THC and CBD

If you know anything about marijuana at all, you know that the psychoactive chemical THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the main ingredient in marijuana that creates your "high".  If you look at the marijuana bud under a microscope, you will see what look like tiny mushrooms.  These are THC trichomes.

THC has many wonderful medicinal properties:

"A number of studies show that THC provides medical benefits for cancer and AIDS patients by increasing appetite and decreasing nausea. It has also been shown to assist some glaucoma patients by reducing pressure within the eye, and is used in the form of cannabis by a number of multiple sclerosis patients, who use it to alleviate neuropathic pain and spasticity."  -Wikipedia

But did you know that THC is NOT the only chemical in medical cannabis that alleviates your ailments?  There is another chemical in medicinal marijuana called CBD (Cannabidiol).  But what is it?  Cannabidiol is simply another chemical in marijuana that provides medicinal value, although there's never as much CBD in a bud as there is THC.  CBD is the chemical that relieves anxiety, nausea, inflammation, and it can slow or sometimes stop cancer cell growth.

 Many people that smoke medicinal cannabis are surprised to learn that you actually need a balance of CBD and THC.  CBD counteracts the psychoactive effects of THC, making you calmer.  If you were to smoke pure THC, you would be filled with anxiety--unless pure THC is what you need for your symptoms, then you need hash.  I won't go into great detail about hash and the different types of hash just yet, but hash is mostly THC trichomes cooked and pressed together.  There is CBD in hash though, so you will still receive its calming effects.

A sliced ball of pure hash.