The useful application of cannabis goes well beyond smoking the herb. It also has a place in the wellness industry among countless products and treatments.

Cannabis appears to be blossoming into its previous status, one of prestige, respect and recognition. As hard as it may be to believe, cannabis was once utilised for a plethora of reasons from industrial fibre and food to medicine, before a relatively recent period of vilification and prohibition based propaganda campaigns. However, certain regions of the world, including several states within the United States of America, are beginning to relax their stance on cannabis, allowing users freedom in terms of both medical and recreational use. Yet this change in policy allows for much more than merely smoking this majestic herb.

Many entrepreneurs are realising the multifaceted nature of cannabis, including the fact that the herb bears extremely potent medicinal properties. Cannabis affects the human body in some profound and interesting way and, for this reason, many businesses are investing in the idea of cannabis as a product that may indeed revolutionise the health and wellness industry. From skincare and foods to organic growing methods and tonics, cannabis seems to be the ultimate replacement for many different alternatives on the market, made possible due to its recently granted freedom. Let’s take a look at certain areas of this industry that cannabis is impacting.

SPA

Cannabis is making its presence known within a spa setting. Her characteristics to induce relaxing sensations and nourish the skin in certain ways might make it the perfect herbal to augment spa treatments. When thinking of a spa setting, it would not be surprising to images of a deep, relaxing and candle lit massage. Well, cannabis might have the potential to bring this experience to the next level for both the client and the therapist. Therapists are starting to use CBD oils, lotions and creams to treat patients, reportedly helping them enter an increased sense of relaxation.

These CBD products, belonging to the domain of topicals, are non-psychoactive; they instead work to increase the well-being of a client via easing pain, soreness and inflammation when absorbed through the skin upon application. Therapists are also claiming that such topicals work both ways, as well as enabling more pain-free deep tissues massage, it helps the muscles in their hands to relax and recover from bouts of hard manual therapy.

CBD topicals are believed to work effectively to treat tension and muscular soreness through mechanisms that work through the endocannabinoid system, and internal system within the body that interacts in a specific way with compounds found within the cannabis plant. CBD works by interacting with the CB2 receptor of the endocannabinoid system.

SKIN CARE

Continuing the theme of health and beauty, cannabis is causing a buzz as a topical applicant to boost skin health and even tackle some skin problems that occur in some people. Cannabis is being used in sunscreen products, with hemp seed oil being used in partnership with fruit extracts to protect skin from excess UV rays, protecting against free radical damage and adding moisture to the skin.

Other cannabis topicals are designed to have a cooling effect and can be used after sunburn has taken place to soothe and nourish. Cannabis is also being recruited in the area of lip health and cellulite treatment, with products existing that even contain THC and THCA.

Those who love to enjoy a warm and relaxing bath will be happy to know that cannabis bubble bath products have also been designed to infuse warm bath water with THC and THCA.

Cannabis has also been shown to potential treat contact dermatitis, an eruption of inflammation on the skin that takes place due to irritants or allergens. Research in the journal Allergy displays that THC, when applied topically, may reduce the inflammation associated with contact allergic inflammation. Although this study was performed on mice, the authors state that “this has important implications for the future development of strategies to harness cannabinoids for the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases”.

Additionally, cannabinoids may also play a role in the treatment of the skin conditions psoriasis.

HEMP AS A HEALTH FOOD

The seed of the hemp plant, basically a very low THC containing strain of cannabis, is becoming extremely popular as a nutritious snack and food ingredient.

Hemp seeds contain healthy fats such as omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. They also serve as a fantastic source of protein, with 30 grams of the seeds offering around 11 grams of protein. They also offer vitamin E, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc.

The seeds of their own provide a pleasant nutty taste, however, they can also be made into hemp milk and added to salads, cereals, muffins and even pesto.

If you are lucky enough to have access to fresh cannabis leaves and buds, these can be juiced, or even put into salads. These raw forms of the cannabis plant offer quantities of THCA and CBDA, cannabinoid acids, may help cell function and have an antioxidant effect.

HEALTH EDIBLES

As cannabis is having a strong influential effect on the wellness industry, the opposite is also true. Edibles don’t only exist in the form of cakes, brownies and cookies. Thanks to the flexible nature of cannabutter, especially that made using coconut oil, almost any dish can be medicated now, including healthy ones. Anything from salads, smoothies, teas and much more can be used to provide the body with a good amount of nutrients when medicating.

So as you can see, there is a lot of potentials for cannabis to make a mark in the wellness industry. Its applications are many, and we are only just scratching the surface.