Cannabis is a bit like potatoes; there’s a style for every person and mood. There are mashed potatoes, potato chips, fries, hashbrowns, and baked potatoes, just to name a few. Likewise, you can consume cannabis by smoking, eating, or drinking it. Though there’s another, lesser-known cannabis method – topical cannabis.
While the health benefits of cannabis are becoming more widely known, many people don’t realize that you don’t have to consume cannabis to receive its benefits. Unlike the other consumption options, you don’t digest topical cannabis. You absorb it through your skin. There are plenty of options to choose from, and they are fantastic for soothing aching muscles or inflammation. It’s also used to treat some skin conditions, too. Let us tell you about them.
How Do Cannabis Topicals Work?
Your skin is not only your largest organ but also your most absorbent. Thanks to our many pores, our skin absorbs anything we put on it. A study analyzed the skin’s absorption rate of chemicals in drinking water during the 1980s and discovered the skin was soaked in an average of 64 percent of the contaminants. We don’t know about you, but this fact makes us more aware of what we put on our skin. However, it’s also why topical cannabis products work so well.
Topical cannabis enters your bloodstream through your skin rather than your digestive tract, like edibles do, or through your lungs when you smoke it. Once the cannabis is in your bloodstream, the rest of the process is the same regardless of your consumption method. At that point, the cannabis binds with your cannabinoid receptors within your endocannabinoid system.
Like other cannabis consumption methods, there are a variety of options to choose from, not just with product styles, such as balms or bath salts, but also THC, CBD, or a mixture depending on your desired outcome. You won’t feel any psychoactive effects from topical cannabis – even if it has THC – but it is effective in treating many conditions.
Health Benefits of Topical Cannabis
While consuming cannabis is the most common method for receiving the many health benefits marijuana is known for, evidence shows that applying cannabis topically to the skin can effectively treat an array of conditions.
We’ve already mentioned that cannabis topicals are great for easing muscle pain and inflammation, but some studies also indicate CBD topicals are especially good at reducing arthritis pain.
Migraines affect millions of people and can seriously disrupt your day when they arise. Thankfully, migraines are on the list of ailments that topical cannabis has been shown to help. Even the American Migraine Foundation suggested that CBD oils ease migraine related joint stiffness and neck pain.
Though it isn’t just internal discomfort that topical cannabis can help. Research indicates that people suffering from some skin conditions, such as eczema, can benefit from topical cannabis. Additional research shows that topical CBD can be included in your daily skin care regimen to reduce acne and blemishes on the skin.
Topical Cannabis Options
When it comes to topical cannabis, there are three primary categories – CBD isolates, full spectrum, and broad spectrum. As we’re sure you can guess, CBD isolates include only cannabidiol (CBD) cannabinoids. Meanwhile, broad spectrum topical cannabis products contain a blend of terpenes and cannabinoids, excluding THC. Full spectrum products, however, include a wide range of cannabinoids and terpenes.
Oils
Cannabis oils are wonderful because there are several ways you can use them. While many people consume cannabis oil orally, you can also ally it topically. Simply rub about a teaspoon of cannabis oil on sore muscles or joints and massage it into your skin – which is also how you’d apply any other topical cannabis product.
Salves and Balms
While oils are nice, cannabis infused salves and balms provide stronger relief. At Greeley Gallery, we can’t recommend the Dragon’s Blend Salve by Medicine Farm Botanicals enough. Athletes love using it to help recover after a strenuous workout, especially for easing nerve pain, bruising, and arthritis.
Bath Salts
This is the only topical cannabis method that doesn’t include massaging the cannabis product directly into your skin. Instead, cannabis bath salts are the perfect option for unwinding after a long day or to ease a full-body ache. Simply add some cannabis bath salts to your warm bathwater and relax as the cannabis does its work.
Final Thoughts
Every year researchers are discovering more about cannabis, and the results are even more remarkable than anyone ever realized. As if the broad range of health benefits cannabis provides isn’t enough, there are near as many options to consume it. Topical cannabis products are perfect for anyone looking to receive some of the health benefits cannabis provides, without the high associated with it.
Stop into our recreational and medicinal cannabis dispensary, Greeley Gallery, any day of the week between 7am and 10pm. We care about all our customers and that means offering only the highest-quality and locally made cannabis products. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff are happy to answer any questions or make recommendations. See you soon!
