What You Need to Know About Cannabis Tinctures

The great thing about using marijuana in the United States nowadays is that you have plenty of options for what you want to use. Most people are familiar with a few different types of cannabis products, but they still don’t have a good idea of the sheer amount of product varieties that are available to them. Obviously, smoking whole flower cannabis is one of the most popular ways to use marijuana, since many people agree that it is the most effective way to feel the effects of THC quickly. But what about marijuana use for people that don’t want to smoke weed? Are there ways to use cannabis that don’t involve sacrificing the health of your lungs? Of course! Edibles, tinctures, topicals, and other methods are all great ways to consume cannabis that don’t need to be inhaled. Tinctures are an extremely effective and unique method of cannabis consumption that not a lot of people are familiar with. Today, I wanted to write a blog post explaining the science behind marijuana tinctures and tell you why they are a completely viable alternative to smoking or using edibles. 

So what are tinctures and how do they work? Well, cannabis tinctures are mostly alcohol based extracts. There is a lot of science that goes into the creation and function of cannabis tinctures, but in the simplest of terms, it’s basically cannabis infused alcohol. Now, I am not talking about alcohol and cannabis oil in some 50/50 mixture that will get you crossed in no time. There is very little alcohol in cannabis tinctures – it’s mostly just THC. Did you know that cannabis oils and tinctures were the main forms of medical cannabis in the United States when medical programs began to become established?

It was much easier for policy makers to accept using cannabis oil rather than smoking it. Plus, it does make more sense from a medical standpoint to use tinctures. Patients can avoid the negative impacts of smoking and can administer very accurate and precise doses of THC using a dropper. Cannabis tinctures can be extremely potent and also contain high amounts of CBD. All these things make tinctures a great option for medical and recreational marijuana users alike. So if you are wanting to try out cannabis tinctures for yourself, I definitely recommend reading the rest of this article to learn more about them.

The great thing about cannabis tinctures, as I just mentioned earlier, is that they can be administered in very precise doses. Plus, they are super discrete and easy to use. You can purchase some flavored tinctures at your local dispensary and simply administer a drop or two as is under your tongue. They are super discrete and portable. Let’s face it – no one wants to smell like weed all the time. If you don’t have time to shower or change clothes after smoking, cannabis tinctures offer a great alternative. You can even use these things in public and no one will really know. Plus, the effects from the THC after using a tincture will be felt relatively quickly compared to edibles or topicals. In fact, you can start feeling it in as little as 15 minutes or so. Edibles are great because of how long they last, but it can be annoying to sit around for an hour while you wait for them to kick in. Using tinctures, you’ll be soaring in the clouds in no time. Cannabis tinctures can also be added to food or beverages and consumed while you have dinner. Honestly, I think I might go out and buy some cannabis tinctures really soon. 

Marijuana and HIV

Marijuana is something that’s been looked like a potential treatment for HIV. While HIV does target the immune system, targeting white blood cells, it can cause neuropathy, cognitive problems, and infections that are frequent. Some research has looked to see if HIV helps. 

The research on this 

The disease that causes HIV is something that’s complicated and is usually contracted through the spread of bodily fluids of some kind.  However, the ECS does help with balance, and it’s something that a lot of people do look at, and it can definitely prove to be a wonderful additive as well. 

As for cannabis it can help with inflammation that comes with this.  Inflammation that’s chronic is something which does underpin a ton of diseases. That’s because inflammation in it of itself does get a bad reputation, but it does help us with fighting off pathogens.  The problem, however, is when it goes into overdrive, and from there, it cause inflammatory cells to attack those intruders, and that can get aggressive, damaging your tissues. 

While some parts of this get reduced due to HIV, there are some cells that get activated, and it can case issues with the imbalances of different parts of the body, including your gut microbiome, heart, and also the neurological conditions that are out there. 

Many of these patients do experience it, and it also has a lot of behavioral changes that go along with this. But in a recent paper, it looked at the possible impact of using cannabis and the neurocognitive impairment that happens  to almost 700 people that suffer from this condition. It could alter the way the nervous system is, and help with this, but you have to use this every single day. 

As for immunity, it was found in a trial done in 2019 that it could help with the possibility of the immune system. The study looked at 26 different patients that had a viral load that was undetectable for about three years, and they would give them oral capsules, and they’d contain a THC and CBD ratio of 1:1 or 1:9, and it was found the results weren’t published. 

What about pain? there are tons of patients who were using cannabis to help with a variety of different pain ailments, and it’s something that is prescribed a lot for a lot of conditions. As researchers look for the role of the ECS in the signaling of pain and such, they do look to see if there is a way to manage the neuropathic pain that a person has. 

In a systemic review which was published back in 2021, they looked at the current and existing preclinical along with the clinical data that pitched the ECS enzymes, endocannabinoids, and the inhibitors and how it played a role in HIV. Right now, there is still more avenues that need to be explored for administration. 

The downsides 

The major downside that comes with this, is that it’s inconclusive.  There’s definitely some downsides to using cannabis. While CBD and THC are the most abundant, there are over 100 different cannabinoids. 

The problem as well, is that CBD does come with other side effects too, including psychotropic ones that ca potentially mess with a person. 

Some people also do repot that they might have stomach issues when they experience this, and there is also the fact that while CBD doesn’t create the psychoactive effects, there is a chance that it ca make you a bit drowsy, which is something to be mindful of, especially for those that also use pharmaceuticals too to help. 

How cannabis Might help with Mental Health

One in five adults within the YUS have some kind of mental illness, and when people deal with this, it can lead to further chronic conditions and diseases.  It actually is associated commonly with major diseases, including cancer and diabetes, and depression is one of the leading disabilities out there. 

One thing people have started to use to treat this, is well cannabis, since it doesn’t have many terrible side effects, and may mitigate various conditions. While the research is variable on the correlation between the impact of cannabis and of course how it impacts mental illness, there are some things that people have learned since taking this, and how it helps those who struggle with mental health. 

Schizophrenia 

This is something that’s had some trials that revealed CBD is actually good for alleviating symptoms that come with schizophrenia.  This is something that was found to stop- psychotic elements and symptoms in those who dealt with it, similar in fact to antipsychotic meds. CBD is also known to offer euphoric results, and this is something that THC can help with in those that are looking to mitigate euphoric moments. 

Dementia 

Dementia is something that many people deal with, and it is a debilitating condition with a lot of issues. According to a study of 150 persons that dealt with this, cannabis did help alleviate various symptoms in those with PTSD, compared to those who didn’t. 

However, this is one that’s based on the severity of the dementia conditions but is worth checking out if you’re someone who is dealing with this problem. 

Anxiety 

Anxiety is another one that does benefit from this, but this one specifically requires certain dosages, especially with THC. Too much can cause problems, since it actually increases your anxiety. However, CBD is great for reducing anxiety no matter the level, but usually, both of these help to activate the oxytocin receptions within the body, and it improves the dopamine levels, offering calm, collected feelings in those who struggle with it. 

Depression 

According to a study of 500 different participants on depression, it was discovered that cannabis does have an impact on this. When they looked at the baseline of this, before they started these studies, those cannabis users who were using it actually reported that they noticed smaller and lowered depression levels, compared to those who didn’t. 

This was mostly seen in those who used CBD products though, but those who used THC can also benefit from this too. Not just depression itself, but the symptoms benefitted from this, including better sleep, quality of life, and pain decreased too. Those who didn’t use cannabis initially, but during the follow-up, noticed a decrease in various symptoms of depression too. 

Cannabis can Help 

While the research is ongoing and emerging, the various research and studies that have been used all point to one thing: that cannabis does indeed help with symptoms related to mental health conditions and the like. The effects of this do depend on the time you use cannabis, and of course, how much of both THC and CBD you’re using and whether or not one is more dominant than the other. 

However, you should consult a medical cannabis doctor before you try to just use this, to get the best types of cannabis that suit your various needs. 

Talk to them today to find out more about what you can use, and of course, the best treatments out there which are possible for all of the different cannabis needs that you have, and all of the other benefits too.

What is THC-O

The crazy thing about the marijuana industry in the United States is just how far it has come. Obviously, we have been getting more and more access to different types of marijuana strains due to recent changes in cannabis policy and law. Now that there are well over 40 states in the U.S. that have legalized medical marijuana, and around 20 or so states that have additionally legalized recreational marijuana, it is safe to say that adults living in the United States have more access to cannabis than ever before.

However, there are a lot of nuances to the world of marijuana. It feels like there are new types of THC coming about every day. We talk about Delta-8 CBD, Delta-9 THC, THC-V, and many more. Honestly, it can all get a bit confusing sometimes. Today, I wanted to take some time to tell you about a different type of THC that you could try using for yourself. THC-O is not really considered one of the same types of THC that one would generally find when using indica or sativa dominant weed. Instead, think of it like a close relative.

THC-O is probably something that you have not heard of before, but that is just because it has not been talked about a whole lot in the media or anything. However, THC-O has recently begun to pick up some traction in the United States and is becoming one of the preferred types of THC for various cannabis lovers. So what really makes THC-O different? Well, it all has to do with some weird science stuff that I don’t really want to get inot right now. After all, I am a weed lover and not a scientist. Basically, what you do need to know is that THC-O is much more potent than other forms of THC. It also is not water-soluble. What all of this means is that you can use less THC-O than you would other forms and still feel its very strong effects. So make sure to keep reading more of this article if you want to learn more about this strange type of THC.

There is a reason that smoking cannabis has been the go-to method for so many people that consume marijuana. Much of the reason for this is because how quickly smoking weed can take effect. However, isn’t smoking bad for you? After all, we have been trying to warn the youth from smoking tobacco for a long time now – why would we say that smoking weed is not dangerous? Well, the truth is that smoking anything into your lungs is not going to be inherently safe. The only thing that is supposed to go into your lungs is air. However, we do know that smoking cannabis is relatively safer than smoking tobacco or nicotine, mainly because marijuana is a natural plant found in nature.

Cigarettes often have toxic chemicals that are extremely harmful to the human body. Weed doesn’t really have that. However, people still prefer to smoke weed rather than any other type of consumption. We are not totally sure about the long term effects of smoking weed, since we have not had great studies concluded on the matter yet. A lot of doctors are suggesting medical marijuana patients to use tinctures or edibles – something that will not cause irritation to the lungs but still provide the benefits of using cannabis. Either way, THC-O may be a great option for people that are using medical marijuana cards. THC-O could be much more effective in edible or tincture form than other types of THC, simply because it is more potent and does not dissolve into liquid in the same way.