Most people associate the “high” they get from marijuana with THC, the main psychoactive ingredient of the plant. A new study supports the “entourage” effect theory. It found that cannabis products containing a greater variety of natural cannabinoids produced a stronger psychoactive experience and lasted longer than pure THC-based products.
The study used a novel electroencephalogram technology (EEG), supported by AI, to quantify the “high”. People experienced two different products when vaping: 1) A full-spectrum rosin containing an average of 85 percent THC and other natural cannabinoids. 2) High purity THC oil containing 82-85 % potency.
The first group showed a significantly faster and stronger psychoactive response than the second group.
The study involved 28 adults who wore the EEG headband developed by Zentrela, a cannabis technology company, and took two hits (8mg) from either the full spectrum or pure THC vapes manufactured by PAX. This study was also funded by PAX.
The EEG was used to monitor activity in eight brain regions over a period of 90 minutes after obtaining a baseline reading. The results were converted to “psychoactive effects levels (PELs) on a standard scale of zero percent to one hundred percent.”
The full spectrum live rosin containing THC, other cannabinoids, and terpenes showed a three-minute earlier onset. It also had a higher potency for the onset reading (20.8%) and at its peak after 15 minutes (40%), and after 90 minutes (30.2%).
Potency was 13.5 percent. The average time for pure THC to reach its peak potency was four minutes. The potency peaked at 19.1 percent and then dropped to 18.1 per cent.
The study was not peer-reviewed and it has not been published by a scientific journal. However, the results seem to support an “entourage” effect, where marijuana with a greater variety of natural components produces a stronger experience. The entourage effect is important to patients as it could enhance certain therapeutic applications.
In a Tuesday press release, Brian Witlin , vice president of PAX’s product development, said that consumers who are looking for psychoactive effects usually buy cannabis products that contain THC. This is a little bit of a myth.
He said that in order to continue to advance cannabis research, and to improve our understanding of the plant (which has been too limited for far too long), we wanted to show through scientific study the impact full spectrum products have on the ultimate cannabis experience. We hope that this insight will help consumers realize that the THC content of a product is not the best indicator of what they can expect.
This study could not only help consumers, but also cannabis companies create more targeted products by leveraging data on how different combinations cannabinoids have different effects.
The study’s authors concluded that “this endeavor not only deepens understanding of consumer experiences, but also highlights the commitment to provide accurate and comprehensive information for consumers to foster informed product selections and consumption decisions.”
It’s not the first time that a study has identified the relative benefits of different cannabis products. In a 2018 study, patients with epilepsy experienced better health outcomes – and fewer side effects – using plant-based CBD products compared to “purified CBD products .
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The post Marijuana’s ‘Entourage’ Effect With Multiple Cannabinoids Produces a Stronger and Longer-Lasting High Than Pure THC: Study Finds first appeared on Marijuana Minute.
