What is Cannabis Oil?

Written and Fact Checked by: S. Zulfiqar

For so long, cannabis has been a demonized plant. Considering the fact that its medicinal and recreational use dates all the way back in ancient times, it’s hard to understand how the plant became so controversial over the last few decades. Luckily, much has changed as time has progressed.

As of today, due to widespread legalization, it seems like the end of cannabis prohibition is in sight. Commonly used to treat many conditions, including anxiety, PTSD, cancer, and chronic pain, with funding now available for scientific research, doctors are finding more and more medical applications. In this article, we learn about a delivery method of cannabis that is both unique and effective.

Behind Cannabis Oil 

Consuming cannabis in the form of an oil is becoming a new trend. If you are unfamiliar with cannabis, then you must be wondering, what is cannabis ? What are cannabis oils? Let us enlighten you.

Cannabis oil is made by extracting the oil from the cannabis plant using a method of extraction. Cannabis oils are derived from resins or ‘conserves’ taken from plant matter and cannabis Sativa. They have a powerful aromatic scent and appear in a range of colors, potenticies, sizes, and even flavors. This oil contain extracted chemical components like cannabinoids such as CBD, THC, even CBG, and CBN. However, depending on the type of weed oil you purchase and reason why you’re purchasing it, they may also include terpenes, which are another type of cannabis chemical compound responsible for the certain qualities of cannabis including its flavor and characteristic scent. 

While there is a variety of cannabis oils, they can either contain an isolated cannabinoid or more than one. A perfect example of this is CBD lol  which solely contains CBD — the same goes for any other isolated cannabinoids such as THC or CBG oil. Or, as we mentioned, they can be an oil which contains or more than one, which is considered a whole plant or full spectrum cannabis extracted oil.

Considering this, each type of oil will provide a therapeutic effect, yet they each are unique in their own right. All this said, what’s even more amazing is the fact that you can use this oil in a number of different way — we some of the most below:

Vaping Cannabis Oil

The process of vaping cannabis oil includes heating cannabis oil and inhaling it using a vaporizing device like an e-cigarette or a vape pen. Because it does not entail inhaling smoke, some individuals claim that vaping weed oil is a safer alternative than smoking. However, vaping is still a new concept, and there hasn’t been enough significant research to establish if it’s safe or not.

According to research published on vaping, it is suggested that vaping cannabis  oil, particularly oil containing vitamin E acetate, is thought to be highly damaging to your lungs. It is extremely dangerous to inhale vitamin E acetate, which is a commonly added substance in cannabis  when preparing it for use in vaping devices and e-cigarettes.

Consumers should avoid using black market e-cigarettes and vaping devices, especially those that contain cannabis  oil, as per the reports released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Even a single vape of the oil might have a major influence on your lungs so above all, be wise in your consumption no matter which vape you choose.

Applying Cannabis Oil Topically 

Don’t want to inhale your cannabis oil? Well, you don’t have to. Topical application refers to applying cannabis oil by rubbing it directly on the skin in targeted areas.. After doing this act, the oil is able to penetrate deeply into the pores of skin to provide relief of pain — be it from injury, strain, age, or surface level issues of the skin.

While this is amazing, applying cannabis this easily doesn’t necessarily allow for cannabinoids found in the cannabis oil to be absorbed into the bloodstream. So it might not be very effective for certain conditions such as Naja or anxiety. However due to its relationship with pain points of the body including the muscles and joints, depending on the potency of the cannabis oil the topical application is transformative for providing relief from discomfort deep down.

Consuming Cannabis Oil Sublingually 

This can be done by way of a dropper or oil-filled capsules. Along with inhalation, enjoying cannabis oil Sublingually is perhaps the most common and effective way to consume Cannabis. When we talk about sublingual administration we are referring to using a dropper to place a few drops under the tongue directly for maximum absorption.

It is believed that placing cannabis oil under the tongue allows for faster absorption as the molecules only have to survive traveling through the capillaries under the tongue before entering the bloodstream, resulting in a quick and potent experience. This is unlike what you see with edible forms of cannabis, as they must pass through the liver to be metabolized and then digested, which can cause effects to take longer to kick in. This delivery method of cannabis oil is great for those who don’t wish to inhale or use topicals. Plus, it’s super easy to dose!

Conclusion

 Now, we should say that the detection of cannabis oil is possible to show up in a drug test. And, despite its numerous potential health benefits, it has some potential adverse effects that should be considered before purchasing any weed oil product. Nonetheless, some people prefer cannabis oil for its possible health benefits as well as the high sensation it produces.

So, if you’re contemplating consuming cannabis oil, we suggest that you take it low and slow. Keep in mind that the effects of this oil take time to manifest, starting with low doses and working your way up —after 30 minutes to an hour is always a good idea. And, as a final tip, also be sure to consult with your primary health care provider if you’re uncertain about what will work best for your needs. 

 

Relatable reads: Live Resin: What Is It, and Why Is It So Awesome?, How to Smoke Hash and Other Hash Basics

References 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6952050/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6275223/