The cannabis extract market is made up of a “never-ending-ever-growing” landscape of products. Oils, pomades, tinctures, shampoos, soap, etc. Not to mention the 113 types of cannabinoids used to produce them; CBD, THC, CBN, and so forth. It’s a “you name it, we have it” sort of situation.
All made for different body types and different purposes; some medical, some recreational.
Meaning:
There’s never a “one and only” cannabis consumption method and there’s never a single cannabinoid that’s good for everything.
Which brings us to an early conclusion:
Using cannabis oil the right way is a subject determined by preferences and body types.
However, there are methods that are somewhat standard and effective for most people. Each cannabinoid has a consumption method and dose that makes it most effective, and that’s what we’ll be looking at.
What is Cannabis Oil?
You’ve probably heard about cannabinoids, but let’s give it a quick re-cap.
Cannabinoids are the main components of the cannabis plant. Among them, you might recognize THC and CBD as two of the most popular names.
CBD and THC are not the only ones on the list. There are 113 total different cannabinoids within the cannabis flower, all of which provide their own specific effects and benefits.
That part is simple enough to understand, but in order to access a single specific cannabinoid, companies have to use extraction processes that target the cannabinoid and take it away from the other components. Resulting from this process are cannabis extracts, that initially come in the form of resin or shatter.
By taking the resulting resin or shatter from the extraction process, companies can develop other products like CBD oil and other edible concentrates.
Concentrates come in many forms – especially if you’re buying weed online in Canada:
In order for your body to absorb these, you’ll have a few different possible delivery methods; inhalation or vaping, sublingual absorption, trans-dermal application (skin contact), oral ingestion, or intranasal delivery.
The delivery method will be determined by the type of product you consume, whether it’s a vaped oil, tincture, rub, or edible so how do you figure out which product is right for you?
How to Use Cannabis Oil?
As briefly discussed before, this will largely depend on the main cannabinoid contained in the concentrate and on the type of ingestion method or concentrate used. To understand this better we have to explain the concept of bioavailability.
Bioavailability refers to the proportion of a substance that is absorbed by the body and consequently enters the bloodstream. With higher bioavailability comes higher efficiency to the delivery method for that cannabis extract in particular.
Across centuries, the most common delivery method has been smoking, and in the last few years; vaping.
Some studies have reported bioavailability rates of 2-56% for THC, which seems like two limits very far apart. Other studies have found that THC consumed by inhalation can range from 10% to 35%. Also attributing the difference to smoking-related variables like the total number of puffs and their duration.
Vape kits such as the ones pictured above differ vastly from traditional, dry cannabis-based vaporization. Instead of using flowers, these vaporizers utilize a cannabis oil concentrate known as distillate. Distillate’s HC potency starts at 80% THC and goes up from there – they’re an incredibly potent cannabis oil concentrate.
Aside from the increased bioavailability, these kinds of vaporizers also provide another, often unappreciated benefit – discreteness.
With the vapour rapidly dissipating after you exhale, these vape pens can be used on-the-go to medicate without leaving a pungent cloud of smoke behind.
Available in both THC and CBD varieties, they are the go-to choice for many tokers seeking to reap the benefits of cannabis without drawing too much attention to themselves. This is by and large the most popular way to use cannabis oil.
Cannabis Oil vs. Tinctures
Tinctures deserve their own “rights reserved” sort of chapter in this article because when you think of cannabis oil, it’s probably a tincture you’re picturing. They even come in similar packaging in many cases; the classic flask with a dropper cap.
Tinctures are one of the fastest and most efficient ways to consume cannabis. They use sublingual application so the cannabinoids in the concentrate get absorbed through the membranes located under your tongue and on the insides of your cheeks.
As with transdermal patches, the substance also bypasses the liver en-route to your bloodstream and avoids the further breakdown of components that might take a toll on their effects. The same thing goes for oil.
So what’s the difference?
Unlike oil, tinctures are produced with an alcohol base. Some include essential oils and vitamins, but the mixture is distilled in 60-70% distilled alcohol. Some tinctures can be used to cook, but the most direct form of consumption for CBD or THC tinctures is still sublingual application.
What’s the main difference with oil?
Oil is suspended in a base of essential or carrier oils like Hemp Seed, MCT, or coconut oil. They still maintain the same main use method; sublingual. Bases like coconut oil and other ingredients are added to CBD or THC extracts to aid in dilution, making it easier for the body to absorb them.
The use of tincture and oil products has been popularized over the past few years because of the efficiency of sublingual cannabis intake. They’re also an easy way out of lighting up and having to take smoke into your lungs.
Cannabis oil also provides you with alternative infusions in other products like homemade edibles, coffee, tea, or using it directly as a cooking ingredient like coconut oil.
It has to be said that both CBD and THC oils have different profiles, so what could work for one might not work for the other.
Final Thoughts on How To Use Cannabis Oil
When discussing how to use cannabis oil, unfortunately, there isn’t a firm and solid answer.
Better cannabis absorption comes down to the type of concentrate and the main cannabinoid in it. THC, CBD, CBN, and 113 more components of the cannabis plant all have their own chemical and physical properties, psychoactive effects or non-psychoactive effects (like CBD for instance).
In a world where cannabis pharmacokinetics is a work in progress, consumers should take responsibility in consumption and try out different products as well as ingestion methods to determine which one works best for them.
To view the highest variety of product selections available, it’s best to visit an online dispensary Canada and buy weed online. You’ll be hard-pressed to a product selection as large and prices as low as an online dispensary. Remember that to experiment to find a solution that works best with you – there really is no cookie-cutter solution when it comes to cannabis!
For more information on cannabis news, use and events in Canada – check out HERE.
