All about Hydrocarbon Cannabis Concentrates 

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Cannabis products are constantly changing, from new strains to new vapes and also other different products that are based on the needs of the patient and the feedback. The most common kind of extraction is ethanol,  but there are a ton of other kinds of extractors you can use, and it’s actually possible to use hydrocarbon treatments for your cannabis concentrates. 

What is Hydrocarbon Extraction 

Hydrocarbon is basically solvents that use hydrogen or carbon atoms. In the world of cannabis, this includes isobutane, butane, propane, or a combination of all of these. You may not think these are good to inhale, but they are safe to do so provided that you do have it under certain thresholds. 

Hydrocarbon is different from ethanol, but it offers similar results, and it is basically the removing of the compounds within your plants, and it basically leaves the plant material that’s not wanted behind. 

There are some different companies that work to create the best hydrocarbon concentrations out there, and it offers different methods of extraction that are good, strong, and are effective for the use of cannabis therapies. Due to the approval of the state of the hydrocarbon, this is something that’s being studied, testing different strains that work the best with the right solvents, what textures are presented well, and a ton of options for those who need this. 

What are live concentrates though? 

This is basically concentrates that use cured or dried flower, and this is the type that you can get in dispensaries that are able to be smoked, but with live concentrates, they primarily use frozen kinds of flower. 

When you cut and harvest the plant, it gets thrown in the freezer to help preserve the profile of terpenes, which are volatile, and it can definitely change based off what you do with this. It’s something that lets you preserve the terpenes right there. 

How this works? 

The process is quite simple. basically the flower gets flash frozen, is taken out of the freezer, and is then washed in the blend of hydrocarbon that’s there, and then, is put in an extractor for hydrocarbons, where the solvent soaks into this. Once this soaks, the extract itself that contes the terpenes, cannabinoids, along with flavonoids, is then flushed out, and it leaves behind the material that’s washed. 

The removing of the solvent is the third step and it comes with different stages. Your first kind is the primary removal stage which uses the closed loop formation that makes sure the solvent doesn’t have contact with your air. This gets rid of a lot of the solvent as it’s in the extract. Then, there is passive removal with heat inside a vacuum oven, and is conducted in a careful, slow manner, so that when this dissipates, it leaves behind all of the good cannabinoids along with the terpenes as well. 

Passive removal is something that is a bit special for the hydrocarbon extraction, since when low heat gets used here, the THCA crystals grow. The heat pushes these together, to create a lattice structure that’s similar in nature to the diamonds. 

This is something that does use solvents, so it’s not solvent-free extraction, but it’s got something that a lot of consumers of cannabis do enjoy, and something that lets you create a lot of varieties of cannabis that you can enjoy, and something that you’ll definitely like to try and have. With that said, definitely make sure you get these concentrates from a retailer that’s trustworthy and don’t make them yourself for safety reasons. 

All about Menthol 

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You’ve probably tasted something that’s minty before, right? What is that? That’s menthol of course. It’s the minty flavor added to medinas, tobacco, and even cannabis. It’s basically a cooling agent and also has anesthetic effects that come with this, and also suppresses your coughs, helping dry throats in many cases. 

What is it? 

While it’s been used for thousands of instances and years, it’s basically something that pretty much got into our different foods and medicines through cigarettes in fact. This was added back in the 1920s, with the companies claiming that through the cooling of this by cigarettes, it actually made you “clean” and fresh. 

However, tobacco of course, is not good for you. The adding of menthol to this actually increased the consumption of this, and also increased the amount of carcinogens you got from this, but that’s due to how the soothing nature of this typically led to you smoking for a bit longer. 

However, back in 2009, they then banned all flavors added to cigarettes but menthol, and this was because there were other different additives that come from there, which they assumed would encourage more to smoke them.  then, in April of 2022, it was found that the FDA actually banned menthol as well, since the cooling nature of this is what made it addictive for younger people. 

menthol is also found in a lot of other plants, with cannabis included. the strains that contain this usually help to create a cooling feeling inside your mouth when inhaled via smoke.  Like with tobacco, the presence of this will not damage your lungs, but menthol is also very therapeutics too, despite being a compound that gets a bad name due to cigarettes. It can help with skin problems, digestive issues, and if you salivate too much. 

The effects 

The most common effect is well, the taste and smell. It’s basically a minty scent, and it does create a refreshing feeling because of the minty taste to this. It also makes your skin, breath, and also your mouth cooled down. Finally, if you have pain, it can actually help to reduce this. 

The Health Benefits 

This is something that’s been used for millennia, and it’s something that was used to help with congestion, your throat, and even with digestion and other pain that you might have. 

’t’s one of the best painkillers simply because it lets you interact directly with the nerve area, making the pain a lot less, and also reducing sensitivity. It was found that using this after you have surgery helps with pain after the operation. It also can be used directly on the forehead, or on the skin to lower the strength and how long a tension headache or migraine lasts. 

It’s also great for your digestive system because it can help with the spasms that happen in the gut ad the stomach, along with the inflammation. It’s good for IBS and other conditions that affect your digestive tract. 

It’s also great for bacteria, immediately targeting them, since it’s great for destroying the bacteria that’s there. Finally, it’s used to relieve lots of symptoms of different types of issues, including colds and also congestion that’s there. It also make you feel like you’ve got an airway that’s cleaner 

Are there side effects? It depends. If you’re taking this with tobacco, there is a chance that you may have more tobacco products. It also may increase the absorption of toxins, and this is normally in the case of consuming this with cigarettes. Finally, it might cause skin irritation, especially redness, itching, and stinging feelings. 

Cannabis for IBD 

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IBD, or inflammatory bowel disease, is basically a condition that’s not fun for a lot of people. It causes inflammation, bleeding, pain, diarrhea, tiredness, loss in weight, and it’s a major problem. The thing with this, is you have three major types—ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, and also indeterminate bowel disease. This is something that’s distinguished by the location of this, and some of the symptoms. It’s not totally clear about how this comes about diet, smoking, pollution, and even genetics may play a part in it, since it’s attributed to gut bacteria. 

The scary thing is that this is increasing a lot in various countries and such, and currently, the main medical treatment includes steroids, aminoacylates, biologics, and immunomodulating drugs that can help with the pain. sometimes, you might get surgery too, where part of your gut is removed. 

The problem is though, up to 40% of people with this actually don’t do well with treatment, and about half of them stop responding during the maintenance periods. This also doesn’t stop the possibility of colon cancer either. That’s why many are using alternatives, including cannabis, to help with this. 

ECS and your gut 

The ECS, or endocannabinoid system, is basically an evenly-distributed system all throughout various parts of your body, and it’s involved and does a lot for you. It involves the circulation of different cannabinoids, enzymes, and also helps regulate aspects of different parts of the body, including your gut. 

Some experiments have perform and different results on this, especially in those animals that are treated for IBD by looking at the ECS. Some studies actually saw major changes in inflammation of the gut, and some actually found that the colons weren’t as inflamed as before, and it suggests a link between the ECS, and your gut microbiome. 

Cbd Oil And Capsules

There are other animal studies too, where cannabinoids from plants actually helped to activate your ECS, and it did prove that there was less secretions, gut motility, inflammation, and it boosted the activation of the immune system, and it also showed that it activated your CB1 receptors, and also did decrease your motility and bowel tone, and it also showed that it reduced the release of various chemicals that are inflammatory from various immune aspects. 

Studies of CBD for IBD 

There are also some studies that have tried to use CBD for this. While THC does have some studies that show the motility of the gut did get better, CBD is better for helping with the immunomodulatory of the gut, and also reduced inflammation in the animal studies that were there. 

However, it was found that THC is good for colon health, stimulating the mucus in there, improving the good bacteria by also making sure that it did work with the immune and gut cells to help with inflammation. 

In some studies that were done in 2021, they used randomized, double-blind, placebo trials in over 30 people that had UC, and 56 different people who had CD, and it was found that the cannabis in this improve their quality of life and they had beneficial effects that weren’t directly a part of the inflammatory improvements. 

It was also found that a quarter of these respondents were also noticing less pain in their abdominal area, less cramping, sleep issues, and also anxiety, and it helped with the management of various symptoms of IBD, and also helped a lot more, especially for long-term users. 

It’s clear that with this, cannabis can help with a variety of conditions, including treatment for IBD, and might be a better alternative to typical treatments. 

What to Consider with Setting up cannabis 

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Are you someone that does think about the location of using cannabis or are you someone who just vapes and leave it at that. Did you know that if you do actually set this, it could improve the state of your mind. This was a concept which was created back in the 1960s with psychedelics, and it plays a major role in a cannabis high. 

All about setting 

If you’re someone who has ever used drugs back in the 1970s, you’ve probably heard a little bit about setting and set.  This is the idea of preparing for an altered state of being, and it’s something that even ancient cultures were using. This is basically the usage of different items, including ayahuasca, which is a concoction containing DMT, and other psychedelic drugs that were used. 

These involved different ceremonies, and they’d use different means to get these psychedelics, and then sing prayer, songs, and it would even involve a fire, creating a huge, psychological result during these various rituals. 

In modern times 

In modern days, there are groups that actually played a major part in helping to set this up.  Some notable authors, including Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo, would use the hash to help with their minds, and that it would even give major changes to minor things. Psychedelics were able to see the utter importance of setting and set, and it’s a concept that is still used today. Music, imagery that’s religious, and even other additives would be utilized in this. Basically, it’s the personality, intention, and the environment which plays a huge role in the altered state of being, and also is an important part of this. 

How it relates to cannabis. 

While set and setting was used for psychedelics such as LSD and mushrooms, you can use this for cannabis, since it does help reduce the chances of tripping bad, and also boosts the experience. While cannabis isn’t a psychedelic, it can sometimes make a person feel relaxed and euphoric, and by using this, it can alter your state, which in ludes various hallucinations. 

Taking this as a factor does help those wo are interested in using cannabis reduce the chances of dealing with panic and anxiety.  This is something that helps keep one’s state as best as it can, without having the negative side effects driving it forward. 

How to do it 

The best way to do it, is to first and foremost prepare.  You want to make sure that you have a body and mind that’s tranquil. Using this in a way that helps you with calming down, and also using other techniques that’ll benefit you plays an integral part in the benefits that you get from this.  You should also prepare in other ways, minimizing anxiety and stress, and help to reduce worries as much as you can. 

The second thing is intention.  Setting it up does help offer purpose and meaning. You should by then focus on outcomes, the reason you’re taking this, and the different experience that you hope to have. intention doesn’t always stay the same during an experience with this, and it can sometimes make you feel strange things so if you’re worried about something, try not to focus on it when it comes up. But you can boost your insights. 

It’s best to use cannabis and set it up in a way that’s perfect for you. Make sure you’re in a safe social environment, and in a cultural environment that won’t make you panic, if that’s something you’re worried about to make the ideal safe space. 

Distillate Vs. ROS 

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With cannabis oil becoming an ever-increasing popular way for you to get potent products that are the choice for a lot of people, you may want to choose a distillate. Some people may want to use RSO though, which is also quite a popular product. Here, we’ll go over the understanding of each of these. 

What are distillates 

This is basically a part of the cannabis plant. With a ton of different compounds and oils that are there, you’re getting a lot with the plant. But with a distillate, it removes everything so that it just contains the pure cannabinoid, which is quite potent.  The terpenes are also removed, so there isn’t a smell or flavor, is translucent, and is a product that is more ambler-colored than anything. 

Cannabis oils are all considered not all distillates, but all distillates do contain oils.  They are more potent in a lot of cases, but it also has the drawbacks that you may not find in normal cannabis products, such as the terpenes, and some of the other therapeutic compounds. Instead it’s just pure THC and pure CBD distillates. 

This is created through an extraction process after the plant is harvested.  It’s dried, cured, and then the compounds that are taken are then also harvested through a solvent.  This usually also may include winterization to get rid of the waxes and fats. This does have a lot of potency, up to 80%, but usually, if it’s put in heat, this is a little less. They are usually smoked, applied to edibles, or even to the skin, and this can even be infused to create multiple effects. 

What about RSO? 

This is short for Rick Simpson oil, and it’s an oil that’s black, sticky, and gooey, and this has a lot of potency. Some people will see this paired with syringes for consumption that’s easier. Rick Simpson was an activist for marijuana, and when he got diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a type of cancer during the early 2000s, he tried to use natural therapy to help with this. 

He created oils to treat this, using the oils directly on the skin and then used a bandage to cover up. In just a few days, his skin managed to clear up, and this is something that’s now sold to others who are curious about using medical cannabis strains. This is created through usually using solvents such as ethanol, butane, or CO2, and it uses whole plant extraction. 

They combine the mixture with the alcohol, the alcohol gets trained, and then the container is heated up to fully remove the solvent, and this is why it’s almost tar-like and a black color, and it’s got a very high THC level to this. 

It doesn’t require the use of heat, and you should not vaporize this.  You usually have this in a topical sense, and usually, there are guides to dose this for a good reason, and you will feel it in a lot of cases. You can also use this in cooking to really beef it up, since RSO doesn’t get rid of the plant matter to it. 

So what’s better 

Distillates are more pure, and it’s a lot more versatile. You can also just use it in a vape or burn it. RSO is also versatile, but you should never try to burn it.  However, it’s good for edible cooking. Ultimately, it’s something that you want to choose for yourself. If you don’t want tastes or smells, then get the distillate. If you want to have a cannabis taste to your cooking, then by all means, try RSO, and see for yourself. 

Cannabis and SSRIs 

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SSRIs are basically medications used to help with psychological conditions, specifically depression and anxiety. The use of marijuana with this can sometimes create some side effects such as dry mouth, sleep issues, and dizziness. This may have some moderate interactions, however. medical cannabis is also used to help with the intake of antidepressants though, and also headaches, appetite issues, and also insomnia too. While depression is sometimes a big part of anxiety, you can use medical cannabis to help with this. 

So what are they? 

These are basically a class of different antidepressants that use serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors, and it’s similar to other antidepressants. 

Some of the most common are the following: – Prozac 

  • Oxactin 
  • Cipramil 
  • Prilligy 
  • Cipralex 
  • Seroxat 
  • Lustral 
  • Brintellix 

These work in a way to help increase your serotonin in the body on the extracellular level.  This also limits the resorption that happens in the presynaptic cells, to increase such. 

This is something that’s strong in affinity with the serotonin transporters, but it’s weak for dopamine and norepinephrine, so it can actually help with interacting that. It also is good for helping to start action in your sigma receptors. Fluvoxamine is another major agonist, and setaeline is an antagonist of that receptor, and paroxetine doesn’t interact significantly with the other receptors. 

There isn’t one specific mechanism for this, and instead it can be used for a variety of different situations. That’s because our brain chemistry is way too complex to be a one-size-fits-all sort of thing. They also may take a bit to work, and sometimes, they don’t work for everyone. 

It can sometimes cause issues with the synapses, but over time, it starts to get a bit better. 

They also can help with other problems including PTSD, eating disorders, or even Social Anxiety Disorder.  It can work for OCD and chronic pain too. 

The benefits and Drawbacks 

The problem with cannabis s that there are cannabinoids within the compound itself that inhibit the P2C19 enzymes, which means that it can sometimes cause problems with metabolizing them. 

Not to mention that CBD does modulate the serotonin in this, and THC also activates the receptors that inhibit serotonin, impacting uptake.  That also means that it can cause problems with the issues that are assumed with cannabis along with SSRIs. However, mixing this can help with getting relief immediately for depression and anxiety.  This also can act directly on the serotonin receptors in particular. 

It also can help with managing different side effects that come with this, including antidepressant uptake, helps with headaches, appetite issues, nausea, GI issues, and insomnia. There is also a chance that it can reduce the antidepressants needed, and some people who don’t like antidepressants may use this, since it’s not as addiction-risking in a lot of cases. 

Plus, cannabis has a lot of natural stress-boosting aspects to this, including limonene, pinene, along with linalool. The risk however are definitely worth mentioning. Dosage is a big part of this, since cannabis can be potent as a natural antidepressant, and if you take too much, it can make this worse. 

High levels of THC do deplete your serotonin, which is why you may feel more depressed especially if you take too much. It can also impair how your liver metabolizes all of this. There is also a rare instance of serotonin syndrome, which is something that can come about because of too much cannabis with antidepressants. 

It’s best to make sure tat if you use this, you’re mindful of the effects, and if they get bad, stop taking them immediately for your benefits.