Some people are surprised to find out that CBD oil and other products derived from hemp are, in fact, legal. However, it’s often these people who aren’t aware of what CBD and THC are, the differences in them, and how present they are in hemp and marijuana. Both CBD and THC are cannabinoids, compounds that occur naturally in the plants and interact with receptors found in the brain.
The primary difference between CBD and THC is that THC is psychoactive, and CBD is not. As such, THC will cause the sensation of feeling “high” while CBD will not. This is partly why CBD is legal, but so long as there isn’t enough THC content to make the oil psychoactive. Hemp plants and CBD oil have minimal THC content.
There are other differences, too. The compounds affect different receptors in the endocannabinoid system and are known to cause different effects. However, the psychoactive nature of THC is also what makes it more prone to causing side effects and some believe it to be easy to abuse.