As the legal cannabis industry continues to expand, consumers have more access to a variety of cannabis products outside of the familiar joints and vapes. Cannabis-infused topical products like skin care, bath bombs, lip balms, and body creams offer an interesting alternative to traditional skin care options.
How cannabis topicals work
Topical cannabis products are meant to be used externally on the skin, hair, or nails. According to Zachary Lacelle, owner and operator of Northern Zen Cannabis, the effects are much different than what people would experience with other types of cannabis products. “Topicals are not designed to get you high. These items are designed for use just like any other topical skin care products on the market,” he explains.
These products, that are intended for external use, contain cannabis extracts like THC and CBD that are absorbed through the skin. Using cannabis in this manner does not give the same side-effects as smoking, drinking, or eating it. With topicals, people generally only feel effects on the areas in which it has been applied.
“Your skin absorbs the cannabis-infused topical and the cannabinoids in it bind to the cannabinoid receptors present though out your body which contributes to a relaxed feeling,” explains Zachary.
Variety of products available continues to expand
There are quite a few different types of cannabis-infused topicals on the market. Northern Zen Cannabis offers a wide selection including creams, lotions, clay and charcoal face masks, lip balms, and bath bombs.
“For the most part, our CBD cream is the most requested, however the bath bombs are becoming a very popular item as well,” says Zachary.
These products fall much closer in line with traditional skin care and lotions that most people are used to. “They smell and feel much like any other skin care products on the market, except they use cannabis extracts as key ingredients,” he says.
In order to get the most out of cannabis-infused topicals, Zachary says that they are best used when there is time for some relaxation. “We recommend that you apply topicals when you’re not very physically active, perhaps when you are resting at home or at the home office desk. This will allow the topical to absorb fully instead of being sweated out or accidentally rubbed off,” he suggests.
For more information about cannabis-infused topical products, visit Northern Zen Cannabis at 76 Osprey Miikan in North Bay. Check them out their website or visit them on Facebook or Instagram. Northern Zen Cannabis is open Monday through Sunday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.