A while back my gf mom sent her some edibles and stuff, with it all was a jar with cannabis leaves soaking in rubbing alcohol. She said you get a brush and rub it on soar muscles or achy backs and it relieves the muscles. I know you extract thc this way, but doesn’t the buds have to be cooked first to release the thc? So with just leaf matter in it, is this even a legit topical medication? I’ve never seen that one before. I’m very new to diverse uses of the plant but will be eager to learn as soon as my first harvest is ready for ideas to put the whole plant to use.
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So you only need to decarb cannabis to make it active when taken orally (assuming you want to get high). THCA (not decarbed) is still an effective anti-inflammatory. This is why that particular topical works. My issue with it is it does tend to leave behind a green tint.
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Change the label to ‘Hulk Balm’, easy fix
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yeah the alcohol strips the material it only needs decarb for edibles as reikox said. But alcohol is a good solvent for almost anything. Then alcohol is also easy absorbed through your skin with everything it has in it. So i could see it having some effect.
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Don’t forget rubbing alcohol in and of itself is a topical.
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I’ve had great success with coconut oil extracts applied topically. I just use coconut oil and flowers, never bothered with further processing. It’s great for muscle and joint pain, makes for a nice massage oil, and a couple drops in your tea isn’t so bad either.
To quote Patrick Bateman “Alcohol dries out your skin and makes you appear older.”
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Here is my topical recipe. I use the roots in my topicals, they have a lot of healing properties, but are not necessarily safe for oral consumption.
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Tincture in a Hydrochloric acid bottle… nice one!
Cheers
G
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Thanks for the link to your recipe, I’ll have to try it next time I make a batch.
I love to roast the roots too and make a brew. I usually blend it with roasted dandelion root and coffee grounds.
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That’s a preparation I’d love to hear more about.
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Wow I love reading what y’all post! Can’t wait to read these links I am so excited to learn about the uses of cannabis. @lophophora.ca so just substitute the alcohol with coconut oil? That makes way more sense with the great skin care of coconut oil. I got lots from making homemade soap, I’ll read your link as soon as I can.
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For clarification last time I used 20g of bud, decarbed at 240F for 20 minutes.
I put 1 cup of coconut oil into a pot along with the decarbed plant material. I set this pot afloat in a larger pot of water for a double boiler effect. I heated the oil and maintained a temperature just under boiling (90C) for an hour, being careful not to let the liquid from the double boiler to splash into the oil.
Once boiled I strained the oil through a reusable mesh coffee filter and poured it into a storage jar.
Sorry for the varied temperature units, my oven works in Farenheit while my digital thermometer measures in Celsius.
Edit - Just want to add I’ve never encountered any skin colouration issues, even when slathering this stuff on my back and arms. The smell is far milder than smoked plant material. I had my doubts about effectiveness until I tried it myself. My neighbour also swears it’s the only thing that works for his arthritic knees.
You can also add in some other oils. A friend of mine uses eucalyptus and arnica along with beeswax and pours his mix into a recycled deodourant applicator.
If you really need colouration and an anti-inflammatory you can add tumeric to the mixture. You will look like an oompa-loompa guaranteed.
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oh you bet it works, as long as you don’t mind being dyed green like an alien.
I only use food grade alcohol, and mix it with a topical prescription compounding lotion. (mild lotion you can use to mix topicals or prescriptions into).
When I take a shower after using this kind of topical it even stains the tub. It cleans up easily with soap but it really makes you look strange, especially if you use it on your face.
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Omg I can’t wait to make this! It doesn’t get you buzzed does it? Absorbing it through the skin like this? As fun as that would be it would be nice just for the medical aspects. My wife’s hip and back is always hurting since giving birth and mine always from what I do for work. Getting old sucks! Well the worn out body part
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I have not noticed any pyschoactive effects from topical application. I guess the endocannabinoid receptors in your extremities don’t process in the same manner as your GI or respiratory tract. It serves just as a topical rub.
The benefit of not adding other oils or beeswaxes is that the same oil can be injested sparingly if you felt like getting toasted.
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I have attempted psychoactive results with a few ingredients. Enough that I’d say I would not worry at all about getting high off any topical (unless you eat it).
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I used this recipe a month or so ago to great success. Very nice rub, have been using it for my injured shoulder and tight muscles. I will say beeswax should come with a warning - its such a bitch to clean off anything haha. Might buy a set of tools just for working with the wax.
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