The cannabis craze has taken over our home and native land, making the scent of marijuana a familiar one on city streets and inspiring a new demographic of the “canna-curious.”
While there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a little freshly rolled flower (especially during the easy, breezy days of summer), cannabis oil is a solid alternative for those looking to reap the benefits of cannabis, minus the high, smoke and smell.
There are many reasons why cannabis oil – the concentrated liquid extracts from marijuana plants – is becoming such a trend for users across the board, from 20-somethings to over-65s who turn to it to aid with certain ailments.
So, what’s all the hype about?
It’s Flexible.
When it comes to consuming cannabis oil, you have options. Cannabis oil can be consumed sublingually (under the tongue) or in a capsule form. But you can also add it to everything, including yoghurt, smoothies, and your morning coffee or ginger tea. CBD oil is a trusted ingredient for some when it comes to baking goods of all kinds. It can be infused into topical creams and moisturizers too.
It’s Discreet.
For those still worried about any lingering (but diminishing) stigmas of stereotypes surrounding cannabis – predominantly women and seniors, as research has shown – one of the perks of cannabis oil is that it can be your little secret; it’s portable and discreet. Quebec-based company HEXO’s easy-to-use Elixir, for example, offers a cannabis oil product in an inconspicuous, childproof spray bottle.
It Doesn’t Have to Get You High.
As research on the medical benefits of cannabis mounts from universities, a growing number of people are turning to cannabis with hope that its reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties will offer relief from some ailments, such as arthritis and fibromyalgia. Most recently, researchers in Israel found evidence that cannabis helped reduce pain for most fibromyalgia patients. Thanks to the fact that CBD oil is available free of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in the marijuana plant, relief from symptoms doesn’t have to get you high.
People Claim it Enhances their Quality of Life.
People have turned to cannabis oil to treat everything from anxiety and insomnia, to chronic pain and IBS. For those who live with debilitating pain or anxiety, a dose of CBD may make daily life easier. While research is still in its infancy, CBD has been utilized in preclinical and clinical studies for the treatment of pain by the University of São Paulo. Results revealed its correlation with pain reduction.
It’s Helped When Nothing Else Has.
The strongest evidence of CBD’s health benefits, according to a Harvard study, is its potential for treating childhood epilepsy syndromes like Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndromes. While such conditions typically don’t respond to anti-seizure medications, some consumers have reported that CBD reduces or even stops seizures.
It’s Long-Lasting.
Unlike vaping or smoking, oils are long-lasting if they are absorbed through the digestive system and bloodstream. The effects of cannabis oils can last six to 10 hours.
Of course, cannabis oil is now completely legal and readily available across the country through provincially-run online stores, retail outlets or medical cannabis brands. All cannabis oils sold across the country will have the ratio of THC/CBD per mg/mL listed on the packaging or on the brand’s website – so you know exactly what you’re in for.