I was asked to teach about Cannabis oils. What a wonderful variety of products.
The Many Benefits of Cannabis Oils
Cannabis Oil and Understanding How it Could Work for you
Cannabis as medicine has been gaining momentum for years across the nation. Recently the addition of some states offering recreational use has broadened horizons and options for use.
Cannabis oil concentrated is currently gaining more popularity for smoking than the dried flowers. This new method of extracting and smoking can seem complicated and unfamiliar to those who have only been used to smoking buds in joints, bowls or bongs.
Before you use Cannabis Oil and Hemp Oil, it is important to know the difference.
Hemp and Cannabis oil both hold similarities and differences; there are variables in how they work and how you will ingest them. For the best effect as medicine, a little understanding goes a long way.
There is a lot of information about these two products on the market. Hemp Oil and Cannabis (marijuana) Oil are in the same plant family but are very different in how they work in the body's system. They both have value as medicine but for varied reasons. There are many terms to learn in the cannabis oil world, such as RSO, FECO, BHO, CO2, Solvent-less.
Cannabis Marijuana Oil vs. Cannabis Hemp Oil
Both oils come from the same genus plant family but are markedly different. How the compounds affect the endocannabinoid system in the body are different as is the effect as a "buzz." The cannabis we call hemp has been used for thousands of years as a textile and food for animals. This version of Hemp Cannabis has little to no psychoactive effect or ability to get the user high but will affect the user in other ways. This effect is because this plant is greater in CBD (Cannabidiol) than THC-A (Tetrahydrocannabinol Acid).
The Cannabis we call "Marijuana" uses the fact it is higher in THC converted from THC-A; to act as a psychoactive agent when heated and decarboxylated. When converted to THC, marijuana leaves the user with a euphoric high after ingestion. This high is what we are familiar with from one of the many cannabinoids in cannabis. Overall there are over 100 active cannabinoids identified in cannabis. These two are just the tip of the green iceberg. Working together in conjunction with many other parts of the whole plant; there is still much to be understood in the Cannabis world.
As an oil, the varieties of cannabinoids work in conjunction with the CB-1 and CB-2 receptors in the brain, to create a multitude of effects and uses. Many features distinguish Cannabis and Hemp and science has much studying to do to understand the future and differences.
Hemp standards require there be less than 0.3% THC to be considered hemp and not marijuana. Marijuana will contain a much higher THC content to be regarded as psychoactive and able to create the "high" associated with using cannabis.
Consuming Oil
Consuming oil safely is essential for benefits and long term use. Cannabis oil can be high in concentrated THC and is often overwhelming for the first time user. With the new ways to both make and use cannabis oil, many users are finding that use of concentrated oil is replacing the traditional smoking method.
Making this switch from bowl smoking to concentrate vaporizing can take some getting used too. Only smoke oil that has been tested and is free of residual gasses or particulate matter.
Oil is typically consumed through vaporization, whether through a vape pen or a dab rig, oil vaporizes at a variety of temperatures. This temperature variance during vaporization allows for a multitude of medical uses and terpene flavors. Studies are being done to compare the differences between vaping oil and smoking cannabis flower.
As the industry understands more and more about concentrated cannabis oil in all forms, we have created many ways to ingest these oils. The industry adds a variety of marijuana/hemp concentrates, to everything; from edibles and lozenges to creams and capsules. The effects will let you know how you want to use oil. Each person handles cannabis differently.
Dosing and Tips for Beginners.
The world of both medical and recreational cannabis can be overwhelming when first starting out. Not understanding that cannabis is stronger now in general than it was 10- 20 years ago. So, people often make the mistake of thinking that because they smoked in college that smoking the same amount now will feel the same. Tolerance and method of ingestion are important to understanding this new frontier.
Tolerance
Your tolerance will depend on how much you smoke each day and how often. It also depends on the fat cells in your body. THC and other cannabis compounds are stored in fat cells and will determine how "high" you get. If you are saturated with cannabis in your endocannabinoid system, you are more likely to have a higher tolerance.
How you ingest will also affect how you feel the cannabis. Smoking a joint creates a different feeling than doing a "dab," or vaping with a pen. All of these various methods of ingestion create a variable that can effect your "body buzz" or "brain high." This system has a lot to do with temperatures and how much of certain compounds make it into the blood stream.
More and more vape pens are becoming the method of choice because of ease of convenience and levels of purity that oil makers can reach. Always smoke tested pure oil.
How to Help Yourself
Keep notes on what works best for you and the desired effect you seek. These notes will help you understand your preferred method of ingestion. For the novice it is important to remember, you can not OVERdose on cannabis. If you feel you have taken too much or do not like the way a particular cannabis reacts with your system, don't worry, just lay down and wait it out; this will pass.
How you ingest cannabis will always have a different effect. Eating cannabis products takes longer for the body to process because the THC is converted from a Delta 9 THC to a Delta 11 THC. This science has to do with where the cannabis goes in the receptors in the brain and how it is processed in the liver.
A principle of fact, using cannabis as a foundation for good health is your first step in overall benefit. Cannabis oil as a concentrate is safe and efficient in all forms. Find what works best for you and your needs. Even as a recreational product it can still have some medical benefits; as your body has many outlets and needs for the full variety of cannabis compounds.
How cannabis has helped you find stable health and well-being.
my friends use the oil to help their anxiety and panic attacks. wonderful stuff