Admittedly, the cannabis community is currently very focused on high CBD to THC ratio strains, like Cannatonic-c6 and ACDC, but they are not unique in the two ways Harlequin is.
Harlequin has a CBD:THC ratio that is almost always 5:2. That is because the primary phenotype (dominate 50% of the time) is indeed a high CBD strain, unlike most well known CBD strains where the high CBD is a rare/recessive phenotype (Sour Tsunami, etc).
Ok, so the easiest to find phenotype has a 5:2, so why is that special compared to Cannatonic-c6?
When something is synergistic, by definition, the overall effect is greater than the sum of the parts. For most patients, a near 50/50 mix of CBD and THC is MUCH better at controlling pain than either CBD or THC by itself. ‘Near’ 50/50 would include 75/25, and Harlequin fits that criteria very well. In terms of brain tumor growth, scientific studies have shown that both CBD and THC have about equal effects on tumor cells. The same studies have shown that a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC has a much greater effect than either used separately; another example of synergy.
If you have neuropathic pain, and don’t mind the psychoactivity of THC (which is already being strongly suppressed by the large presence of CBD), then Harlequin would be a great starting point, and usually the first medicinal remedy recommended for pain, because of the high probability of relief the patient is liable to achieve.
Additionally, when ingested, there is an additional benefit. THC toxicity is a well known and unpredictable problem with eating cannabis remedies, resulting in sometimes nasty side effects like vomiting, dizziness, anxiety. CBD prevents THC Toxicity from occurring and also neutralizes the effect rapidly, if it does occur.
So to review:
– Harlequin has a near 50/50 CBD:THC ratio,
– Harlequins main phenotype is the 5:2 ratio,
this makes Harlequin a top first choice for treating most forms of pain.
