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Entourage Effect: What Is It And How Does It Help?
Do you know why people work in a team? What is the purpose of chanting about teamwork? Because there are always ways in which another person can support others’ skills or fill for their lack. Now, you may be wondering, what’s the purpose of this philosophical talk? Well, it’s technically more related to science. Science of marijuana. You may have heard of people claiming that whole-plant matter works better than isolates. That terpenes help enhance the properties of THC. That they can feel the ‘entourage effect’.
What are all these terms? If you aren’t aware, then you are in the right place. I’m here to tell you about the much talked about entourage effect and how it helps. But, before I proceed. Here is a piece of advice. If you are looking to use marijuana for its medical properties, get your 420 evaluations done by a licensed physician. They’ll help you understand the basics of marijuana use and even help you with the right guidance to treat your condition.
Now let’s begin.
What is the Entourage Effect?
When it comes to the medical benefits of marijuana. Most people are aware of a few terms like THC and CBD. THC as the psychoactive component and CBD as the medicinal but non-psychoactive part. While this is true. What about the hundreds of other components that are a part of the chemical composition of a marijuana plant? There are terpenes, flavonoids, enzymes, hydrocarbons, fatty acids and many more. Don’t they have any beneficial properties?
Yes, they do. It’s called the entourage effect. Don’t get confused by this scientific jargon. All you need to understand is that the effects that you experience are not just a result of THC and CBD (most benefits are) but all hundreds of chemicals working together to give you an end result that is known as the entourage effect.
It is this synergistic working that enhances and balances the qualities of each component. This is why different products have different ratios of components to help treat different conditions. Most people agree on experiencing better results from whole plant matter rather than an isolate of a single component.
How Does it Help?
Raphael Mechoulam was an Israeli chemist who first discovered the entourage effect by using CBD to control the psychoactive effects of THC in nausea patients. As of now, the research on the entourage effect is limited. And it is more focused on the interactive process between THC, CBD and Terpenes. But there is sufficient anecdotal evidence to prove this synergy between different components of marijuana.
CBD and THC interact with each other to create a balance. CBD can lower the psychoactive effects of THC by limiting its interaction with CB receptors. And CBD also works best with some THC as it’s beneficial effects are enhanced with THC.
Likewise, terpenes have their own set of properties that can have a great effect when used with THC and CBD. For example, limonene can impact the levels of dopamine and serotonin in the brain and act as an antidepressant. And Myrcene has sedative effects and can help induce sleep. These terpenes can also help lower the psychoactive effect and elevate the therapeutic index of THC.
How Can you Achieve the Entourage Effect?
After you have had your 420 evaluations, you can get your desired dose of marijuana from nearby dispensaries in any form you prefer. Like tinctures, oil, wax or even dried buds. But you are looking to experience the entourage effect. You must look for full-spectrum and broad-spectrum products rather than isolates.
Full-spectrum: When the extraction process of a product includes the whole plant matter it is labeled as full spectrum. They have the same chemical profile as the plant. So you get the benefits of all the components.
Broad-spectrum: These products are a middle ground for people who wish to experience the entourage effect but without any THC.
Final Thoughts
There is a great deal of debate surrounding the existence of the entourage effect. Some like to use only isolates while others believe in the synergy of different components and opt for full and broad-spectrum products. There’s only one way to know for real. Make your choice and share your experience.
