10 Surprising Benefits of Cannabis Tinctures and Topicals

You can do so much with cannabis. Tinctures and topicals, for instance, work successfully for many who have little or no interest in smoking. They produce pleasurable experiences and help address many medical issues.

Tinctures are alcohol-based liquids you take carefully. They have been around for ages, and at one time they were the most popular consumers of the herb. Topicals include lotions, salves, balms, salts, and rubs containing cannabis extracts.

Here are 10 surprising benefits of cannabis tinctures and topicals:

1. Efficient cannabis medicinal patches deliver cannabis medication directly to the bloodstream in a transdermal application like the nicotine patch or muscular anti-inflammatory patch. It produces a high comparable to an edible. According to High Times, “One 10mg patch is equivalent to maybe an 80mg edible.” And, because it is absorbed-not ingested- the results are longer lasting. Patches come in a variety of doses and strain origins.

2. Do-it-yourself cannabis bath salts provide a relaxing soak at the end of a rough day. You can buy them online or at marijuana dispensaries, but you can make them easily at home with a few ingredients.

• Start with four cups of Epsom salts.
• Add the zest from a lemon and an orange for citrus aroma.
• Mix with ¼ cup of cannabis-infused olive or coconut oil, plus 20 drops of essential oils such as lemon, orange, and lime.
• Mix it well and store in glass jars, fancy or plain.

Then you can relax in your tub with ¼ to ½ cup of salt in the warm water. And you can also prepare your own balms and lotions using recipes you’ll find online.

3. Luxury products are hitting the market aggressively. Celebrities and fashion lines are branding beauty treatments with chemical roots in cannabis. Lip balm sticks protect your lips against cold sores, dry lips, and oral infections. Applied regularly, it offers you a discreet high you can use throughout the day without notice.

4. Pain relief comes with the use of cannabis-derived lotions. They produce a double benefit. As you massage the lotion into tired or strained muscles and joints, you profit from the kneading application. But the cannabis also goes to work with its therapeutic and anti-inflammatory qualities. The lotion manufacturers blend specific strains with oils and other ingredients to produce an attractive, user-effective option to over-the-counter products.

5. Low-calorie tinctures and topicals offer alternatives to calorie-conscious users. They have fewer calories than cannabis baked goods. You also have more control over your tincture administration, while users often worry about the dosage in edibles.

6. Convenience drives customers to tinctures and topicals. Tinctures store in glass dropper bottles in a dark, cool pantry or the refrigerator. You can store homemade lotions and salves in useful or decorative jars. Cannabis dispensaries are already stocking them as spa treatments, effective aromatherapies, and pain relievers.

7. Safe containers and content make tinctures desirable, too. They are handy to have for administration of medical marijuana treatments for children and for those who cannot or will not smoke or vape. You can control the THC content of any tincture you make or purchase, and without the THC, the child patient will not experience a high but will enjoy the relaxation and healing of the CBD content.

8. Administration is easier than smoking when you choose tinctures or topicals. Topicals work through the skin, so you have only to rub them on and into the epidermis. With tinctures, you have several options for administration:

• Sublingually, drop the tincture under your tongue. You hold it for 30 seconds and swallow it. Having been absorbed through the lining of the mouth, you will feel the effects almost immediately.
• Beverages host tinctures. If you add a few drops to your soda or juice, you wind up with a liquid medicine. But the effects take longer because it must be processed through your digestive system.
• Foods are just better with a little tincture added. You can mix it into salad dressings, puddings, sauces, or soups. Or, you can slip it into other recipes. But remember that cannabis is fat-soluble, so it does not work in all recipes.

9. Alcohol accelerates absorption of your cannabis benefits. And, tinctures come from soaking cannabis flowers for some time in the purest refined alcohol available. The soak might also include hash, kief, and trim. The alcohol extracts the cannabis terpenes and cannabinoids, producing a highly concentrated liquid.

10. Versatile tinctures and topicals offer options to smoking and vaping. You can use them instead or vary your consumption choices. You can carry topicals when you travel, tinctures while you work, and smoke when it is convenient or socially acceptable.

Science is short on cannabis research, but users say they feel measurable benefits from topicals applied and massaged into the skin where it starts to work on the body’s endocannabinoid receptors immediately. Victims of arthritis, psoriasis, and muscle/joint pain rave about the soothing powers. Others keep topicals around the house for treatment of superficial burns, bug bites, acne, and fever blisters.

Tinctures, too, lack the necessary serious research. But, for those who do not smoke, cannot smoke, have difficulty swallowing, or want more control of their dosage, tinctures provide a reliable and increasingly popular option.

Considering these 10 surprising benefits of cannabis tinctures and topicals, the only real caution asks you to watch your consumption. You know your body and the level of benefit and relief you are looking for, so take it slow to find the right dose for your needs. For example, you don’t want to slather topicals on, like suntan lotion, or take a swig of the tincture from an open bottle. As with edibles, you need to pace yourself.