Cannabis Topicals: A New Way to Enjoy Cannabis
Cannabis is becoming more commonly accepted around the world, especially in Canada. As cannabis now reaches a wider audience, people have been looking for alternative methods to smoking the substance. While smoking cannabis can be incredibly satisfying for some, others can’t stand the smell and health effects of smoking.
A new alternative to smoking that’s worth trying is cannabis topicals. This handy alternative is exactly what it sounds like. Different concoctions including skin cream and lotion are applied directly to your skin, and that’s how the cannabis is consumed.
As this method becomes more popular, people are changing the way they think about the accessibility, use and even psychoactive properties of cannabis. Here’s everything you need to know about topicals infused with cannabis and what you can use it for.
What Are Cannabis Topicals?
A cannabis topical is anything you absorb through your skin that has cannabis as an ingredient. They can take many forms including lotions, balms, oils and creams. When dealing with any product that uses cannabis as an ingredient, you need to consider the psychoactive effects it might have.
When it comes to topicals, there are virtually no psychoactive effects whatsoever. Simply put, applying marijuana topicals is not a good way to get high. For the most part, these topicals have very low counts of THC focusing more on CBD, the non-psychoactive component in cannabis. Even if there were a lot of THC in a topical, it will have a hard time reaching your bloodstream unless you apply a whole lot.
How Do They Work?
Topicals made from cannabis work just like virtually every other kind of topical. You apply them directly to your skin, and their contents are absorbed inside. Your skin is one of the most impressive organs in your body. We tend to think of it as a shield to keep out any harmful substances, but it’s also very efficient at letting beneficial substances pass through.
Scientifically speaking, these topicals interact with what are known as CB2 receptors in your body. This is the primary target for the active ingredients in marijuana topicals, which predominantly include CBD and THC. These cannabinoids are specifically useful for activating these receptors, since they respond to the natural endocannabinoids already present in your body.
Why Bother With Marijuana Topicals?
Many people see that these topicals can’t get you high and move on, but there’s actually quite a few benefits to taking them that you can’t afford to miss out on. Cannabis in general provides more benefit than a nice feeling. Everyone can take advantage of the medicinal uses of topicals.
The most common reason someone would use a topical like this is for pain relief. A cannabis topical for pain won’t hit your bloodstream, so it’s best used for surface afflictions like bug bites and rashes. It can also be used to help reduce inflammation, thanks to the unique properties of its CBD and THC combination. Since topicals can’t really get you high, you don’t have to worry about THC levels that much.
Specifically, cannabis topical creams are great for treating skin conditions like psoriasis and dermatitis. Cannabis topicals for eczema are especially popular thanks to their anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. They even reduce itching.
Like all kinds of creams and salves, however, you need to make sure you’re using a product that is safe. The cannabis will never be harmful, but other artificial ingredients can cause potential side effects. If you want to play it safe, go with all-natural creams, which aren’t very hard to find when looking for a cannabis topical for pain.
How to Make Cannabis Topical Creams
There are plenty of places to buy topicals made from cannabis online, but that’s not the only way to get them. With a bit of work, you can make your own that works just as well. You’ll need quite a few ingredients, but the incredible outcome is definitely worth all the effort.
The first thing you need to do is make a salve. You’ll need a base and an oil to begin with, and we’ve found beeswax and coconut oil to be especially effective. They’re both all natural and healthy, so begin by taking your oil and putting it into a bowl. You can mix it with olive oil if you like. You’ll need to keep it at low heat – just make sure you don’t burn it.
Then, take your cannabis and heat it up in a pan on your stove. Raw cannabis won’t properly bond with the oil, so you’ll need to decarboxylate it first. When it’s finished, and you’ve avoided burning it up, mix it with your oil. You’ll have to stir it for a good twenty minutes or so to really mix it together. When you’re done, put the mixture into a jar.
Next, it’s time to heat up your beeswax. Once it’s melted, you can add the mixture you previous made along with any essential oils you might want. After it’s all mixed and cooled, you’ll have a nice salve you can use. If you want to make it into more of a lotion, add it to a mixture of shea butter, aloe vera gel, and some Vitamin E oil.
Keep in mind that your lotion will probably be somewhat thick. Cannabis lotion doesn’t lend itself very well to pumps, so don’t bother putting yours in one. Your best bet would be to use canning jars for storage. They’re safe and still make it easy to access it when you need it. Of course, you could always just increase the amount of oil you use to make your lotion more fluid, but that can offset some of the other ingredients if you use too much.
Why You Need Topicals Infused With Cannabis
Whether you’re looking for some pain relief or just want to keep your skin in good condition, you should consider using topicals infused with cannabis. Thanks to the cannabinoids, a variety of conditions and general pain can be treated easily without having to worry about the psychoactive effects. Cannabis continues to prove just how versatile its application can be. What will people come up with next?
