CANNABIS USAGE
METHODS OF APPLICATION
Cannabis can be ingested in numerous ways, all of which have different medicinal benefits that aid various health conditions.
SMOKING FLOWER
Flowers are the most commonly thought of form of cannabis based medicine. It is the part of the female Cannabis plant containing the most resin and the highest percentage of Cannabinoids.
After the Cannabis plant is grown to maturity, the unpollinated flowers are harvested, dried and cured. Smoking the plant matter and concentrates provides immediate relief to patients for a wide variety of ailments. Patients suffering from asthma, or other lung conditions have other options for ingestion.
When igniting with a flame, the plant material is burned causing a significant loss of terpenes and cannabinoids, so it is not the most economical option for using your medicine.
VAPORIZATION
This method utilizes the most modern technology for the ingestion of cannabis and its resin glands. THC vaporizes at about 360 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point the vapor can be collected and inhaled.
There are different styles of vaporizers, but they all work on the same principle of heating, not burning. The vapor is cooler than smoke, and it contains a much higher proportion of medicine to plant matter.
This is a healthier alternative and when done properly should not burn the plant material, which can be a cause of some side-effects such as physical exhaustion.
CONCENTRATES
Concentrates are concentrated cannabinoids from the flowers and sugar leaf of the Cannabis plant. Concentrates will have a higher cannabinoid percentage than flowers. Concentrates can be found in numerous forms, including oils, salves, tinctures, hashish, kief, lotions,etc.
Dry Concentrates:
Hashish: hashish can be produced through dry sieve, or ice water extraction method.Either method involves separating cannabinoid containing trichomes from the flowers of the harvested plant. This is a centuries old method of producing cannabis concentrates. Like all concentrates, Hashish will be of a higher potency than flowers. Hashish is smoked or vaporized by the patient.
Kief: Kief is unpressed pollen from harvested flowers, shaken off the plant in a dry sieve process. Again, the potency of all concentrates is higher than flowers, so the patient can use less medicine for a similar medicinal effect. Kief is smoked by the patient.
EDIBLES
This is one of the safest ways to utilize the medicinal aspects of the cannabis plant. Edible cannabis can be prepared in many fashions. Traditionally one would use a medium such as butter or coconut oil, since cannabinoids are fat soluble. The plant matter is heated with the medium in order for the decarboxilization process to occur; which converts the acid form of the cannabinoid to an active form which the body can process efficiently in the digestive tract (i.e. THCA -> THC).
This is done so the effects are felt in a matter of an hour or so, and last for about 4-6 hours. Edibles can be made with the flowers or trim of the plants, as well as with hash and hash oil, the latter of which produce the best tasting results. An important point to be conscious of is that some patients require lactose, gluten, and sugar free or low-glycemic edibles for their condition. If you are in this category, please discuss your options with our patient advisors.
Edibles are extremely effective for insomnia, opiate withdrawal, and pain relief. A note of caution with edibles: please be very conservative when eating cannabis if you have never done it before. The effects for a large portion of patients are much stronger than when consuming cannabis with other methods.
TINCTURES AND OILS
This liquid form of cannabis has been used for centuries. It is an extraction method which is usually done by suspending the cannabis in alcohol to dissolve the trichomes. Sometimes tinctures are made with glycerine as opposed to alcohol, and can have other medicinal herbs as ingredients. When taken orally, one may place it under the tongue in order to feel the effect almost as quickly as smoking or vaporizing. Swallowing it will provide a longer lasting medicinal effect, with less euphoria.
Types of Tinctures and Oils:
Ready dose infusions:
RDI’s are cannabis infused tinctures delivered in a graduated pipette for ease of titration. RDI’S are offered in a variety of formulations, from high THC, high CBD, and a number of CBD/THC ratios ranging from 1:1-20:1, and 1:20. RDI’S can be formulated to particular ratios that are needed for a particular ailment or symptom. RDI’S are a convenient way for a patient who doesn’t want to smoke or vaporize flowers to medicate easily and effectively. RDI’s are typically prepared in a base of organic extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or similar base. RDI’s are ingested orally by the patient, or taken sublingually.
RSO Oil:
RSO is oil that is ingested in very small quantities as it contains a very high THC content. This product has been shown to be of great benefit to cancer patients as it has shown significant promise in inducing autophagy in cancer cells. There have been numerous success stories regarding the use of RSO for its anti-cancer properties. RSO will be an effective medicine for our patients battling various cancers. RSO IS ingested orally by the patient or taken sublingually
Honey Oil:
Honey oil is collected by washing the trichomes (resin glands) from flowers using a solvent such as CO2 (carbon dioxide) or alcohol and collecting it from the evaporated solvent. The oil is vaporized rather than smoked by thepatient.
TOPICAL APPLICATION
Cannabis topicals (oils, lotions, and creams for external use) are extremely effective for the body, as most of the CB1 and CB2 receptors are located on the skin and hair follicles.
Therefore salves, lotions, and creams containing cannabis can be useful for muscle pain and stiffness, joint paint, and even skin disorders such as psoriasis.
This method of application provides no noticable psychoactive effects.
TYPES OF CANNABIS
The efficacy of cannabis is directly related to strain selection, therefore we recommend care be taken in selecting appropriate strains to meet your needs.
We are beginning to identify particular varieties that are effective for sleep, pain, appetite, and energy; as well as for specific conditions. Cannabis potency varies with strains. In terms of medicinal dosage, the idea is to smoke as little as possible in order to reduce respiratory irritations from excessive inhalation of burnt plant matter.
Patients are highly encouraged to use vaporizers, or ingest cannabis medicine to reduce any potential risks from smoking. Patients need less highpotency cannabis to reach desired effects.
Any patients who find they need increasingly larger doses to reach desired effects should reduce, or stop intake for a time, or change the variety of cannabis normally used. This helps patients return to a minimized effective dosage level.