More and more people are starting to learn of the potential that cannabis has for treating pain and other chronic health issues, such as fibromyalgia and endometriosis. However, there is still a lot of stigma around smoking marijuana based on misconceptions relating to how healthy it is to smoke and how it affects you.
But what if we told you there are many other ways to use cannabis to treat pain without actually smoking it? There are actually several ways to safely consume the CBD from marijuana — the part that does not cause you to feel high at all, since it is extracted from the parts of the plant that has minimal THC levels.
If you want to find all of the ways you can consume cannabis to help treat your pain, the best way is to talk with the professionals who work in cannabis dispensaries, such as Harvest’s Dispensaries. They can tell you all about the pros and cons of each type of product.
Here are five of the best non-smoking ways that marijuana can help your pain.
1. CBD Oil & Pills
The most commonly known method is to ingest CBD oil from a stopper or take a CBD oil-infused pill directly. They are the easiest to find because they are popular, especially the oil as you can simply add the drops into a drink or food if you don’t like the taste. It makes it easier for people to take, though the pills can also be taken with greater ease. With CBD oil, you can also rub it into your skin if you have sore muscles or joints.
2. Tea
Using tea to help deal with various minor ailments or to simply increase your comfort is a method that is as old as time. Now, you can get cannabis-infused tea that you can brew like any normal tea. It does not work as fast or as potently as CBD oil or other alternatives, but it can last longer. If you like drinking tea even just for the relief that the heat provides to your hands, throat and muscles, it’s a great solution.
3. Patches
Marijuana patches are proving to be an effective way to treat pain that is localized to a particular part of your body — especially aches and pains in your muscles and joints. They work like any other pain-relief or nicotine patch. You simply peel off the paper and stick the adhesive patch to the skin on the part of your body that is sore. Patches tend to work better for more superficial aches and pains compared to internal pain, such as endometriosis or migraines.
4. Balms & Creams
Creams and balms are another common type of product you can find to treat general aches and pains. However, you can now find creams and balms that are infused with cannabis so you get the pain-management benefits of marijuana. You can get them in a variety of scents and types so you can pick something that helps you relax and feel comfortable, in addition to the pain relief you can get.
5. Bath Salts
If you’ve tried epsom salt baths before, you know how much it can help after you’ve had a long day and feel the aches and fatigue in your bones. Combine that effect with the more potent pain relief properties of cannabis, and you have a strong pain treatment combined in a hot, relaxing bath.
As you can see, there are tons of products that are now made with cannabis to help treat your pain. Manufacturers are taking products that are already typically used for relaxing and comfort and relief of aches and pains, and infusing marijuana to create very potent products. What works best for you will depend on the type of pain you have.