Spray: A New Way To Administer Cannabis

Sublingual cannabis spray comes on quickly, is ultra discreet, and provides accurate dosing every time.

The burning of plant matter is a turn off for many. Between exposure to carcinogens, harsh tasting herb, and irritated throats, more and more consumers are trending toward smoke-free methods. Cannabis spray provides a potent, odor-free, and discrete method of administration, on top of some useful medicinal benefits.

Sublingual administration enables particular compounds to enter your system quickly. With cannabis spray, the salivary glands and mucous membranes under the tongue absorb cannabinoids quickly and take the direct route in.

If you have trouble swallowing or absorbing your medicine, then sublingual administration is a clean and simple alternative.

In addition to ease of consumption, cannabis spray provides a reliable and repeatable method of dosing. It’s this titrated dose along with the discreet and odor-free nature of administration that appeals to many people.

The Benefits Of Cannabis Spray

When consuming cannabis in edible form, the medicine must get through the stomach and to the liver. The arduous process of converting the THC to 11-Hydroxy-THC takes time — perhaps up to two hours for edibles. Results are often inconsistent and what you’ve eaten (or not eaten) previously will often influence the high. With sublingual cannabis sprays, the medicine has a direct route into the bloodstream and can effectively bypass the GI tract.

The other alternative is smoking or vaping, both of which require little mention these days. The lung issues that have arisen with the use of vapes (liquid not dry herb) are quite alarming. Smoking cannabis may not be as bad as smoking tobacco but it’s still a far cry from the optimal method of consumption.

If these have been formulated with natural ingredients then sublingual cannabis sprays allow patients to avoid the ingestion of harmful carcinogenic compounds. And in a further reassuring development, legislators in Canada have made it illegal to include artificial flavors in cannabis spray.

The effects kick in after about fifteen minutes and many patients report these are more potent than other routes, such as sublingual or edibles. The great thing about cannabis spray is the controlled dose with each spray metered to dole out a set volume of medicine.

Cannabis Spray Formulations

Various formulations exist on the market today. Some target recreational consumers, while others are more relevant to medicinal patients. Either way, cannabis spray is a discrete and reliable method to access the benefits of cannabinoids.

• Mirth Provisions make a THC isolate called Drift. It is a peppermint-flavored spray that targets the recreational market. Each spray delivers 1.6mg THC.
• Gold Mist by Tetralabs is another ‘THC only’ cannabis spray, but this time cinnamon flavored and dosing at 3 to 6mg THC for each spray.
• Hexo makes both THC and CBD sprays with full terpene profiles.

As the legalization grows, it is a certainty that more formulations with different ratios will enter the market.

Cannabinoid Ratios Can Vary For Cannabis Spray

Cannabinoid ratios are often the most highlighted attribute of commercially available cannabis sprays. Various blends exist with differing ratios of THC to CBD. High THC versions are common, with 25mg/ml of THC commonly found.

Other blends exist with a higher quantity of CBD, where 1:1 ratios are available in addition to high CBD, low THC variations.

Terpene Profiles are Important Medicine

Those looking to use cannabis spray for medicinal purposes should check the terpene profile.  Often times, blends available from many manufacturers are devoid of terpenes. In such cases, these were either destroyed (overheated) in the extraction process, or the sublingual spray is made from a THC or CBD isolate.

To maximize the medicinal benefits of cannabis spray, the entourage effect is important. This is a term used to describe the potent synergies that play out between plant compounds, most notably between terpenes and cannabinoids. Dr. Ethan Russo’s study named Taming THC (2011) describes in great detail how many of these synergies play out. In extracts devoid of terpenes, there is a definite depreciation in medicinal value.

If you’d like to ensure you receive the most potent medicinal benefits from your cannabis spray, then choose one which has a terpene profile present. While many of the minor terpenes may not be present, the principle ones — alpha-pinene, beta-caryophyllene, limonene, linalool, and myrcene — are usually present.

Carriers and Flavors

Cannabinoids are fat-soluble compounds so infusing these with some form of oil is a must. In many sprays, the less viscous MCT oil (Medium Chain Triglyceride) is commonly used as a carrier. When it comes to flavor, several commercially available solutions also have flavors infused with peppermint, mint, and also citrus being particularly common.

The Side Effects of Cannabis Spray

Provided you consume an appropriate dose for your condition and tolerance, the side effects of using a cannabis spray are not severe. The typical dry mouth may result in many consumers, but by staying hydrated, this rarely becomes an issue. The main concern for many new consumers is over doing it. With such a simple and clean administration method, this is something that’s easy to do with a cannabis spray.

Who Might Cannabis Spray Benefit?

Multiple Sclerosis Patients

An Italian study, published in the Journal of Neural Transplantation & Plasticity (2015), looked into how those affected with multiple sclerosis benefitted from using a sublingual spray. In the study, the patients reported improvements in pain relief, walking, and the muscle spasms so often associated with MS.

Chronic Pain Patients

A study, published by the British Society for Rheumatology (2006), investigated how cannabis spray could help ease the pain associated with rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers from the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in the U.K. concluded that “a significant analgesic effect was observed and disease activity was significantly suppressed.”

Microdosers

With a titrated dose, cannabis spray can often be ideal for those medicating on the go. Anxiety patients will benefit from the practice of micro-dosing. Most sprays allow patients to medicate with 0.1 ml of oil each time, meaning surprising accuracy is available. Whenever and wherever they please.

Cannabis Spray is a Quick and Clean Medicine

It’s easy to administer, odor-free, and convenient. Cannabis spray is likely to become much more common as people transition away from combustible methods of administration and it’s a medicine you can carry around in your pocket, and what’s more, no one ever has to know about it.