Have you ever infused your own cannabis oil?

Cannabis herbal oil infusions can be used both topically and for culinary purposes. In this easy-to-follow article, we will provide you with step-by-step instructions for how to make your own cannabis infused oil.




1 cup dried cannabis flower (pre-ground)
1 cup coconut oil 

 Coconut oil is recommended for cannabis extractions, as it has a high concentration (over 80%) of saturated fats. Many cannabinoids are fat-soluble, so using an oil with a high concentration of fat like coconut oil will retain a higher concentration of cannabinoids. This is why the majority of cannabis oils available come in a coconut-derived MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) carrier oil.

Depending on the intended use of your infused oil, you can also use olive oil, grapeseed, butter or ghee, corn/maize, canola or even plain vegetable oil.



A grinder - for grinding up the dried cannabis flower. A hand-powered grinder is recommended as opposed to an electric grinder (coffee grinders, etc..) as a manual grinder is much more gentle with the dried flower, preserving the trichomes and other therapeutic components of the dried herb

Cheesecloth, fine mesh strainer, or coffee filters - for straining your oil infusion

A slow-cooker, rice-cooker, double-boiler, or stovetop pot

 Grind up your dried cannabis. Quite often, both shake & trim are used to make oil infusions - if you grow and process your own cannabis then oil infusions can be a wonderful way to use excess shake and trim!
Be mindful not to grind your cannabis too finely, as this might make straining the finished product tricky.



Place ground dried cannabis in a clean, dry, glass jar. 
Add coconut oil on top, and firmly seal the jar.



Add a small amount of water, filling roughly ¼ of your chosen vessel (slow-cooker, rice-cooker, double-boiler, or stovetop pot). Place your sealed jar of cannabis and coconut oil in the shallow water at the bottom of your pot, on the lowest heat setting. 

This ‘low and slow’ method allows for the THC to decarboxylate, meaning ‘activate’, without damaging terpenes and cannabinoids with high heat. Cannabis decraboxylates between 225-250 degrees Fahrenheit.



Suggested infusion times depending on your chosen method:

Slow Cooker or Rice Cooker: 4-6 hours (on lowest heat setting, or 'warm' for the rice cooker)

Stovetop: 2-3 hours (lowest possible heat setting)

Double-boiler: 6- 8 hours (on low heat setting)

 Remove jar from infusion vessel, set on your countertop to cool. Wait until the jar and its contents are cool to the touch before straining (we suggest waiting at least 45 minutes).

 Strain your oil, using your chosen straining method. A coffee filter will provide you with the most effective strain of the methods we have listed. If you do use a coffee filter to strain your oil, we recommend doing a ‘slow drip method’ with minimal pressure used, letting gravity do the work to pull your oil through the strainer.
Bonus! - after straining, you can save the oil infused cannabis and use it in tea, coffee, soups, etc., as this cannabis has already been decarboxylated and is ready for use.

Store your oil in a fresh, clean, dry jar. Seal the jar tightly, and label accordingly (we like to make note of the date the infusion was made, the type of oil used, and the cultivar of cannabis). Store this jar in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months.

Congratulations! You have just made your own cannabis infused oil - Enjoy and stay tuned for more recipes and tips from the Shelter Home Apothecary Series!

If you have any questions, or would like to share your own infusion recipes and processes with us, please reach out to our client care team at support@sheltermarket.ca - we would love to hear from you!



https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/making-herbal-oils

https://www.leafly.ca/news/lifestyle/cannabis-and-coconut-oil-uses-benefits-and-a-recipe-to-make-your

Home Apothecary Series: Oil Infusions 101

Purolator has provided their annual shipping schedule for the 2021 holiday season - please check the important dates below to ensure that your order arrives when expected!

Customers who want next-day service on shipments to arrive by Dec. 24, 2021, should ship no later than Dec. 22.


 Regular deliveries and regular account pickups; no new call-in pick-up requests



 Closed (in lieu of Christmas Day holiday)



 Closed (in lieu of Boxing Day holiday)



 Closed (in lieu of New Year’s Day holiday)

2021 Purolator Holiday Shipping Schedule

New arrival Tropicana Cookies is the first Shelter Craft offering from DISTINKT Cannabis, a cultivator based in Calgary, Alberta. When searching for unique craft cultivars to bring to Shelter Market, this unique, dark-hued flower caught the eye of our Director of Cannabis, and the sampling experience did not disappoint. Distinkt Tropicana Cookies is Shelter Market's first Kyp's Pick; in his own words:

"I'm always a sucker for a flower rich in the colour purple. This could be for my love of Prince, or maybe I'm just an 

 junkie - the chemical compound responsible for her purple hues.

This dark, equatorial-leaning offering was bred by Oni Seeds, pheno-hunted and grown with care by Distinkt Cannabis out of Alberta. Simply put, she reminds me of the vanilla-forward flavour of A&W Root Beer. The smoke is thick and creamy with slight pepper notes on the finish; this is probably due to her Caryophyllene-dominant terpene profile.

I don't often puff multiple joints in an hour, but this offering had me going back to the rolling tray based on the flavour alone. Don't let the smallish flower size fool you, this is a sweet treat to add to the holiday season's rotation....a bona fide stocking stuffer!"

Tropicana Cookies is available at 


DISTINKT Cannabis was founded in Calgary Alberta in 2017. The founders created the brand to offer a premium cannabis experience in the legal market. With a facility that has been optimized to provide the best growing conditions for each cultivar, DISTINKT is fully loyal to the grow. Our facility was purpose-built with small, controllable environments affording us complete control of our growing conditions. Our initial offerings originated in Nelson B.C. This area is known for producing great cannabis. We are dedicated to hunting stellar phenotypes and introducing new and exciting genetics to the legal market. We hang dry the entire plant for 8-12 days in a cool, controlled environment. Once the drying process is complete, we buck, trim and cure for 21 days. We pride ourselves on exclusively producing premium flower. Any flower that doesn't meet our high standards gets sent for extraction.




As Director of Cannabis at Shelter Cannabis and Shelter Market, Kyp curates quality cannabis for all of Shelter's brands, and helps craft growers get their product to market. Some of Kyp's 20-year cannabis background includes: producing cannabis genetics at a European breeding facility, overseeing a large-scale award-winning European cannabis production farm﻿, and serving as Operations Director for a large-scale Canadian retail cannabis company. As a Vineyard Manager & Cellar Master in the Okanagan, Kyp led the implementation of a fully certified-organic vineyard that produced award-winning wines. Kyp holds a level 1 certification from the International Sommelier Guild, and test drives every chemovar Shelter distributes.

Kyp's Pick: Shelter Craft Distinkt Tropicana Cookies

With the holiday season fast approaching, Shelter Market would like to inform our clients of some shipping updates to make your holiday shopping experience smooth and simple! We understand how important it is to receive medicine on time and would like to provide you with all the information to make this possible.

As the holiday season is the busiest time of year for Canada Post, please make sure to plan accordingly and, if possible, place orders well in advance to ensure on-time delivery.

Canada Post will continue weekend delivery through to December 19th. This will include delivery on both Saturday and Sunday! 

Please note that Canada Post will not be delivering parcels between December 25th-December 28th. If the 2021 Holiday shipping is anything like 2020, delays are to be expected and should definitely be planned for!

Please note that our Shipping Policy remains unchanged - that policy can be found here: 

https://sheltermarket.ca/shipping-guarantees

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, our Client Care team is available 7 days a week to assist you! Please do not hesitate to reach out to us at: support@sheltermarket.ca 

Happy Holidays, from all of us at Shelter Market!

2021 Holiday Season & Shipping Updates

Sativa and indica were once solely used to describe the morphology of cannabis, and to categorize the plants' differing characteristics. 

Plants with a tall, slender build and delicate light green leaves were dubbed Cannabis sativa - while Cannabis indica was used to describe shorter, stouter plants with dark green leaves, and thicker stems. 

‘Sativa’ is derived from the latin adjective 

 meaning ‘cultivated’; we first see this term applied to cannabis by the English herbalist William Turner in his 1548 text ‘The Names of Herbes’. 

In 1785, French biologist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck identified a short, darker-leafed subspecies, which he dubbed Cannabis indica. 

Many years later in 1930, a third subspecies was introduced by a Russian botanist named Dmitrij Janischewsky, Cannabis ruderalis. Ruderalis was identified not by its physicality, but by its consistent flowering cycle of 20 to 40 days.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and the labels sativa and indica are still used by cannabis cultivators taxonomically. Sativas have a longer flowering cycle, and tend to prefer warmer climates; which has given rise to the moniker ‘equatorials’, whereas indicas have a shorter flowering cycle, and do well in cooler environments. 

Nowadays these terms are also being used to illustrate the potential effects of a cannabis cultivar - with ‘sativa’ being attributed to those with a more uplifting terpene and cannabinoid profile, and ‘indica’ for those which are more sedating.

In theory, this is great - a straightforward way to explain the effects of this medicinal herb; however, in reality the therapeutic constituents found within the cannabis plant cannot be this easily categorized. 

This truth is soundly delineated by a 2019 study aptly titled 

‘Genetic tools weed out misconceptions of strain reliability in Cannabis sativa: implications for a budding industry’

, researchers Anna L. Schwabe and Mitchell E. McGlaughlin sourced and examined 30 different cultivars, to see if they could determine a common genetic identity. They found that cultivar samples from different sources with the same name contained significantly different genetic variables. 

For your average recreational cannabis user, this is not too concerning. However, for the medical user treating a specific condition based upon a cultivar’s reputed terpene and cannabinoid profile, this creates a significant problem. 

The obvious solution is to shift our focus from ‘sativa vs indica’ to how each cultivar’s phytochemical constituents express themselves as they interact with an individual’s unique endocannabinoid system.

Since Canada legalized cannabis in 2018, we have seen a slow but steady shift in the general public's perception of cannabis use. Naturally, there are many curious individuals who have begun to consider the possible health benefits of a medicinal herb long decried as ‘the Devil’s lettuce’. 

There are currently many accessible resources available for those who wish to educate themselves. 

, based in Denver, Colorado, offers online training for budtenders and cannabis enthusiasts alike. They specialize in a training process referred to as the ‘interpening’, which is an in-depth exploration of the terpene and cannabinoid profiles present in cultivars, and how to navigate discussing these topics with cannabis users.

It has also become commonplace for cannabis products to have an attached certificate of analysis, often referred to by its acronym COA, which is a summary of the lab tests done on the product and typically highlights the THC and CBD content, as well as the standard testing for possible contaminants. 

COAs also occasionally include terpene information, as well as details regarding the lesser known cannabinoids, effectively providing a wealth of valuable information as to the potential therapeutic effects of the cultivar. 

It is imperative that medical cannabis users have access to up to date COAs so they can track their progress with specific cultivars, and develop an awareness of the terpene and cannabinoid profiles which work best for them - that way if a trusted standby cultivar is unavailable, the patient is empowered to choose a substitute that could work best for them.

https://www.okanagan.bc.ca/cs/cannabis-training

https://ok.ubc.ca/okanagan-stories/o-cannabis/

https://weedmaps.com/learn/the-plant/difference-between-indica-sativa

https://jcannabisresearch.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s42238-019-0001-1.pdf

Getting to the Root of 'Sativa vs. Indica'

Cryptocurrencies are changing the way the world pays - and earns.

 payment methods are arriving to every industry, and now, the legal cannabis market is no exception.

) for online medical cannabis purchases. Cryptocurrencies have proven to be viable and desirable payment options, and accepting these payment methods is well-aligned with our mission to continue to be an innovative and forward-thinking company.

One of the core goals of Shelter Market has always been to provide our clients with a broad choice of quality cannabis products at the lowest prices possible. We also want to support the growing cryptocurrency market, its investors, and to empower others in our industry and beyond to do the same.

“We are pleased to be the first medical cannabis marketplace in Canada to accept cryptocurrency,” says David Purcell, Shelter’s Chief Commercial Officer, “it’s a means to further provide our clients additional choice and security.”

If you’re ready to pay with a cryptocurrency on Shelter Market, there are two important things you need to know before getting started:

1) Once placed, orders purchased with cryptocurrencies cannot be modified.

Refunds will not be available in cryptocurrency; in the event that a refund is required, clients will be refunded the dollar value of their purchases, or given the opportunity to have that value applied to a future order.

While these policies may be revisited in the future, the current volatility of cryptocurrency value requires us to implement them for the time being.

Shelter’s cryptocurrency transactions are operated via CoinBase - you can learn more about them 

Once you’ve reached the checkout screen of your order, you have two options to pay using cryptocurrency.

1) Pay via Coinbase - selecting this option will open up a pop-up login page for Coinbase. Please note that 

2) Click the listed cryptocurrency with which you’d like to pay. If your currency isn't pictured, click Show More to reveal the entire available list.

Next, click on your preferred crypto, and use the given QR Code / Wallet Address via your preferred service to transfer payment.

If you have questions about how to pay for your medical cannabis with cryptocurrencies, 

please click here to contact our client care team

Article header image by Karolina Grabowska.

Cryptocurrency Payments Now Available at Shelter Market

Welcome to our new Shelter Market blog series, 

. One of the best things about craft cannabis, other than the exceptional quality of the bud, is the people behind the plant. For our inaugural post, we sent out questionnaires to four growers from our 

 and distilled down their top 20 answers. Read on to learn more about the folks producing your favourite flower.

BC Skunk #1, grew one plant in my kitchen.

2. What is your background in growing cannabis?

I’ve been growing cannabis my whole life for self-consumption.

3. What is your preferred consumption method?

4. What is a standout cannabis experience for you?

Every year we celebrate Valentine's day together as a family, this also happens to be the day we received our cultivation and processing licence! The boys cook us a delicious dinner and the ladies all observe with joints in hand! For some reason, forks are replaced with fingers, and cooking with cannabis enhances alllll the flavours!

5. What is your favourite cultivar to grow and/or consume?

We have been experimenting with cultivars that provide an uplifting and creative experience. Right now a favourite of ours is Subcool’s Strawberry Daiquiri! It tastes like a bowl of fresh strawberries and leaves you with an uplifting experience and enough energy to clean the house, have a workout AND bake a batch of bread!

It started with seeing the benefit the flower was having with medical patients (that were very close to me). This was definitely the driving factor that convinced me to continue in this industry. Today I get to enjoy the benefit the flower has for myself, from being a tired parent of two crazy kids.

Dry trim, to better capture the terpenes from the plant.

8. What growing method do you use, and why?	

Soil, it’s what I know and it's the most resilient.

9. Do you use organic or non-organic inputs, and why?

 Both, as there are benefits to both types of inputs.

10. How do you judge the quality of your plants?

11. What drying method do you use, and why?

 Whole plant hang dry. We believe this leads to better terpene profiles and a slower more controlled dry which preserves moisture in the bud and leads to a tastier end product!

12. What advice can you share with home gardeners who are new to growing cannabis?

Do your research on an easy to execute nutrient program and try to plan for a time of year that you can cultivate outdoors. Soil is much more forgiving than a potted plant!

13. Where do you grow your plants, and why?

Indoor: having complete control of my climate lets me sleep good at night.

14. What do you use for starting material, and why?

We usually start with seeds and will clone off the “best” genetics. We have also used tissue culture when ordering genetics from other companies.

15. What advice can you share with people looking to transition to or start in the legal market?

Plan carefully and try to work with what you have.

16. What has been your biggest challenge/failure when growing cannabis?

The ups and downs of the legacy market, and the shift from legacy to legit. Doing the same thing (growing) that I have always done but in a new challenging way.

17. Without giving away your secret sauce, what growing techniques set you apart?

Most importantly, we have Mom sprinkle her love on the plants! We have an incredibly dedicated cultivation team that understands that the smallest details matter! We truly pour our lives into caring for our plants and the process. Our growing methods stem from our farming background and the experience that we have taken from four generations of farming on a large scale. You learn from every mistake and improve because of them, attention to detail is key in the process and being able to identify improvements and perform plant care with purpose is something all of our team members strive for. On the farm we don’t have the ability to control our environment and growing indoors has given us the ability to provide our plants exactly what they need to thrive, their success is dependent on our actions and we take this responsibility in earnest! If you’re listening, plants have something to teach all of us and we are here to learn!

18. What has been the highlight of your career as a licensed grower so far?

19. What is a misconception people have about growing cannabis?

 That growing fire is easy. It takes a repeatable day in day out process, with incremental improvements - that seem to last a lifetime.

20. What is the legal cannabis industry getting right, and what would you love to see as the industry matures?

 I think the safety of the products in the market is great. Hopefully, in the future, the industry loosens up on some restrictions and gets the price of cannabis to retail lower.



Hearst Organic is located in the small French community of Hearst in Northern Ontario. The greenhouse and shop are the province’s first micro-cultivation site and are built around the priority of doing things right, and bringing true craft cannabis to Canadians in small batches. Their promise is to strive for quality over quantity. 

Today’s answers were provided by grower Joel Lacelle.

Organnicraft is a craft cultivation facility located just outside Vernon, British Columbia, and is staffed with some of the most experienced legacy market individuals in the Okanagan Valley. They produce a mix of high-end California Exotics and a few BC staples brought in from the legacy market, allowing for premium cannabis and large yields in small-batch rooms. Within the facility, every task is carried out with strategy and passion leading to white ash, tremendous amounts of resin, insane total terpenes, and high THC. 

Today’s answers were provided by grower Chris Cagnoni.

Prairie Grass is a family-owned and operated craft cultivation facility located in Southern Alberta. This passionate team combines four generations of farming experience with the co-founders’ medical backgrounds in pharmacy and nursing to create products that support patients and showcase the unique properties of the plant. 

Today’s answers were provided by growers Olivia Penner and Rebecca Thomson.

Verte West is a small-scale cannabis producer on Vancouver Island. The team comes from the legacy market, and have brought their experience and passion to the new legal cannabis world in Canada. Verte West focuses on unique tall plants with flavour profiles that require attention, and sometimes longer growing times that other growers may shy away from. Their goal is to consistently produce high quality craft cannabis by hang drying, hand trimming, and employing local help. Verte West is self-funded, locally owned and operated. They don't have a board or fancy VP's, just a band of brothers focusing on growing great cannabis. Today’s answers were provided by grower Tyler Hass.

Editor’s note: Interviews have been edited for length and clarity.

 and the other growers in our Craft Collective. 



4 in 20: Meet 4 Shelter Craft Collective Growers in 20 questions

It’s finally here! Over our past five years in cannabis e-commerce we have had the opportunity to work alongside our members to create a better website based on your feedback. We have overhauled our entire platform with new features and updates to bring you an exceptional cannabis purchasing experience.

We are so thankful to all of you for your suggestions and support, and we look forward to continuing to create something amazing together.

Read on to learn more about our new improvements!



Finding the right cannabis products takes patience and our new navigation system makes the search a whole lot easier. Shop our selection of craft and other premium products using pre-filtered popular links.


What’s new and what’s on sale? Search both categories directly on the homepage so you can browse faster and better.



The product cards are designed to relay key facts about each product quickly and efficiently so you don’t have to search for the details needed to make an informed purchase.

The physical appearance of cannabis is a key factor in determining quality. In addition to providing downloadable certificates of analysis (COAs), we also highlight dried flower on our product cards so you can get an accurate representation of the product you are purchasing.

THC-dominant, Balanced, and CBD-dominant products stand out with visual representations of each category, making browsing simpler. Look for the diamond for THC, a circle for CBD, and a hexagon for THC/CBD-balanced products.

Terpenes are an important part of the cannabis equation when it comes to product selection. Dominant terpene values are prominently displayed so you can get a more comprehensive understanding of the different cultivars and potential effects.

Each cultivar (and each lot, in fact) has its own unique terpene profile which we represent with a colour-coded graph. Learn the colour combos of your favourite terpene as a tool to help you filter your selections.

Product formats typically range from 3.5-28 gram offerings but you can also see the cost-per-gram breakdown for each category of size.

Already know what you’re looking for? Skip the extended product card details and simply click “add to cart” for an express shopping experience.

Simplify and enhance your shopping experience with our new filters. Easily discover the products you are looking for by choosing the categories that matter most to your product selection. Detailed descriptions and COAs are available on all products in the product card section.

Members can now easily shop between lots of the same cultivar and producer in one place. We simplified comparing THC, CBD and terpene values, pricing, and formats of the different lots so you can choose the best product to suit your needs.\

View and download lot-specific COAs right from the product page. This detailed information can help you make the most-informed decision about your cannabis products to help with selection. THC, CBD, and dominant terpene values are listed right on the product cards for easy access to commonly searched product information.

Member details can be easily accessed all in one place! View your medical documentation quantity limits and expiry date, update your address, and review your order history so you can easily repurchase products you love or find new products with similar profiles.

We have simplified our member sign-up with a new medical application tracking system. This helps new members ensure they have all the necessary information needed to register, every step of the process. Ready to sign up? 

New Website Features and Enhancements

...the case for Cannabis synergy via the “entourage effect” is currently sufficiently strong as to suggest that one molecule is unlikely to match the therapeutic and even industrial potential of Cannabis itself as a phytochemical factory.’

- 

Whenever we consume cannabis, whether we are smoking, vaping, or even using topicals, our bodies are interacting with a wide-variety of botanical compounds known as phytocannabinoids. Phytocannabinoids are cannabinoids produced in plants, as opposed to endocannabinoids which are produced in the bodies of most mammals. Each of these compounds provides its own signature effects and benefits, which shift and change as they interact with each other. This phenomenon is known as ‘The Entourage Effect’.

Dr Ethan B. Russo is a neurologist and pharmacologist who is known for his extensive studies of cannabis and its effects on the body and mind. He delves into researching the interactions between these cannabinoids in his essay 

The Case for the Entourage Effect and Conventional Breeding of Clinical Cannabis: No “Strain,” No Gain;

 ‘...the case for Cannabis synergy via the “entourage effect” is currently sufficiently strong as to suggest that one molecule is unlikely to match the therapeutic and even industrial potential of Cannabis itself as a phytochemical factory.’ 

THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) & CBD (Cannabidiol) are some famous players in the cannabinoid scene. These two compounds have been isolated and incorporated into a vast array of products; edibles, topicals, tinctures, you name it. While these two compounds undoubtedly provide an array of potential health benefits, there is a growing movement embracing ‘whole plant medicine’; aka ‘Nature’s Multivitamin’.

The vast array of synergistic phytochemical factors which make up a plant's unique biological makeup are comparable to a symphony orchestra. An untrained ear is unable to pick out the individual instruments, however, this does not mean their absence would go unnoticed.

We are still learning much about the nature of the intricate relationships which exist between the phytochemical constituents of the cannabis plant. For example, the active ingredient in Aspirin is acetylsalicylic acid, derived from 

 (White Willow bark). Aspirin is commonly taken to treat fever, pain and inflammation. It also is an effective blood-thinner. However, with long term continued use some adverse side-effects can begin to manifest, such as increased bruising as the vein walls become thinner and more permeable. 

 itself provides similar anti-inflammatory, pain relieving effects, but the plant contains other chemical constituents beside acetylsalicylic acid that work to modify the effects, and is found to fortify your vein and capillaries overall. Digitalis is another medicine, derived from Foxglove, that can have serious side effects when isolated from other, counteracting constituents. Phytocannabinoids are being found to have similar moderating effects on each other.

Of course, there is huge merit to isolating compounds and studying them extensively. We have collectively benefited from the scientists who are working tirelessly to understand plant compounds and how they individually interact with the human body. However, it is important to not get lost in the details. Like Monet’s famous ‘Water Lilies’ painting series; when viewed up close they seem dreamy and unorganized, take a step back and watch the bigger picture come into view. Nature truly knows best.

This website provides general information and discussions about cannabis and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this website, or in any linked materials, are not intended and should not be construed as medical advice, nor is the information a substitute for professional medical expertise or treatment.

If you have a medical concern, you should consult with your healthcare practitioner or seek other professional medical treatment. We do not ever recommend that you disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking out such advice because of something that have read on this blog or in any linked materials. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.

The opinions and views expressed on this blog and website have no relation to those of any academic, hospital, health practice or other institution.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6334252/

https://www.leafly.ca/news/cannabis-101/cannabis-entourage-effect-why-thc-and-cbd-only-medicines-arent-g

https://www.wired.com/story/cannabis-science-entourage-effect/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/daily-aspirin-therapy/art-20046797

https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-salix-various-species-including-s-purpurea-l-s-daphnoides-vill_en.pdf

The Entourage Effect; How Does It Work?

Cannabinoids are initially found in acid form in plants, so while we refer to compounds like THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (Cannabidiol), the correct name for them in their natural state is THCA and CBDA (Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid and Cannabidiolic Acid).

While these two Cannabinoids hog the limelight, CBGA (Cannabigerolic Acid) is actually the driving force. Often overlooked, as it typically only makes up about 1%, CBGA is where all other Cannabinoids derive from. During plant growth, CBGA converts to other Cannabinoid acids, mainly, THCA, and CBDA, and CBCA (Cannabichromenic Acid).

Through the process of decarboxylation (typically heating, vaping, or combusting, but also through drying) these compounds become non-acidic (and the ‘A’ is dropped from their names.). As of the date of this writing, no clinical studies have been done on CBG, however, we do know that CBG acts on both the CB1 and CB2 type receptors in our bodies.

TETRAHYDROCANNABINOLIC ACID AND CANNABIGEROLIC ACID FOR SYMPTOM RELIEF

THCA is considered non-intoxicating, and while research is still lagging far behind, it is suspected of providing anti-inflammatory, and appetite increasing effects, and some patients have reported it is useful for insomnia, muscle spasm, and pain relief. It also acts on both the 

In acidic forms, these compounds have been treated as non-pharmacologically active, however, in 2008, 

CBDA was found to have anti-inflammatory effects

 effects. As these compounds naturally degrade into their non-acidic forms, they haven’t been considered stable enough to be used in clinical settings, however, in 2019, Dr Mechoulam and his team synthesized a stable version of CBDA.

CBCA reportedly exerts anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and analgesic activity. As of this writing, no studies have been performed on humans, but it is suspected that CBCA does not work on either the CB1 or CB2 receptors.

Acidic forms of Cannabinoids are typically accessed through juicing fresh cannabis plants, and topicals preparations.

Understanding Cannabis: Phytocannabinoids

The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is an internal biological system that 

. The ECS’s main priority is to maintain homeostasis, which is when all systems are balanced and harmonious. The ECS is made up of three separate parts: Cannabinoid receptors, Endocannabinoids, and Metabolic enzymes.

Let's take a closer look at each of these separate parts.

The cannabinoid receptors are a big part of cellular response. They essentially sit on the outside of the cell and transmit information to the inside of the cell. While there are more receptors, the most widely studied and well known are the CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB1 receptors are generally found in the brain and the central nervous system and are the cannabinoid receptors that are responsible for interacting with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and making you feel what we all typically refer to as “high”. CB2 receptors are usually found in the extremities, however, both CB1 and CB2 receptors can be found throughout the entire body.

While the most famous Cannabinoids are THC and CBD, these are just two of hundreds of a class of compounds called 

 are similar to plant cannabinoids in that they bind to receptors however, endocannabinoids are unique because they are produced by your body naturally. The two major endocannabinoids are anandamide and 2-AG and these are produced by your body on an on-demand basis. Your body doesn't store them, you use them as needed.

Metabolic enzymes are the ECS clean up crew. They work to efficiently break down and dispose of endocannabinoids once they’ve been used. This efficiency is what distinguishes the endocannabinoid system from other neurotransmitters which can hang around the body beyond the initial need. The two major metabolic enzymes are called FAAH and MAGL.

-FAAH (Fatty acid amide hydrolase) breaks down anandamide.

-MAGL (Monoacylglycerol lipase) breaks down 2-AG.

THC binds to both the CB1and CB2 receptors where it can affect such processes as your appetite, memory or sleep patterns for example. As CB1 Receptors are the main target of THC binding, scientists believe that the 

interaction between the two is the primary source for the sensations of intoxication.

 The interaction between THC and CB1 receptors also influences the perception of pain which is likely why many patients report relief from symptoms of chronic pain when using medical cannabis. 

Interestingly researchers suggest that the phytocannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) doesn’t bind to either the CB1 or CB2 receptors but is thought to work to modify the receptors' ability to bind to cannabinoids. Have you ever heard that 

taking CBD to counteract the effects of a too-strong THC dose

 can be helpful? That’s because CBD can weaken the CB receptors’ ability to bind to THC, thereby modulating excess cannabinoid activity in the brain. This can help reduce anxiety associated with THC. It’s important to note that many variables come into play with individual experiences including your unique biological makeup and genetics, the ratio of CBD/THC taken, the intensity of the anxiety, and even the sort of products you’ve used. 

While there is still much to learn and understand about the human ECS, researchers have identified a range of functions that are regulated by it, including but not limited to:

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