Marijuana is highly touted for its ability to get you high, but did you know you could get many of the pain-relieving benefits of cannabis without the psychoactive effects? The growing range and availability of cannabis topicals are helping bring the wonder plant’s medicinal properties into the spotlight, giving recreational users and those who want or need to stay sober a new, more convenient and natural path to topical pain relief.
Why Use Cannabis Topicals?
You may recognize that the cannabinoids in marijuana can help with a variety of physical pain and discomfort, but personal and professional obligations can make it hard to find the time or space you need to smoke.
Maybe you tried edibles but can’t seem to get the dosage right and you end up still in pain or feeling ill. Alternately, the products you are using may have psychoactive components that affect your ability to stay focused, productive or mobile throughout your day.
Cannabis topicals offer consumers a product they can use without the health risks or fear of judgment that can come with smoking or consuming edibles. Like any other salve or body rub, simply rub the topical balm or salve on the skin rather. And because cannabis topicals (even those with THC) are non-psychoactive, they can be used to soothe aches and pains on the go—from soreness and headaches to rashes, inflammation and psoriasis.
How Do Cannabis Salves Work?
Every hero has an origin story, even topical cannabis.
It was a cold night when the everyday humdrum creams and balms saw their parents murdered and committed themselves to a life of nocturnal, gadget-oriented crime-fighting.
No, that’s not right… They were only wee babes when their parents sent them in a rocket ship to Earth mere moments before their home world exploded.
Well however it happened, these once-average products have been infused with cannabis, turning them into super-powered pain relievers.
In all seriousness, the CB2 receptors in our body are activated by the cannabinoids in the marijuana salve or “weed lotion,” delivering effective and natural localized pain relief. In most cases, the cannabinoids in a topical are able to reach the CB2 receptors but will not be capable of entering the bloodstream. This allows them to provide pain relief without the high that comes with smoking or consuming edibles.
Some transdermal products, however, such as THC and CBD patches, will deliver cannabinoids into the bloodstream and can produce psychoactive effects. If you aren’t sure if a product is psychoactive, ask your budtender.
How Are Transdermal Patches Different From Cannabis Topicals?
Unlike many topical creams and salves, transdermal patches deliver cannabinoids straight into the bloodstream. As a result, strain-specific THC and CBD patches can produce psychoactive effects more efficiently than smoking or eating an edible. That means a 10mg patch could produce a much stronger effect than a 10mg edible.
Additionally, transdermal patches are long lasting—up to 8-12 hours—offering a discreet and steady stream of cannabinoids when you don’t have the time or space you need to stop for a smoke.
Remember, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal in the state of Colorado and can put yourself and others at risk.
Topical Cannabis at Karing Kind
Cannabis topicals offer Boulder recreational and medical marijuana users a convenient and natural path to topical pain relief. Karing Kind is proud to carry a variety of topical cannabis products and other alternatives to flower and edibles, including THC and CBD patches, tinctures, and cannabis salve.
Still have questions about how a marijuana salve works or whether cannabis cream can really help you? Stop by our location in North Boulder or call 303-449-9333 (WEED) to speak with one of our award-winning budtenders (BoCo Gold for Customer Service).
Karing Kind is located just off of US-36, one mile north of Broadway, open daily from 9am to 10pm.
While we carry a variety of strains, concentrates and edibles, inventory and stock levels fluctuate from week to week. Check our menu and follow us on Instagram for an up-to-date list of edibles, concentrates and buds available now.