What is Cannabis Essential Oil and How Do You Use It?
What is cannabis essential oil? In this guide, we’re exploring more about essential oils taken from the marijuana plant. People may not have always associated cannabis with cosmetics or using in an essential oil diffuser, but they absolutely can! Often to great effect, too. Marijuana oils have terpenes within and this can be released into the room for aromatherapy. We show you how in this post.
What is Cannabis Essential Oil?
Essential oils are extracted from leaves and other parts of hemp and marijuana plants. They’re usually extracted by steam distillation. The effects of this essential oil varies depending on the strain that the marijuana plant was in. For instance, Sativa and Indica varieties will have very different impacts on the body.
A lot of cannabis essential oil comes from hemp rather than strains of marijuana that contain THC. They have a similar makeup, and have a lot of the beneficial terpenes and compounds found within cannabis species. Hemp can create quite a strong aroma, which people tend to either love or hate.
Once you have the oil, you can put it in a diffuser or even incorporate it in cosmetic products and topical sprays and rubs in order to reap the benefits and to give a different aroma.
Cannabis Essential Oil Benefits
There is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest that cannabis essential oils have numerous benefits for mind and body. More studies are needed to develop a full understanding of the exact impacts, and they can vary from one strain to another. In general, though, there are some positive outcomes of using essential oils that many people experience.
Many people have reported feeling relaxed as a result of using cannabis essential oils. A recent study showed that people exposed started to feel relaxed and calm after inhaling marijuana as an essential oil. Other studies have also suggested that it stimulates the limbic system in the brain to trigger memories. It may even improve your recall. Some researchers have claimed that this use of essential oil cannabis can even help with the nervous system function.
Undeniably, people have different experiences, and whether or not there is THC within your chosen oil will play a part in how it impacts the brain. It makes sense that many of the same effects that we experience when enjoying CBD oil, for example, would translate to an inhaled product. Terpenes can still get into your endocannabinoid system through the air.
A lot of people simply enjoy the smell, and the fact that they can mix their cannabis oil with other essential oils to create calming and vibrant environments within the home. Aromatherapy with essential oils is still a very common practice.
Where to Buy Cannabis Essential Oil?
The best way to buy cannabis essential oils is to visit a licensed cannabis dispensary. This way, you can be sure that you know exactly what you are buying. In many states, cannabis products will even show details such as when the distillation took place and what strain is within, plus the concentration of CBD and THC within.
There are some options for buying cannabis essential oils online, these will all be oils that are derived from hemp rather than coming from cannabis that contains THC. It’s unlikely that there will be any “high” as a result of using these types of cannabis oils.
How to Use Cannabis Essential Oil?
If you’re already a user of essential oils then you may already know how to use it. If not, a few simple steps can get you on the way!
Firstly, make sure you store it properly, in a cool and dark place. Cannabis oil and hemp oil can cease to be effective if you don’t store them in the correct way.
Your marijuana oil needs a carrier oil. You can use sunflower, argan, even olive oil if this is what you have available. Dilute the marijuana within, and you can then add this to a diffuser or even within topical products like skin creams.
The easiest method for beginners is to use a diffuser. This is a very simple gadget that slowly releases the oil and its beneficial properties into the atmosphere around you.