Cannabis oil, THC oil, CBD oil & Co: What are the differences?
Cannabis oil: Areas of application in medicine
What does the effect of cannabis oil depend on?
Cannabis oil and CBD oil: What is the difference?
How is CBD oil made from the hemp plant?
Areas of application of CBD products
What is hemp oil?
The term cannabis oil is often used synonymously for different oils, which can be quite confusing. Therefore, in the following article, a breakdown is given according to production method, effect and possible areas of use.
Cannabis can be consumed for recreational purposes in different ways. Most commonly, users smoke or vape the flowers of the cannabis plant. In addition, it is also possible to produce an oil from the flowers (THC oil) and/or the resin of the inflorescences (hash oil or hashish oil) and take it orally.
It is not uncommon for cannabis oil to be produced using extraction techniques that are not very professional, so that it is unclear what the quality of the oil is. Another problem is that cannabis oil contains between 50 and 80 percent tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and can therefore have a very strong intoxicating effect.
What is RSO oil?
Canadian Rick Simpson is very well known in the international cannabis scene and has a large following. Many of his followers call him a "health rebel". Simpson, who has no medical training, claims to have cured his malignant skin cancer with the help of a homemade THC oil and spreads the recipe of the oil ("Phoenix Tears") on his homepage, at cannabis fairs and in self-written books.
As part of his propaganda, he declares cannabis oil to be a miracle cure for various serious diseases. Numerous people are said to have already been cured by the THC oil. Particularly dangerous is Simpson's statements that cancer patients are severely damaged by chemo-radiation therapy and should therefore reject it.
At this point, it should be explicitly mentioned that Simpson's cannabis oil, with a THC content of 90 percent or more, can have an extremely strong intoxicating effect and endanger health. Furthermore, cannabis oil is not a substitute for conventional cancer therapy.
Cannabis oil as a medicine
Medical cannabis oils are medicinal products, which are not comparable to cannabis oils for recreational use. They are produced under strict regulations, resulting in a pharmaceutical-grade THC oil that falls under the Narcotics Act. However, doctors may prescribe cannabis as medicine under certain conditions.
Medical cannabis oils are differentiated as follows:
- Dronabinol is the international name for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and strictly speaking is not directly a cannabis oil. Pharmaceutical companies market dronabinol as an active ingredient so that pharmacists can use it to produce oily dronabinol drops, dronabinol capsules or ethanolic dronabinol solutions for inhalation. The medicinal oil contains only THC and no other ingredients such as other cannabinoids or terpenes.
- Full-spectrum cannabis extracts can also be prescribed and are prepared by pharmacists from medicinal flowers into oily solutions for oral use. In addition to the cannabinoids tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), the extracts contain other cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids (secondary plant substances) from the plant.
Cannabis oil: Areas of application in medicine
THC with its medicinal effect has been well researched in the meantime. The non-intoxicating cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) has also shown therapeutic benefits in many studies. Medicines containing cannabis are most frequently used for chronic and neuropathic pain. In addition, seriously ill patients suffering from vomiting and nausea as well as weight loss and emaciation can benefit from cannabinoids.
Furthermore, cannabis as a medicine can also be used for the following diseases:
- Multiple sclerosis
- Epilepsy
- Tourette's syndrome
- chronic inflammatory diseases (e.g. Crohn's disease or arthritis)
- Glaucoma
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
What does the effect of cannabis oil depend on?
The effects of cannabis-containing medicines in the form of cannabis oil or medicinal flowers are manifold and depend, among other things, on the THC and CBD content, the dosage and the form of administration (e.g. oral application or vaporisation). This is especially true for THC, as each person reacts to it individually. In general, cannabis medicines are said to have the following effects:
- analgesic
- anti-inflammatory
- muscle relaxing
- anxiety-relieving and calming
- sleep-inducing
- appetising
- reduces nausea and vomiting
Cannabis oil and CBD oil: What is the difference?
While cannabis oil falls under the Narcotics Act and is therefore not legally available unless prescribed by a doctor, CBD oil is a product that is freely available for purchase - as long as the product does not exceed the THC limit.
In Switzerland, CBD products may contain up to 1 percent THC and in Austria the value is a maximum of 0.3 percent. In Germany, on the other hand, the maximum value of 0.2 percent may not be exceeded.
An essential difference between cannabis oil and CBD oil is the source material. For cannabis oil, manufacturers use THC-rich cannabis plants. For the production of CBD oil, on the other hand, the hemp plant (industrial hemp) is used. The advantage of commercial hemp is that the plant contains only a small amount of THC and has a higher CBD content.
Information about cannabis and hemp: Cannabis is the Latin word for hemp, so there is basically no difference. However, cannabis usually refers to a THC-rich plant. Hemp, on the other hand, stands for commercial hemp, which contains only a small amount of THC and is used for the production of various products (e.g. CBD oil or hemp oil).
How is CBD oil made from the hemp plant?
There are different methods to extract the cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) from the hemp plant. CO2 extraction is the most environmentally friendly and gentle method. This is because many other valuable ingredients from the hemp plant (cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids) are retained and can complement and enhance each other's effects ("entourage effect").
After extraction, the extract is dissolved in a carrier oil (e.g. hemp oil or MCT oil) so that the body can better absorb the ingredients. The finished product is then called full-spectrum CBD oil.
Not all CBD oils are the same.
There are many different CBD oils available, each with different characteristics. For example, there are full-spectrum or broad-spectrum products (THC-free products) that use different extraction methods. The choice of carrier oil also plays an important role in quality. And last but not least, there are CBD oils with different amounts of CBD. This means that CBD oils can vary considerably in quality.
It is always advisable to choose a manufacturer who provides information about the origin of the hemp plant and the extraction process, as well as certificates of analysis from an independent laboratory.
Areas of application for CBD products
Many people use CBD oil to relax and calm down. Especially in stressful phases, CBD oil can be a helpful companion.
It is also known from experience reports that many users take CBD oil before going to bed or use it against inflammations. Still others experience relief from headaches and migraines with CBD oils. Accordingly, the possible areas of application are very diverse.
What is hemp oil?
Hemp oil is made from hemp seeds and is available in every supermarket as an edible oil. This makes hemp oil a completely normal foodstuff. This is because, compared to cannabis oil and CBD oil, hemp seed oil does not contain any cannabinoids. On the other hand, a high-quality hemp oil product can contain other valuable ingredients.
The oil from the hemp plant offers an optimal ratio of omega-3 and -6 fatty acids of one to three as well as important minerals (e.g. magnesium, calcium, potassium), trace elements (e.g. iron, zinc, manganese) and vitamins, especially vitamins E, B1 and B2. The use of hemp oil can therefore definitely have a positive effect on the body.
FAQs
What do you use cannabis oil for?
Recreational users use cannabis oil for intoxication purposes. Since cannabis oil falls under the Narcotics Act, it is an illegal product. However, seriously ill patients can be prescribed medical cannabis oil under certain conditions. The therapeutic effect of cannabinoids is relatively well researched, especially the cannabinoid THC. The cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD) also has therapeutic potential. Therefore, cannabis oil is often used against chronic and neuropathic pain, nausea/vomiting, emaciation/lack of appetite, epilepsy, spasticity and chronic inflammatory diseases.
Which cannabis oil for pain?
Medical cannabis oil with a high THC content and low CBD content can be used for chronic pain. On the other hand, cannabis oil does not show sufficient effect in acute pain conditions.
