Do THC Topicals Really Work?
The answer is the one you were hoping for — yes, THC-infused topicals do work for certain types of conditions and many people use them to treat everything from injuries, irritated or dry skin to joint pain and muscle pain. While much what you will hear about cannabis topicals like THC lotions is anecdotal in nature, there are plenty of studies that strongly suggest the reality of anti-inflammatory properties in THC and CBD and this is widely accepted among medical academics.
Meanwhile, the skincare industry is seeing a huge uptick in CBD and THC infusion into lotions, balms, creams, and bath products for the purpose of pain relief, inflammation relief, a reduction in the severity of irritating skin conditions, and more. While some brands are certainly just capitalizing on the buzz around cannabis, dermatologists and other medical experts are admitting more and more often that they see promising research they trust regarding the potential for cannabis topicals to hold tangible benefits for skin conditions ranging from dermatitis to rosacea and psoriasis.
With all of that said, if you’re looking for topical cannabis lotions to use to treat a specific condition, you should make sure to talk to your doctor about the research they have seen and what recommendations they might make for you.
In the meantime, you can learn a little bit more about what THC topicals are, how they work, and what the reasons that our customers and others claim to use them for are by continuing today’s blog from makers of cannabis-infused lotions, balms, salves, bath products, and more at Mary Jane’s Medicinals.
What Is a THC Topical?
A THC topical is a product such as a lotion, balm, oil, or bath product that is absorbed through the skin for the localized relief of soreness, inflammation, and pain. However, more commonly, cannabis-infused topicals are being used by people seeking relief from skin conditions like dermatitis, or to reap purported anti-aging, or other, benefits promoted by some skincare companies.
Unlike many other forms of THC consumption, such as smoking, vaping, or ingesting food grade THC products, THC lotions and other topicals are non-mind-altering, and as such, are favored by people looking for relief without the “high.” They are commonly available in states where medical cannabis, recreational cannabis, or both are legal.
How Does A THC Topical Work?
To understand how cannabis topicals infused with THC work, you first have to understand a few things about the Endocannabinoid System, or ECS.
The ECS is an ancient cell-signaling system that wasn’t discovered until THC research began in earnest during the early 90s. While not everything is completely understood about the ECS, there are some key principles that researchers have determined including that the ECS is active with our without consumption of THC, the human body naturally produces a variety of cannabinoids, the ECS runs, more or less, throughout the entire human body, and that the ECS modifies and regulates some pretty important aspects of a healthy life.
Some of the functions regulated by the ECS include:
- Sleep
- Mood
- Appetite
- Memory
- The immune system
- Pain perception
- Liver function
- Stress
- Inflammation
- And more
So, when you use a THC product of any kind, the actual cannabinoids received from it interact with receptors in your ECS and influence your state of perception or even your physiology on the cellular level.
Topicals, specifically, are applied to the skin and interact with the cannabinoid receptors of the ECS on a superficial level, preventing them from entering the bloodstream, but still allowing for their benefits on a localized scale.
Why Do People Use THC Topicals?
There are lots of different reasons that people give for using THC-infused lotions, salves, and balms, which are known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and analgesic properties. These range from claims that they can reduce the effects of headaches to anecdotal evidence of use as a form of sleep aid because of their ability to relax.
With that being said, there is actual research — already linked to in this blog — that clearly presents findings that strongly suggest there are widespread applications that cannabis topicals might be effective in treating, such as arthritis pain, muscle cramping, some types of skin conditions, and as an aftercare treatment for burns.
To see more of the reasons that individuals choose to use cannabis topicals created by Mary Jane’s Medicinals, make sure to check out our various testimonial pages on healing, pain relief, and skincare.
Will Using a THC-Infused Topical Get Me High?
Typically, THC-infused topicals such as balms, salves, and lotions are not going to penetrate your skin deeply enough to ever reach your bloodstream and get into your renal system, and a study in 2017 clearly demonstrated that topical applications of these kinds of cannabis products did not cause positive markers in blood or urine tests. As such, their ability to break down in the way needed to produce a high, let alone their ability to get into the bloodstream — a necessary element in the pharmacological process that results in intoxication from THC — is not present.
However, there are transdermal products that are intended to provide that exact kind of penetration. These are most commonly found in the form of patches, akin to a lidocaine patch, so when in doubt, make sure to talk to the distributors or manufacturers of your THC topicals.
Find The THC-Infused Topical That’s Right For You
We hope you found this blog answered your high-level questions about how and why cannabis topicals and THC lotions actually work. Again, for specific applications, it’s always best to consult a medical professional while also making sure that you are fully aware of the legality of THC products for medical or recreational use in the state in which you live.
Once you are ready to give THC lotions, cannabis salves, or other THC-infused topicals a try, head over to our product page and learn more about the many different ways that you can put our high-quality, small-batch cannabis topicals to work for you and your wellness. Then, use our locator page to find Mary Jane’s Medicinals lines at a dispensary near you.