I’ve been doing some research in the cannabis plant and different consumption methods.
I am mainly interested in topicals.
While I am quite familiar with smoking flower and the convenience of vapes, I had never considered the potential of topicals until recently. While browsing the shelves of my favorite dispensary in Portland, I noticed an abundance of cannabis infused lotions, balms, ointments, roll-ons, sprays, transdermal patches and even bath bombs. I learned that these products are non-psychoactive, have no dosing limitations and can be applied multiple times per day. The effects of topicals are realized by activating cannabinoid receptors in the skin, providing pain relief, reducing inflammation, promoting healing and treating conditions such as acne, psoriasis and eczema. They can even be beneficial in stress-relief, treatment of insomnia and for arthritis and MS. It’s extremely helpful to be able to treat certain medical conditions internally and well as externally. I often experience inflammation, swelling and pain in my various joints. I can smoke, vape or place a few drops of a tincture under my tongue and the cannabinoids work their way into my bloodstream to provide relief. At the same time, I can apply a cannabis infused topical directly to the spot that hurts. Topicals are divided into Type I that is THC-dominant, Type II that is a combination of CBD and THC and Type III that is CBD dominant. I’ve experimented with the various types of cannabis topicals to find what works best for me. I like that they typically absorb quickly, aren’t greasy and because of being infused with essential oils, tend to smell pleasant. Rather than a medicinal odors, cannabis topicals often smell like lavender, citrus or eucalyptus.