If you own a vape pen, you may have noticed the label lists more than just cannabis as an ingredient. Often, manufacturers add in other essential oils for aromatherapy or medicinal benefits. If you’re looking to spice things up, there are a number of herbs and oils you can add to a cannabis oil, tincture, or even a joint (ever tried a sage spliff?).
The reason essential oils work so well with cannabis lies in their terpenes, or aromatic chemicals. All plants have them.Terpenes don’t only smell good, but have a number of therapeutic qualities, too. Terpenes have been shown to curb the growth of tumors, treat depression, and reduce inflammation. The terpene linalool, for example, is found in both lavender and certain strains of cannabis. Because of its anti-inflammatory effect, for instance, it can help patients with arthritis. It also has a calming effect, and can help lower the stress hormone cortisol.
A number of cannabis vape oil and tincture companies have begun adding in other herbal ingredients to enhance the therapeutic effects of the cannabis.
Habit’s Nighttime Organic 300 milligram CBD tincture, for instance, also includes a blend of lavender, lemongrass, and chamomile, while the company’s Daytime tincture includes a blend of bergamot, rosemary, lemon, and frankincense. Each of these ingredients is medicinal in its own right, hence compounding the medicinal benefits of the cannabis.
Take for instance frankincense, which is known to help with arthritis, oral health, respiratory disorders, uterine health, and digestive disorders, or lemongrass, which acts as an antiseptic, an antibacterial, a fungicide, a diuretic, a tonic, and a sedative.
Evoxe Labs also infuses its cannabis products with a number of essential oils. Based on the mood you’re aiming to achieve (the company’s options include things like “Balance,” “Deep,” “Engage,” and “Stealth), the specific oils that accompany the cannabinoid blend are meant to enhance that feeling.
The “Deep” vaporizer pen includes lavender to “relieve pain and increase focus,” chamomile to “stimulate blood circulation and the respiratory system,” and orange for a “restorative, uplifting, refreshing” effect. Meanwhile, the cannabis itself is blended from indica strains for a more physical, relaxing high.
Brands like Whoopi & Maya, a PMS-specific line, incorporate aromatherapy and essential oils into their products, too. The company’s bath soak, for instance, integrates lavender, amber, apricot, jojoba, aloe, and others to add nourishment, along with the cannabis’ pain relieving properties.
The idea is to look at the harmonious relationship not only among all the compounds within in a single plant — this is called the entourage effect — but also to look at how different plants symbiotically enhance each other’s effects on a person who’s using them therapeutically all in conjunction with one another.
