We get this question all the time in the shop: “is CBD psychoactive?” The answer, technically speaking, is “yes,” but not how you think. The term “psychoactive” actually refers to anything with the ability to affect your mind. Based on this definition, everything from coffee to heroin can be classified as a “psychoactive” substance.
When people ask if CBD is psychoactive, they’re often really asking how the product will make them feel. The real question often is: “is CBD intoxicating.” The answer on that front is “no!” CBD does not impair or intoxicate but it is absolutely psychoactive.
A lot of people associate psychoactivity only with things like THC or alcohol, but anything that alters the way you feel or think is psychoactive. In that sense, CBD, caffeine, THC, and alcohol are all psychoactive.
CBD’s psychoactivity can be seen through the fact that it is a strong anxiolytic, anti-depressant, and anti-inflammatory (among others.) These properties are what provide value to the plant but the word “psychoactive” can scare some due to it’s long association with the intoxicating effects of THC and the lengthy amount of time that it has been broadly misused.
Though “psychoactive” is often shorthand for “intoxicating” we wanted to set this misconception straight as we believe that there is nothing wrong with psychoactivity. Nearly everything we consume has an effect on us in one way or another. While CBD does calm the mind, it’s effects and benefits are far-reaching for our mind, body, and spirit.
