but more studies are needed.
THC Is Often Seen as CBD’s Psychoactive and Often Misunderstood Cousin
THC, on the other hand, tends to have a more complicated reputation that CBD’s health-friendly image. THC is a psychoactive cannabinoid that attaches to endocannabinoid receptors in the body and causes users to feel high. For that reason, THC tends to be used more for recreational purposes.
Strains containing mild to medium THC potency (defined as between 7 and 16.99%) typically produce a relaxed, euphoric, or mellow high. Higher potency strains can also produce the same effects, but in some users there’s a risk of feeling overwhelmed and uncomfortable. In your career after cannabis retailer training you should always encourage novice users to start slow with cannabis and opt for a more mild strain.
Despite THC’s reputation as the psychoactive cannabinoid, it does have its own health benefits. For example, it can help:
- induce feelings of relaxation
- reduce inflammation
- fight pain
Even its ability to stimulate hunger has medicinal benefits, such as for cancer patients who may have suppressed appetite due to chemotherapy’s side effect.
While THC is often used recreationally, it also has health benefits, like improved relaxation
Also, consuming CBD and THC together may have benefits due to the so-called entourage effect. With the entourage effect, cannabis’ compounds are believed to work best when they work together. For example, while THC is psychoactive, its psychoactive properties can be dampened by CBD, especially in strains where CBD levels are the same as or higher than THC. For that reason, anybody considering cannabis retail courses should understand how both THC and CBD work together rather than viewing one as necessarily better than the other.
Are you interested in making a cannabis retail application in Ontario?
Contact the Academy of Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences to learn about our cannabis programs.