Why The Entourage Effect Is Important

You’d have to be hiding under a rock to have missed it: The COVID-19 pandemic is circling the world. Sadly, there’s no doubt at this point. This is a deadly disaster, one which will affect millions of people throughout the world.

To be as clear as humanly possible: CBD will not cure or prevent COVID-19. You absolutely should listen to respected health and governmental authorities in order to protect yourself against this disease.

Not all CBD is the same. There are different types of CBD. There is evidence to indicate that some types of CBD are more effective than others.

Full vs. Broad Spectrum CBD

There are a few different types of CBD, but the most important types are Full Spectrum and Broad Spectrum. CBD manufacturer’s try to process these types of CBD as minimally as possible. This is the only way to preserve all the natural cannabinoids and other components found in hemp. This includes CBD itself, as well as other flavonoids and terpenes.

The main difference is the presence of THC. THC is short for tetrahydrocannabinol. You may be familiar with THC from marijuana, as THC is the cannabinoid in marijuana that is responsible for intoxication.

Full Spectrum contains THC, while Broad Spectrum has had the THC removed. The levels of THC are always less than .3%, a number that is too low to result in any intoxication. However, it does allow for the Entourage Effect to occur.

What Is The Entourage Effect?

The Entourage Effect is essentially CBD’s version of  the old axiom “The sum of the parts is greater than the whole.” It is the idea that CBD works best when all of its naturally occurring components are present – including THC.

Why Is The Entourage Effect Important?

There is evidence to support the theory behind the Entourage Effect. A 2019 paper reviewed the available literature and the theory behind the Entourage Effect, and this paper found the idea behind a synergistic approach to the Entourage Effect is “sufficiently strong.”

A 2011 review referred to the idea of the Entourage Effect directly as “cannabis synergy” and also reviewed how THC operates. It also reviewed how THC works with other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Other reviews have noted that more study is needed, but many researchers believe that the theory behind the Entourage Effect is strong enough to justify the use of Full Spectrum CBD over Broad Spectrum.

Ultimately, the effectiveness of the Entourage Effect is not determined in a lab, but by you. You have to be the judge of what product works best for you.