September 2, 2016
Talk about bad news/good news scenarios. The week before I was scheduled to review some CBD products, I broke my toe, thus providing a perfectly painful chance to try out the soothing pain-relieving effects of cannabidiol-infused topicals and mints.
What I also found was that the CBD hype currently swirling through popular culture has a factual basis. And what I also found is that according to a 2013 review published in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, cannabidiol is an effective anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, antioxidant (helps combat neurodegenerative disorders), anti-tumoral (combats tumors and cancer cells), anxiolytic/anti-depressant (combats anxiety and depression disorders), antiemetic (reduces nausea and vomiting), antipsychotic (combats mental disorders), and anticonvulsant (suppresses seizures).
Not only does CBD do all these things, but it also helps to balance the effects of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), the principal active ingredient in marijuana which gets you high. It seems to offer natural protection against the anxiety, memory impairment and paranoia which can come from getting really high. It also appears to help counteract the sleepy effects of THC, which could explain the alertness factor of some sativa strains.
CBD is considered non-psychoactive, though it may exert some very subtle sedative effects. Patients battling PTSD, alcoholism, arthritis, and neuropathic pain have anecdotally reported success. CBD has a suppressant effect on the enzyme responsible for breaking down and destroying anandamide, the body’s natural analogue to THC. This means more anandamide will stay in your system for longer periods of time; anandamide favors the CB1 receptor in the brain, as does THC, therefore leaving fewer openings to which THC can bind, and therefore lessening THC’s psychoactive effects.
I was damn glad to have a container of CBD For Life Rub; this stuff immediately and soothingly relieved the pain in my foot. You could literally feel the inflammation reducing as you applied the soothing blend, which contains “20 mg of 40% European CBD” per container,” blended into hemp oil, bees wax, camphor, coconut oil, menthol, lanolin, cassia oil, eucalyptus oil, mint oil and clove oil.
CBD For Life Pure CBD Face & Body Cleanser allows you to multi-task: adding CBD’s anti-inflammatory benefits to your skin while cleaning clogged pores. The Body Cleanser is water- and glycerin-based.
Also impressive was the line of müv CBD products, including Sports Gel (100 mg of CBD per 1.7 oz. container), Hydrating Lotion (100 mg CBD), and Grapefruit Orange Body Butter (200 mg CBD per 3.4 oz. container). The Sports Gel, in particular, was useful and effective on foot pain, while the Hydrating Lotion was very soothing to dry skin and the Body Butter was perfect for a massage.
Because all of the CBD topicals mentioned above contain no THC, they are available for purchase in Uncle Ike’s Glass Shop without having to enter the Pot Shop at all. Mr Moxey’s Mints, however (along with the rest of the products mentioned below), are exceptions to this as they contain THC as well. Mr Moxey’s Mints contain 20 mg total THC per 20-serving package, along with 100 mg total CBD per package. These mints have a bracing freshness and a surprisingly immediate effect, reducing pain level and increasing relaxation within minutes of use. There is some psychoactivity, due to the THC.
If your explorations of CBD topicals and mints make you want to try high-CBD strains of cannabis flowers, those are readily available at Uncle Ike’s Pot Shop, including AC/DC (14% CBD, 6% THC); Orient Express (13% CBD), Ringo’s Gift (7% CBD, 10% THC); Blue Dynamite (8% CBD, 3% THC), Sour Tsunami (8% CBD, 8% THC), and White Widow (13% CBD, 12% THC).
FSO Tanker Full Spectrum Oil by Fairwinds is a concentrate weighing in at a whopping 61% CBD; Cannabull Rosin by Avitas has 34% CBD and 22% THC. Harlequin Wax by Solstice has 43.5% CBD an d 27.6% THC, while Charlotte’s Widow RSO by Craft Elixirs has 40% CBD and 47% THC. Harlequin Rosin by Solstice is 46% CBD and 19% THC, and Harlequin Shatter by Rogue Raven has 42% CBD and 31% THC.
When it comes to edibles, AM/PM CBD Relief Pills by Fairwinds are 10:1 CBD:THC pills totaling 165 mg of CBD. Catapult Coffee Pods are available with 8 mg THC and 6 mg THC; CBD Tincture by Fairwinds is coconut oil-based, and contains 75 mg CBD and 50 mg THC. Companion Tincture, Bacon Flavor, by Fairwinds has a 5:1 CBD:THC ratio, with 100 mg of CBD and 20 mg of THC.
CBD Pebbles from Magic Kitchen are available in apple, raspberry and watermelon, and have 100 mg CBD in a 10-pack.
CBD Sodas by Mirth Provisions are available in either 1:1 CBD:THC with 20, 40, or 80 mg, or with CBD only, 20, 40, or 80 mg.
Spot CBD Chocolate Squares by BotanicaSeattle are infused with a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC and are available in milk chocolate and dark chocolate, with 5 mg each of THC and CBD.
