The most common use of a cannabis balm is to help treat chronic pain. The cannabinoids in this miracle plant are highly beneficial for normalizing brain and body communication. When you apply a balm topically, the cannabinoid receptors in your skin pick up on it. It then sends it back to your brain, creating a therapeutic response.
What is Cannabis Balm Used For?
There are no psychoactive effects from ingesting cannabis. You won’t feel ‘high’ or intoxicated when using a cannabis balm. This allows your body to reap all the benefits without feeling the mind-altering side effects of smoking or vaping marijuana.
What Is The Difference Between Topical And Internal Use?
Cannabis topicals and edibles are the two most common ways to consume cannabis. While they both have their benefits, there are distinctions between the two forms of consumption that you should know when choosing how to use your balm. When using a topical, it is absorbed into the skin and distributed evenly throughout your bloodstream.
This means that the cannabinoids in the balm will be used to treat the whole body instead of targeting a specific part for relief.
Since cannabis balm is not digested like edibles, you’ll feel no intoxicating effects when using a topical. While this is good for some, it cannot be suitable for others if you’re looking to get high.
While topical use doesn’t make you feel high, it also has drawbacks. First, the effects of the cannabis balm are inconsistent. This is because it relies on your bloodstream to distribute cannabis throughout your body.
For example, if you have a cold or fever that is causing inflammation in your body, the blood will be diverted to other areas. This makes it so your localized area won’t benefit from the balm as much. Second, because topical use doesn’t enter your bloodstream directly, you can get an instantaneous response. The balm effects will take some time to build up and be felt.
This isn’t bad if you’re using a cannabis balm to treat chronic pain or other conditions associated with long-term use. But it’s not ideal for anxiety, stress, or insomnia, requiring an immediate response. Like topical use, edibles don’t make you high, but they also take some time to build up.
The longer you wait to eat an edible, the stronger it will be. This is because of how long it takes for your digestive system to break down the THC and CBD molecules into a form that can enter your bloodstream. The effects are felt immediately after eating or drinking the edible and can last for several hours.
This makes edibles one of the safest treatment options for chronic pain. This is because you know exactly how your body will react to it from start to finish.
While there is no THC or CBD cutoff for driving, most states have laws where you cannot possess more than a certain amount of cannabis.
The exact amount varies by state but ranges from 2-5 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Topical use has no psychoactive effects, and cannabinoids are absorbed into the skin. This means you’ll have very little to no active THC or CBD in your bloodstream, making it legal and safe to use while driving.
There’s no point where any active THC or CBD goes through your bloodstream when using a cannabis balm since they’re absorbed instantly into the skin. Edibles also won’t get you high due to the digestive process breaking down the THC and CBD into particles too small to enter your bloodstream.
Instead of being absorbed into your bloodstream, the THC and CBD in edibles are absorbed by cells in your stomach lining and begin their journey toward healing you from the inside out. Unfortunately, an edible can take up to 90 minutes to kick in, and the effects can last for several hours.
While you won’t feel high because of this, if you’re thinking about driving after eating an edible, plan to wait two hours before getting behind the wheel. The active THC and CBD in your bloodstream will be so low that it wouldn’t be enough to impair you, but due to the lack of research on the topic, it’s always better to err on the side of caution.
Topicals are a great way to relieve pain without psychoactive effects
It helps to treat inflammation, and skin conditions as well. Edibles offer a longer-lasting effect but can take up to an hour or two to kick in. If you’re looking for something that will work immediately, try smoking or vaping cannabis instead.
Both methods will deliver THC and CBD directly into your bloodstream to begin working their magic right away. If you plan on driving after consuming cannabis in any form, wait at least two hours before hitting the road. And if you have any doubts, it’s always best to give yourself more time to be safe.
Disclaimer: The purpose of this article is to inform readers of an alternative treatment option for medical conditions. The FDA has not sanctioned and should not replace conventional medical treatment. This article is meant to show the benefits of cannabis in medicine, not be construed as a cure-all article.
