CBD vs. THC: What’s the Difference?

It’s 10pm, you’re deep in a Google wormhole surrounded by Doritos and pizza crusts. Somewhere between the third and fourth bong rip you land on the inevitable: “CBD vs THC”. It’s the sort of search term we all end up on eventually, if not when we’re 13 and curious then certainly when we’re 25 and trying to figure out if we can handle 1000mg of CBD rubbed on our foreheads. 

THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) are acronyms known to most stoners and occasional smokers. The shorthand maths has always been that THC gets you blasted into space, while CBD is medicinal in some way. Lately, there has been political battle over whether CBD impairs your ability to drive,  but around the coffee table on a Saturday night questions always come up over everything from what happens when you mix alcohol and cannabis or whether CBD could interact with prescription medicine. 

There is, of course, more to it than that.

What is CBD and THC?

Cannabidiol (CBD) is one of more than a hundred components in the hemp plant. It isn’t responsible for the “high” experience most people associate with weed, it is instead used therapeutically. CBD is talked about inside and outside cannabis-advocate circles for the variety of health issues it eases. Most notably, CBD reduces pain and has been shown to have an impact on care for childhood epilepsy as an anti-seizure aid. When you think “medical marijuana” or any of the terminology along those lines, CBD is probably the component on your mind.

Tetrahydrocannabinol, meanwhile, is a lot of the other stuff. The stereotypes about spinning out, being ridiculously hungry or entering into a dimension of chill otherwise thought impossible are all largely thanks to your friend THC. The primary psychoactive component of cannabis, THC is what gets you there and keeps you there. THC can be used medically, too, but with much different intentions. It has been used – for example – to aid the appetite of people with HIV, or people who have eating disorders.

CBD vs. THC: The difference between the chemical structure

At the surface, both THC and CBD have the same chemical formula – but the structure is where things begin to separate. Both have 21 carbon atoms, 30 hydrogen atoms, and 2 oxygen atoms, but because these atoms are arranged differently, the components affect you in different ways.

Both THC and CBD interact with your body’s cannabinoid receptors by way of the endocannabinoid system – a complicated group of enzymes, cannabinoid receptors, and endocannabinoids that can assist in the regulation of your body. It is an essential part of your internal system’s ability to maintain balance, and while it exists whether you’re ingesting any type of weed derivative, cannabis does use the system to influence how you’re feeling and what you’re feeling.

CBD vs. THC: Legality in Australia

If you’re hoping to walk into a dispensary and pick up an ounce of Blue Dream, we’ve got bad news for you – Australia still has a way to go. But progress has been made in the last decade.

In almost all states and territories of Australia, using, selling or being in possession of cannabis is illegal (even if you’re just holding it for a mate), with varying types of punishment and fines depending on where you happen to be caught. The exception here is the ACT, where residents over the age of 18 are able to possess up to 50 grams of dried cannabis or 150 grams of fresh cannabis, grow up to two plants per person, and use cannabis at home. That’s been the law since 2020.

Medical cannabis, which is often heavily CBD-dosed or a combination of both CBD and THC, is a different story. In Australia, medical cannabis is legal but very tightly controlled by the Therapeutic Goods Association (TGA). If you want to get your hands on medicinal cannabis, you need to speak with a registered and authorised practitioner, and approvals are handled on a case-by-case basis. 

Most products marketed as “medical cannabis” aren’t approved legally in Australia – but doctors are able to approve for special access or, in some cases, may have been admitted as Authorised Prescribers, meaning they won’t need that case-by-case approval from the TGA.

A blocker for many people trying to access medical cannabis legally in Australia is cost. Medicinal cannabis products aren’t subsidised through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS), so your Medicare card, if you have one, won’t help. You can read more about the TGA’s Special Access Scheme (SAS) and Authorised Prescriber Scheme (AP) here.

CBD vs. THC: Medical Benefits

CBD Benefits

Both CBD and THC have been used for centuries, but their formal study in modern medicine is relatively fresh. There are a range of reported benefits, but the science behind (and reporting on) some of the effects and impacts on the body are forever changing as we learn more.

CBD benefits that are often reported by patients are regularly focused around “relief”. That could be in relieving pain, or relief and alleviation of some cancer-related symptoms. Some people also report CBD assisting with certain sleep disorders, and there is encouraging data surrounding the drug’s use to treat migraines.

Pharmaceutically, the most well-known CBD product is Epidiolex, usually prescribed for the treatment of severe seizure disorders like childhood epilepsy. Because CBD is Epidiolex’s active ingredient, it does not cause a high.

THC Benefits

The “benefits” of THC use are sort of summarised by what you’re trying to achieve. Much of the reported benefits of THC (like CBD) is anecdotal, but there are reports that it can assist with things like muscle spasms, insomnia, glaucoma, and (much more obviously) low appetite. Oral THC preparations are sometimes used to treat chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and have been found to be effective treatments.

CBD vs. THC: Side effects

CBD side effects

Generally speaking, CBD is often well tolerated. However, it – like just about all drugs – can impact people differently. Some people find CBD makes them nauseous or tired and irritable. There is also a chance that, if you are taking blood thinning medication already, CBD could compete for the enzymes that break down the drugs. 

THC side effects

The most obvious side effect of THC use is also the reason a lot of people take it (at least recreationally), and that’s the drug’s ability to alter your senses. As the psychoactive component of cannabis, THC is a mind-altering chemical, but it can also impact your mood and memory. When taken in high doses, there are some reports of delusions and psychosis. 

Many users of cannabis (and THC) are long-term smokers of the drug, sometimes from childhood. Researchers are constantly looking into cannabis’ impact on the body and mind, but recent studies have shown that at the very least, ingestion of THC – consistently – as a teenager increases the chance of side effects. A massive umbrella review, conducted by an expert team in 2023, looked at analysis from the past and found that cannabis use was linked to poor mental health and poor outcomes for children when used by mothers while pregnant. 

CBD vs. THC: Drug Testing

It is currently illegal to have any form of cannabis in your system while driving in Australia. This is regardless of whether you are legally using the drug via prescription pathways or using it recreationally. Police use saliva analysis to determine whether someone has been drug driving. 

There are multiple ongoing movements across the country, pressuring both police forces and governments, to amend drug driving laws to allow for legal medical users to drive without risk of punishment. 

Is CBD as powerful as THC?

Trying to compare CBD and THC is hard, somewhat foolish and overall not entirely logical. While both derive from the same plant, their effects can be wildly different. Whether or not CBD is as powerful, or more powerful, than THC is largely down to what you’re trying to do.

Trying to stop a sick kid from having a seizure? CBD is probably your dominant choice.

Want to chill out on a Friday and melt into the sofa? THC will serve you better.

What’s better for pain, CBD or THC?

Both CBD and THC have historically been used to treat pain. In some countries like the United States, medications have been formulated that contain both THC and CBD in various ratios. But the evidence for CBD alone treating chronic pain is contentious. The research done on the drug has varied in approach, and ultimately a recent study from the International Association for the Study of Pain found that the evidence “neither supports nor refutes” the impact and value of using cannabis-based medicines to treat pain.

Despite all of this, cannabis is often seen as a word-of-mouth drug. Its prohibition across the world severely impacted research, but has also meant that much of the first-person experiences with the drug have been anecdotal and uncontrolled. Everyone knows someone who has used a CBD product to help with arthritis, or maybe an oil that really helped with some other ailment. The important thing to remember with these options is that the drug is largely unregulated, often illegal, and inconsistent. 

Choosing the right option between CBD and THC

Whether CBD or THC (or a blend) is the correct option for you is entirely down to your circumstances, your body, and how it reacts to both components. As with many pain-related treatments, it’s often best to go low and slow – though this is not advice you should just take from us. The drug is legally accessible in Australia, and the pathways are there. The best option is to consult with a healthcare professional, discuss your issues, and go from there

What next?

Ultimately, both CBD and THC are things that are constantly being studied and our understanding of changes over time, too. It’s not just CBD vs. THC, either. How you ingest weed matters, too.

Prescription access is an option in Australia — and rates of legal access are increasing across the country — but in many ways cannabis remains (at least in the eyes of police and the law) an illegal drug. So be careful out there.