ABOUT CANNABIS TOPICALS
Lotions, balms, oils, bath products… there are many different types of topical cannabis with different kinds of cannabinoids in them. Topicals are some of our favorite kinds of products here at Dreamz Dispensaries, but they can often be overlooked among so many kinds of cannabis products.
What’s cool about topicals is unlike other kinds of cannabis products, topicals won’t give you any sort of high. Instead of delivering THC or CBD directly into your bloodstream like flower or an edible, topicals are absorbed into the skin and rarely make it to the bloodstream, if at all. Despite this, many of our guests enjoy topicals for their potential to soothe skin, ease sore muscles, and other skin and body-related uses.
Keep reading to learn more about topicals, how they work, and ways you can use them.
How Cannabis Topicals Work
Cannabis topicals is a sort of umbrella term for cannabis products that designed to be used externally on the skin. Instead of being inhaled or ingested like flower or a gummy, cannabis topicals work externally. Even if ingested (which they shouldn’t be), most cannabis topicals can’t get you high like other products can.
Topicals usually contain some kinds of cannabinoids, most commonly THC, CBD, or some combination of both, and are combined with some sort of carrier like a lotion, balm, or bath soak. Different types of topicals offer different experiences. For spot relief, balms and lotions can be applied to targeted areas, while a bath soak or bath bomb offers a more full-body effect.
Topicals, like any other cannabis product, work by interacting with the endocannabinoid system, but they interact differently than other products. Cannabis applied to the skin can still interact with the endocannabinoid system, but our skin makes it more difficult for the cannabinoids to be absorbed into the body. Your skin is one of the many ways your body protects you from debris and outside elements, so the same goes for contact with THC or CBD. So, you can’t get high from cannabis topicals, but you can experience effects from the topical interacting with the cannabinoid receptors in your skin.
Some topical products, like transdermal gels or patches, do have the potential to enter your bloodstream. So, if you’re trying to avoid getting high or having cannabis in your system, we suggest sticking to other topical products.
Why Should I Use CBD or THC Topicals?
Topicals can’t get you high. This may sound counterintuitive, but this is one of the biggest reasons people use topicals.
Because the cannabinoids in topicals don’t enter your bloodstream, the chance of them producing a positive drug test result is very slim. If you are unable to consume cannabis because of drug test concerns, topicals are an excellent way to use cannabis in your life without that risk.
And if you’re not concerned about having THC in your system, you may still find topicals to be great for you. Topicals can also carry the benefits of your favorite skincare products. Some topicals can be moisturizing or soothing to your skin with the added potential benefits of cannabinoids included. Depending on the ingredients, you may find some topicals include the same potential skincare effects as other products you already use!
Why Do People Use Cannabis Topicals?
There are many reasons! Most commonly, our guests like to use topicals for muscle soreness or inflammation. Many people use THC and CBD products in general for pain-related concerns, and topicals can fall into that category as well. When the topicals interact with our endocannabinoid systems, some people report the topicals can help ease their symptoms after a workout or for pain.
Topicals can also just be generally relaxing for the body. Like we said earlier, products like cannabis bath soaks have been described as a full-body, relaxing experience. For cannabis lotions and balms, you can choose where to apply them to experience the effects in different parts of your body. You can try out different products and places to apply them to find what works best for you!
Some people also claim topicals help with skin concerns, like eczema or acne. There is not a lot of information on this subject, so definitely do research on topical products and spot test them. This article by Pharmacy Times explains some research on topical cannabis products and the potential they may have to benefit the skin. Regardless of what you’re using them for, you should spot test topical products as you would any other product you’d use on your skin. Better safe than sorry!
How Do You Dose a Cannabis Topical?
When dosing cannabis topicals, it depends on the product, as well as your needs. As with any cannabis product, we recommend starting small and working your way up until you find what works best for you. You may prefer to use more or less product depending on what you experience the best effects from.
The needed dose, length of effects, and strength of the topical can vary greatly between products. Always read labels to get an idea of what you’re in for, most products will have more information about the effects on their packaging. Effects and duration can also vary greatly depending on the cannabinoids within the topical product. In general, people report 4-6 hours of effects from topical products, but everyone is different!
Should I Use Cannabis Topicals?
That’s up to you! We love them, and we always recommend our guests try a variety of products to find what works best for them. When we talk about the sweet spot at Dreamz, we mean all of our products, not just the edible of inhalable ones. Everyone is different, and you may find that topicals are a better solution for your needs than traditional cannabis products.
We will say, though, some people may not find topicals to be the best option for them. If you have a lot of skin allergies or are just generally sensitive to any sort of topical products, cannabis topicals may not be the best products for you. If you are looking for the more traditional cannabis experience with inhalables or edibles that will get you high, you may not be interested in topicals at all. We encourage you to give them a try though, you may find them to be more helpful than you think!
How Do I Choose the Best Cannabis Topical For Me?
When you visit your nearest Dreamz Dispensary, we can walk you through what we have and guide you to your perfect product. Education and knowledgeability are important to us- we make sure we know what we’re talking about so we can help you to the best of our ability.
If you have any questions or want to learn more about our topical products, we encourage you to stop by one of our locations and speak with us. We’d love to tell you more about our topicals! You can see the topicals we carry on our products pages and take a look at what we have to offer. If you’d like, reach out to us on our contact page and we can get in touch there!
We hope this blog helped you learn more about cannabis topicals. Visit us at Dreamz Dispensary to see our topical product selection! Locations.
