If you’ve visited our CBD wellness blog before, we’re willing to bet you’re already a believer in plant-based wellness solutions. As we’ve shared here previously, CBD is a natural powerhouse that research shows can lend us support when we’re feeling stressed or contending with cramps. It can even help our pets as they age with fewer aches and strains, and our solventless extraction methods ensure that our products are as pure, effective, and minimally processed as possible.
But this raises a question: With so many choices as to how you can access CBD, what’s the right application for your needs and goals? In today’s post, we’ll help you choose between the three major types of CBD products—topicals, edibles, and ingestible oils—as well as sharing important information about why choosing solventless extraction is the right choice for people, pets, and the planet.
CBD and Your Body: Why Solventless Extraction Matters
Let’s start with some thoughts on purity. As both common sense and recent studies indicate, not all CBD is created equal. How it’s grown, harvested, and processed all make a difference both in its purity and in its overall impact on our bodies. That’s why Papa & Barkley is dedicated to solventless extraction for all of our thoughtfully made CBD products.
CBD, of course, is a cannabinoid, or one of the major “active ingredients” of the cannabis plant. But…what’s solventless extraction? In the context of cannabis, it means that the CBD was processed without the use of potentially harmful chemicals.
Solvent-based extractions rely on butane, propane, or other chemicals to remove the CBD from the plant. After the solvent is “purged” (or washed away), the resulting concentrated CBD extract is considered safe for you to use.
But even if all the solvent is properly removed, there are other considerations. One of the major issues around the use of extracts made with a solvent is that the producers must safely dispose of those chemicals once they’ve been purged. That means using sophisticated (and expensive) waste-management systems designed to protect workers and neighbors from harm.
But as it turns out, even handling these solvents can be dangerous. According to the American Lung Association, these volatile organic compounds (or “VOCs”) can cause multiple health problems such as compromising breathing and causing nausea, and they can also damage the central nervous system and vital organs.
That’s why P&B relies on the clean and admirably simple science of solventless extraction. Solventless extraction equipment only requires gentle heat and pressure to remove the CBD from the plants. In return, it protects our people, our products, and our planet.
Choosing the Right Solventless CBD Product For You
With that out of the way, let’s answer another important question about solventless CBD: What’s the best way to use it? Let’s examine the top three.
Topicals
Here at P&B, the topic of topicals is close to our hearts. After all, it’s how our story begins: With the original and award-winning CBD Releaf Balm founder Adam Grossman concocted to help his father manage his debilitating back pain.
Topicals are tailor-made for dispensing targeted CBD to sore or aching muscles and joints. We recommend applying it liberally and then gently massaging it over an affected area until it’s completely absorbed. You can repeat this process three or more times daily as needed. They’re also a great choice for addressing stubborn nighttime symptoms that tend to disrupt our sleep, including muscle stiffness, menstrual cramps, and other conditions that might interfere with good rest.
CBD Capsules and Softgels
Cannabis edibles or ingestibles work on the principle that cannabinoids such as CBD are just as effective inside our bodies as outside them. No matter how you access them, cannabinoids interact with the endocannabinoid system (ECS), a vital regulatory network that helps our bodies stay healthy, regulate memory and sleep, and maintain homeostasis, among other functions.
Because the CBD in cannabis ingestibles is processed through the stomach and liver, the onset time—or delay until it begins working—can last up to 90 minutes. So for best results, when you use a CBD edible such as our CBD Releaf Capsules we suggest you wait at least that long before taking another dose.
When you ingest cannabinoids they are digested and absorbed into the bloodstream, where they can support your health and wellness from the inside-out with body-wide benefits than a more targeted solution like topicals.
CBD Oil Drops
Did you know that you can also access the power of our CBD capsules and softgels in an ingestible oil format?
Our CBD Releaf Oil and other drops are formulated from the same solvent-free concentrated CBD extract as our other ingestibles. But because it’s offered in an easy-to-dispense oil format, there are a couple of potential advantages.
For one thing, you have even more precise control over dosing. And for another, you can use these drops to add the all-natural power of CBD to your favorite foods or beverages! Just add one to two dropperfuls (1-2 ml) to each serving.
In contrast with edibles, which can take up to 90 minutes to take effect, you can take advantage of what’s known as “sublingual dosing” to speed up the process. Simply place the dose of CBD oil under your tongue and hold it there for a minute or so before swallowing.
Because this area has so many blood vessels, you’ll enjoy a much decreased onset time, typically on the order of 15 minutes or so. Otherwise, you can simply add the CBD oil to your favorite food or drink for a slower-acting (but delicious!) way to ingest CBD and its beneficial properties.
Solventless CBD: Why It Matters to Us
At Papa & Barkley, we’re committed to harnessing the full power of plants as simply and safely as possible. When you read what’s inside our wellness products, you’ll see they contain things like beeswax, coconut oil, and tea tree oil. You’ll also see what they don’t contain: Solvents.
Our whole-plant infusions contain the full spectrum of terpenes and cannabinoids present in each and every plant we harvest. From award-winning topicals to convenient capsules to versatile ingestible oils, our products put the therapeutic power of CBD to work for you.
Do you have other questions about solventless extraction or the best ways to access CBD? Just ask! We’re here to help!
