There are plenty of misconceptions about cannabis and cannabis oil. Prescribing doctors, dispensaries, and cannabis companies all play a role in educating people about the various types of medical marijuana. This includes clarifying what cannabis oil is and helping patients understand whether CBD oil is a good option for them.
What is Cannabis Oil?
Cannabis oil is derived from a cannabis or hemp plant. Using a high-heat process that creates a clear, pure oil, cannabis oil manufacturers can distill cannabinoids from a plant so that it can be used in a variety of ways.
Cannabis oil may be prescribed for a variety of symptoms. Some of the most common ailments include anxiety, stress, nausea from cancer treatments, muscle spasms from multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy.
Does Solvent Method Matter?
To make cannabis oil, the flower (and sometimes the leaves) of the cannabis plant must be placed in a solvent to extract the important components (the cannabinoids and terpenes). Common solvents include butane, alcohol, propane, and CO2.
The process NuSierra uses to create high-quality, pharmaceutical grade cannabis oil is called supercritical fluid extraction (SFE). To ensure the best oil, we use CO2 as a solvent because it’s a safe, naturally occurring compound that can reach its supercritical point without high temperatures. This helps protect the cannabis during the extraction process and allows for a more precise extraction. In fact, supercritical CO2 extraction allows a company like NuSierra to extract the various components of the cannabis flower, including cannabidiol, THC, terpenes, and other cannabinoids that have medically useful properties.
While cannabis oil can be made from any cannabis plant or from hemp, for quality purposes, it is best to use high-grade cannabis.
Cannabis Oil: CBD Oil or THC Oil?
When people speak of cannabis oil, they are generally speaking about CBD oil. CBD oil is named for one of the main ingredients in cannabis—cannabidiol, AKA CBD. CBD is the second-most common cannabinoid in cannabis, after only THC (delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol).
While these two cannabinoids both come from the cannabis flower, they have different effects.
Cannabidiol does not have a psychoactive effect and has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. THC, on the other hand, is responsible for the psychoactive effects that cannabis is most often known for.
When a cannabis oil is referred to as a CBD oil, generally, its main ingredient is cannabidiol. However, some CBD oils can contain THC, from minuscule trace amounts (<0.5%) to more noticeable amounts. Other oils which have a higher ratio of THC to CBD or which are THC dominant may be referred to as a THC oil.
It is extremely important that patients and prescribers know and understand how much THC is in a cannabis oil. In order to ensure reliable oil with precise amounts of particular cannabinoids and terpenes, Canadian cannabis companies require testing and labeling.
How Cannabis Oil is Different From Other Forms of Medical Marijuana?
Medical marijuana comes in various form, including as flower, cannabis oil, pills made from cannabis oil, and cartridges holding cannabis oil for vaping.
Medical marijuana is strictly regulated and the amount of CBD and THC should be stated for any product, regardless of form. However, the form itself has implications for a patient. Smoking flower can have a negative impact on a patient’s lungs, for example. Oil, on the other hand, can be administered more easily and without negative health effects. Oil is generally a purer product and determining dosing can be simpler thanks to labeling and testing requirements.
What matters most with any medical marijuana product, however, is the quality. NuSierra provides high-quality Colombian cannabis oil to Canadian cannabis companies. Our pharmaceutical-grade cannabis oil is rigorously tested and suitable for medicinal use. To learn more, contact us today.
