Fibromyalgia is a complicated disease with many symptoms, and it affects each person differently. Cannabis is also a complicated medicine with different strains and cannabinoid compounds that act on the body in different ways. Saying that weed will help with fibro may or may not be true. If you are trying to treat chronic pain and you get a THC dominant strain, then it may not work at all. If you are trying to treat insomnia, then a THC dominant strain may have the opposite effect of making you sleep. For anyone with fibro that has tried weed one time and decided that it did not work for them, what strain did you use? Was it THC or CBD dominant? It is quite likely that the strain that you had was not optimum for the symptom you were trying to treat. So here is a Look at THC vs CBD for fibro symptoms, and a breakdown of the most common fibro symptoms with the best strains to treat them.

Before we get into the breakdown of symptoms and strains, here is a closer look at marijuana and cannabinoids.

As a side note: With the great increase in strains and hybrids, it may be more difficult to make broad generalizations, but we are somewhat forced to do so. Also, Cannabis has such a complex chemical composition with cannabinoids, terpenes, etc, and each acts differently on the body. Strain effects can vary from one crop or dispensary to the next.

Cannabinoids (THC vs CBD):

Cannabis has two major cannabinoids that are used to regulate what your body will feel. The plant actually has many more cannabinoids that can have benefits for many other purposes. Several whole plant hemp oils can be purchased that can give you access to those compounds without the psychoactive effects of cannabis. However, when you purchase Cannabis, most dispensaries will mark each strain with THC or CBD content. Here is a closer look at THC vs CBD. 

THC

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a chemical found in marijuana. This is the compound that attaches to cannabinoid receptors in the body, and it is responsible for the euphoric “head high” feeling. Generally speaking, Higher THC usually means a more euphoric and head-heavy high. THC dominant strains are also responsible for an energetic feeling that can be as effective as caffeine.

CBD

Cannabidiol (CBD) is another cannabinoid and it reduces the “head high” (or psychoactive effects) of TCH by binding to the Cannabinoid receptors and blocking THC from binding with them. CBD is the chemical in weed that is responsible for fighting inflammation, muscle spasms, anxiety, depression, cancer, and oxidation. CBD is one of the most beneficial medicinal compounds in cannabis. Generally speaking, higher CBD means that your high will not be as “heady,” and will likely be more body focused. For fighting pain or insomnia, you want a strain with a higher CBD content. 

(while higher CBD strains are great for pain, do not discount the benefit of THC for making pain easier to deal with.)

Varieties

There are two varieties of Marijuana plants, and they are Sativa and Indica. The two are very different and they work on the body different ways.

Indica: Most Indica varieties have a higher CBD content that is much better for pain.

Sativa: Most sativa varieties are higher in THC and tend to be more head high.

Hybrid: These strains are a combination of the two, and they give the benefits of both. If you like a combination of THC and CBD to treat your symptoms, then a hybrid may be a good choice.

Symptoms

Pain

When we are dealing with pain in regard to fibromyalgia, we usually mean neurological pain. Most of the strains that are good for treating pain are Indica in variety, and heavier in CBD in chemical makeup. Indica/CBD dominant strains will give you a stronger body sensation. However, THC can be very helpful for making the effects last longer, and the head high can make it easier to cognitively reframe your pain, making it less intense. Most of the recommendations for pain are an indica and CBD dominant strains, but hybrids work well too.

Strains for pain

Indica: Critical Mass is one of the very best strains of Indica for pain. It is high in CBD, and is also great for relieving stress and anxiety. This is a great strain for totally relaxation without losing your cognitive abilities.

Sativa: Harlequin is a Sativa dominant variety, but a CBD dominant strain. This means that it gives you the uplifting energy of THC, while providing the great pain killing power of CBD. This strain is the best of both worlds without the psychoactive properties of most Sativa dominant strains.

Hybrid: Cannatonic is a hybrid strain that is CBD dominant. It is excellent for pain, and can also be used for stress or muscle spasms.  The high CBD content reduces the psychoactive effects of THC very well.

Fatigue

Unlike pain, fighting fatigue requires a THC dominant strains. CBDs block the THC from entering the Cannabinoid receptors, and the THC is what will give you the energetic feeling. Therefore, there are not any indica strain recommendations for fatigue here. However, it is always possible to combine a high energy strain with your favorite CBD dominant pain-fighting strain to see what results you get.

Strains for Fatigue

Sativa: Green Crack is a Sativa/THC dominant cannabis strain, and despite its name there is no other substances involved. Also called Green Cush (with a C), this strain is THE BEST strain you will find for energy, bar none. There is an Indica dominant strain that goes by the same name, but Sativa is the ticket for fighting fatigue.

Hybrid: White Widow is one of the most popular strains on planet earth. This strain is great for a burst of energy that will get you moving, yet the CBD content helps to limit the psychoactive effects. 

Mental Fog

There are different kinds of focus that Marijuana can give you. THC will bring about an energetic focus, while CBD tends to provide a calming focus. In the discussion of THC vs CBD, you must decide what fits your symptoms best.

Strains for Mental Fog

Sativa: Cinex is a strain that will give you a clear headed ability to hyper-focus. This strain also boosts creativity. For those that tend to get paranoid from THC, this might heighten that sensation, so be careful.

Hybrid: Blueberry Headband is a true 50/50 Sativa/Indica hybrid. This strain gives you a burst of clarity and creativity, while the CBDs from the indica mellow out the euphoria and help the body feel good. Great for fibro fog and chronic pain.

Indica: True OG is the CBD dominant strain for those that have thoughts racing through the brain, yet want to calm the noise and focus on a single task. This strain is also great for pain and insomnia, which makes it a great all-around strain for Fibromyalgia.

Insomnia

For certain symptoms, there is a clear winner in the battle of THC vs CBD. When you need energy, you look for a THC dominant strain, but when you are looking to go to sleep, you need a CBD dominant strain. Therefore, the recommendations here are all Indicas and hybrid varieties with a high CBD content. A general rule of THC vs CBD is that THC will bring you up, and CBD will bring you down. Obviously it much more complicated and involved than that, but that is a good rule of thumb. 

Strains for Insomnia

Indica: These two Indica recommendations are great for putting you to sleep. Both are CBD dominant. Afghan Kush is for when you want to pass out. It is a heavy CBD dominant strain, and it will definitely do the trick. Big Bud is another CBD dominant strain that will definitely put you to sleep. However, Big Bud is better at fighting pain that Afghan Kush (both are pretty good at it). Big Bud is the perfect strain for when your pain will not let you sleep.

Hybrid: Ogre is a Sativa dominant Hybrid with a fair amount of THC, but its effects are relaxing. It is a good Choice for Insomnia, but the indica strains above are better.

Headaches

Headaches and migraines are common among fibromyalgia sufferers. Here are some strains that are great for treating headache pain. This is another category where THC vs CBD is not necessarily the right way to think about it. You have to decide what symptoms are accompanying your migraine, and how you want to handle them. Do you have stuff to do when the headache dissipates? Then you need a THC dominant strain. Is it the end of the day with an intense light and sound sensitive migraine? Then you would benefit more from a CBD dominant strain. 

Strains for Headaches

Sativa: Harlequin makes a second appearance on our list because it is one of the best pain-fighting strains of the Sativa variety. Harlequin is CBD dominant, but its Sativa variety means that there is still THC present. It is also great for stress, anxiety, and depression because of its uplifting effects.

Indica: Blackberry Kush is an indica dominant strain, with a high CBD content, that is excellent at dealing with pain. This is a good strain for when you are having that light and sound sensitive migraine, and you want to just lock yourself in a dark room and relax.

Hybrid: Purple Arrow is one of the all around best pain-treating strains, and it gives you a nice energetic pop because of the THC content. However, there are a fair amount of CBDs in there to fight the pain. It is a good strain for when you are starting to get a migraine and you still have a lot to do that day.

These are our recommendations for the best THC vs CBD strains for Fibromyalgia symptoms. We hope that these recommendations will help you to find relief, and that you will be better informed the next time you are trying to choose a strain.