Why the cannabis oil and products you're using may not be so dope

With the legalisation of cannabis, the use of cannabis oils (canna oil) and cannabis-based products for medicinal and health purposes has exploded. With the demand increasing, many have jumped on the bandwagon to produce these types of products. The problem is that as a consumer, how do you know what you're getting, and more importantly that what you are getting is actually helping and not harming your health?

With no regulation of cannabis-based products, and therefore no testing required by law, it's difficult for the average consumer to know. It's also why many are finding that products like the cannabis oil they're using work only a few times then seem to lose their effect, or give the required therapeutic benefits on occasion, but at other times seem to have adverse side effects.

Here's what you need to know before you buy cannabis oils and products, what to look out for and why Emerald Health is a better choice of supplier.

Anyone can make cannabis oil

With no regulatory bodies governing the manufacture of cannabis oil and products, anyone can make it on the stove in their kitchen. Sure, it may be cheaper, but as with most things, cheaper is not always better, and in this instance, may even come at a cost to your health.

This may sound surprising when dealing with a natural product like cannabis, but there are a number of issues that can arise during the production and extraction processes which most people are not aware of. Let's take a look at these now.

1. You don't know which strain of plant was used

Concentrations or the percentage of cannabinoids (CBD, THC etc.) range widely from plant to plant and strain to strain. There are different plant species (Cannabis Sativa, Cannabis Indica, and Cannabis Ruderalis) as well as various hybrid versions of these.

While all types of medical cannabis produce similar effects, individual strains have differing cannabinoid and terpene content (i.e. the organic compounds that give cannabis its aroma and flavour), producing noticeably different effects. Emerald Health canna oil and tablets are manufactured from the exact same strain of the Sativa family, ensuring consistency in therapeutic benefits.

2. You may be exposed to pesticides, toxins and carcinogens.

Like any other plant, cannabis plants are vulnerable to pests and disease, something many 'backyard manufacturers' will treat with pesticides. Even if a pesticide that has been used is not detectable on the surface of the plant, any trace amounts present are magnified in the concentration process and are therefore present in the final oil products. Exposure to pesticides can cause a variety of symptoms including skin irritation and rashes, headache, dizziness, nausea, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, moodiness, joint pain, irritation of the eyes, nose and throat and in severe instances difficulty breathing, vomiting, convulsions and unconsciousness¹.

In addition, inorganic fertilizers used to aid plant growth and yield as well as those that unintentionally enter it during the growing process such as heavy metals, bacteria and moulds can also cause adverse health complications².

This means the 'pure' cannabis oil you're taking to improve your health may be exposing you to toxic chemicals and carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) that could actually damage your health.

Emerald Health canna oil and products are derived from the buds of 100% organically grown cannabis plants so you are assured of eliminating the threat of exposure to pesticides.

3. You don't always know what's in it or how the oil was extracted

Cannabis oil should be extracted from the buds of the plant. No leaves, trimmings or waste materials should be used which you can't be sure of when buying from someone with a low-yield crop who is trying to 'bulk up' the final product.

In addition, you need to know how the oil was extracted. Manufacturers produce cannabis oil by extracting the cannabinoids from the plant using a variety of solvents these include ethanol (alcohol), petroleum ether, olive oil or naphtha (a flammable liquid hydrocarbon oil), amongst others. The safety and effectiveness of these methods are vastly different. Despite its popularity, Naptha has proven to be the least desirable option in terms of safety and effectiveness, while ethanol and olive oil are the safest and most effective³.

When using Emerald Health products you are assured that your oil is extracted from only the buds of the Sativa plants organically grown on many hectares of land, using the safest and most effective solvent and extraction methods.

4. Concentrations and cannabinoid ratios may be inconsistent

When cannabis oil is not produced in the exact same manner, using the exact same plant (particularly the buds thereof) and extraction method, there can be vast differences in the cannabinoids and concentrations thereof contained in each batch. This is often the reason why a particular oil from certain producers will work once or twice, then seemingly lose its effect.

People often put this down to tolerance build-up, but tolerance only develops at higher than ideal dosages, and if dosage is sound, the more obvious explanation is that there's something wrong with the batch and the concentration is far lower than usual per dose. At other times unwanted side effects may seem to occur, this can be due to higher than expected concentrations per dose. Still, you can't know until you've bought and used it and these types of issues can become expensive.

Emerald Health cannabis oil and products are manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility that ensures consistency in production and extraction methods. This ensures that you continually get the same 2:1 THC to CBD concentration in our products.

5. You have to rely on someone's word rather than proven science

Even when you take all of the above into account and ask the relevant questions, you'll have to take the answers you get at the producer's word rather than have them be backed by scientific proof. This means you have to ask yourself whether you trust your supplier enough to stake your health on it, because, ultimately that's what you may be doing.

Emerald Health is committed to providing you with high quality cannabis oil and products with no unforeseen adverse health effects. As such, our canna oil, concentrates and products are undergoing laboratory testing to provide scientific proof that you're getting what our labels say you are every time.

References

1. PSEP :: Tutorials/Slide sets :: Pesticide Applicator Core Tutorial :: Module 9: Symptoms of Pesticide Poisoning. Psep.cce.cornell.edu. http://psep.cce.cornell.edu/Tutorials/core-tutorial/module09/index.aspx. Accessed March 9, 2019.
2. McPartland J, McKernan K. Contaminants of Concern in Cannabis: Microbes, Heavy Metals and Pesticides. Cannabis sativa L - Botany and Biotechnology. 2017:457-474. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-54564-6_22
3. Romano L, Hazekamp A. Cannabis Oil: Chemical Evaluation Of An Upcoming Cannabis-Based Medicine.; 2013:1-11. http://www.cannabis-med.org/data/pdf/en_2013_01_1.pdf. Accessed March 9, 2019.