With the cannabis plant and its compounds increasingly becoming a key part of mainstream culture, the terms CBD and THC have become quite well known. However, most people aren't aware that the two compounds are very different from each other, even though they produce similar effects on users.

For one, both CBD and THC are commonly derived from the hemp plant with the former primarily consisting of a compound called CBG while the latter comes as either Delta-9 THC or Delta-8 THC.

What is Delta-8 THC

Delta-8 THC is one of the many (over 100) cannabinoids found in the hemp plant. And like many cannabinoids, it occurs in very small quantities in natural settings and processors normally concentrate it after extraction.

As a cannabinoid, Delta-8 does indeed produce psychotropic effects after interacting with the endocannabinoid system. These effects are usually mild and smooth but can be as strong as those of Delta-9 when in high concentrations. 

Delta-8 THC particularly differs from its sister compound, Delta-9 THC in terms of chemical composition. As the name suggests, Delta-8 has its double bond in the eighth carbon atom while Delta-9 has it in the ninth atom. This slight difference determines to a large extent how your body reacts to each of the two substances. 

What is CBD? 

CBD is an acronym for Cannabidiol - the second-largest naturally occurring compound of the Hemp or cannabis plant. While THC is the most abundant and has psychoactive effects, CBD is not. 

That, however, doesn't mean that CBD has no effect on the brain. Studies by the US National Library of Medicine, suggest that CBD targets the brain's pain reactors and is thus effective at reducing pain and anxiety. 

CBD products are commonly ingested through CBD tinctures (adding CBD oil under the tongue or in the cheeks) or in form of topicals like lotions, balms, and creams. Some CBD products are also sold specifically for smoking or vaping. 

Differences between Delta-8 THC and CBD

The main difference, as mentioned above, is that Delta-8 THC is a psychoactive substance while CBD is not. Also, Delta-8 THC usually attaches itself to the CB1 receptors in the brain, while CBD attaches to the aptly named CBD1 receptors, albeit not as tightly. 

Another difference is that Delta-8 THC is more likely to show up on a drug test while CBD won't show. 

Lastly, Delta-8 almost always triggers a euphoric feeling in the user while CBD's effects are usually very mild and vary from person to person.

How Similar are The Two Compounds?

Despite the fundamental differences highlighted above, CBD and Delta-8 THC products contain some notable similarities. For one, they both come from the Hemp plant and subsequently contain less than 0.03% Delta-9 THC (and thus can't be categorized as marijuana). There's also the fact that both substances are sold, and used in form of edibles, tinctures, and vapes. 

Notably, the intriguing contrast between the two compounds has led to the development of hybrid strains, the most notable being the Delta-8 THC infused hemp flower. This is basically a fusion of a normal CBD flower with concentrated Delta-8 distillate, essentially creating a flower joint. 

Where to Get Your CBD 

Despite a growing number of countries legalizing medicinal cannabis products, good quality CBD oil is still hard to find. Most online shops are known to use false advertising and misrepresentation of facts to sell low-quality and potentially harmful products to unsuspecting customers. The lack of market regulation and a common standards policy does not help things either. 

But enough with the rant……..

A great place to start your CBD 'gold search' is MyCBDHempShop.com, which stocks all the CBD products you could ever need - from tinctures to vapes and even the highly potent CBD Flowers.