SweetSue's Cannabis Oil Study Hall

I found this:

How to Customize Your Cannabis High with Temperature
Bailey Rahn

Many cannabis consumers think that customizing their cannabis buzz is limited to the strains they have on their shelves, but temperature is an equally important factor.

Think of temperature control as the key to unlocking whatever effects a strain can offer. A strain that’s high in CBD (non-psychoactive, relaxing, anti-epileptic), for example, must be heated to the compound’s boiling point of 356°F if you’re to reap its benefits. Likewise, the relaxing terpene linalool isn’t unleashed until you hit 388°F. Temperature can also determine a strain's intensity: higher temperatures typically exaggerate effects while lower temperatures offer a more gentle, mellow experience.

This type of customization isn't possible through smoking. When you bring a lighter to your bowl, you’re combusting the plant material which creates smoke, carbon dioxide, and other harmful byproducts. The temperature is hot enough to activate the THC and other compounds, but this “sledgehammer approach” isn’t terribly efficient, as temperatures that high can also destroy volatile but pertinent cannabinoids and terpenes.

Knowing that cannabis has a variety of precious constituents with different boiling points, I wanted to see how temperature affected the overall experience felt by different strains. Lining up a row of strain jars like test tubes, I turned on my trusty Herbalizer and began playing mad scientist.

Low Temperatures for Clear-Headed, Functional Effects

310°F to 330°F
Recommended for: mild euphoria, focus, productivity, subtle relaxation

There’s a time and place to be stoned off your rocker, but sometimes all you need is the slightest kick from your cannabis. For days when you need uplifting relief to carry you through chores and tasks, low-temp vaping is the key to a functional, productive buzz.

I loaded my Headband concentrate and set my vaporizer to 320°F in order to release three key constituents: the uplifting, focus-feeding terpene pinene; the pepper-flavored anti-inflammatory terpene caryophyllene; and of course, the psychoactive commander in chief, THC. Despite high levels of THC, vaporizing at this temperature didn’t make me feel stoned in the slightest. Instead, I was left feeling acutely alert and in complete control of my faculties. The taste was a subtle mix of herbs and pine, but certainly lacked the loud flavors found at higher temperatures.

Turning the heat up to 330°F, the high became slightly more intense but tasks and concentration were still completely manageable. The 290-330°F range seems the perfect fit for those who wish to stay productive and functional, cannabis novices and newbies, and/or anyone sensitive to THC’s side effects (dizziness, paranoia, dry eyes/mouth, lethargy, etc.).

Moderate Temperatures for a Balanced Buzz

330°F to 370°F
Recommended for: moderate euphoria, enhanced sensory awareness, mood elevation, functional relaxation

As you increase the heat, more THC is volatilized and your high becomes more intense. This middle range — 330°F to 370°F – gives rise to more euphoric effects that help elevate the mood, stimulate giggles, and kick start the appetite. It’s more functional than when you push past the 370°F mark, but you will most definitely start to feel the stone that lower temperatures spared you.

Historically, 365°F has been the sweet spot for me (I’ll never forget because the first time I vaporized, my friend read the machine’s clock-like screen and thought it was 3:65PM). I’ve always loved the combination of tamed euphoria coupled with the subtle relaxation and focus found at this temperature. I turned my Herbalizer up to 365°F and dished out more of the Headband wax. The vapor felt fuller than it did at 330°F, and the flavor was perfectly fruity with the aftertaste of sweet vanilla licorice. Its effects were distinctly different from the low-temp experience: my thoughts went from a sloppy sprint to a relaxed walking pace, allowing me to unwind and focus.

Whether you’re kicking back with a book, exercising, socializing, cleaning, or playing video games, these moderate temperatures provide most of the cannabinoids and terpenes you want without fully volatilizing the THC – I know many people who would want as much THC as possible, but for others it’s about achieving a careful balance of clear-headedness and blissful elevation.

High Temperatures for Intense Euphoria and Relaxation

370°F to 430°F
Recommended for: intense euphoria, sleep, heavy relaxation, meditation

For ultimate THC decarboxylation mode, turn your vaporizer above 370°F. At these high temperatures, you get terpenes like linalool (calming, anxiety relief) and cannabinoids like THCV (energizing, appetite suppressant), but keep in mind that they’re approaching combustion territory. You may even notice the vapor become smokier and harsher on the lungs.

Durban Poison is a South African sativa known for its elevated levels of THCV, a highly psychoactive cannabinoid known to weaken appetite (yes, weaken). I coincidentally had this strain in my collection last week, so I decided to cook it at 430°F to see if I felt more “energized” than I would at a lower temperature.

For me, the answer was a definitive yes. I finished inhaling the bag of Durban Poison fumes (a little bit went a long way) and shared it with my roommate when I realized how high I became after just a few hits. I passed the kitchen on my way out, and caught a glance of those old-fashioned chocolate glazed donuts – the kind you’d normally eat like popcorn after getting stoned. Call it a THCV placebo or miracle, but those seductive delicacies had no power over me (until later, but that's irrelevant).

Vaporizing the indica Skywalker at a high temperature – 390°F to be specific – was an entirely different story. Your muscles melt, eyelids get heavy, and thoughts become shrouded in a pleasant mental mist that makes it easy to fall into a calm, meditative state. I can’t say for certain whether it’s the linalool gained at 388°F or the more fully volatilized THC, but this strain was detectably heavier at higher temperatures and decidedly more sedating than the Durban Poison when vaporized at the same temperature. That bring us to the final and most obvious consideration when attempting to customize an experience: the strain.

Thank you for sharing this. It brings it all home very nicely, doesn't it? I like the way he presents it so you can experience it as more than facts.

All those years we thought it was as simple as rolling a joint. :laughtwo:
 
Yeah, I don't get it either...

I have seen many posts here by people who want to avoid the euphoria, yet still seek the healing and pain relief.

Certainly you can choose to get high or not.. but my question is WHY? Is there valid reason medically to avoid the high? Does the euphoria somehow get in the way of pain relief and/or healing?

If I get too high, or stoned, the effect is somewhat disturbing...but a mild buzz just seems to make the day better. And for my wife's RA and pain, the euphoric effects she experiences are very welcome after waking up to "ground glass" in her hands.

But, I guess its fair to note that we were both brought up in the 60's, so we became comfortable with cannabis long ago.

Danolo, you'll probably be happiest with a strain that's balanced in the ratio of CBD to THC. Most of the reports I read by consumers are very positive about feeling a sense of "well-being" which was what they wanted more than euphoria.

I personally believe that the euphoria may be a major player in the healing process. It's recently come to my full attention how necessary for healing and homeostasis it is that one spend more time thinking happier thoughts and far less time wallowing anywhere else emotionally. I've come to believe that the euphoric effects of THC reduce the tension in the system enough to to support the busy workings of the ECS. It's a part of the entourage effect our lawmakers aren't catching on to, because most of them probably have no understanding of how the most important system in their bodies even functions.

In all fairness, I wasn't this aware as recently as two years ago, but then I wasn't charged with writing the laws that would restrict this healing plant from those I found objectionable.
 
Looks like I get a walk in the blustery rain. :laughtwo: Out of coffee and creamer and it's New Years Eve. Priorities woman! Lol!

Is everyone having a good time today? Have your celebrations planned? I'm staying home with :420: and my brownies. It should be great fun. :slide:
 

I personally believe that the euphoria may be a major player in the healing process. It's recently come to my full attention how necessary for healing and homeostasis it is that one spend more time thinking happier thoughts and far less time wallowing anywhere else emotionally. I've come to believe that the euphoric effects of THC reduce the tension in the system enough to to support the busy workings of the ECS. It's a part of the entourage effect our lawmakers aren't catching on to, because most of them probably have no understanding of how the most important system in their bodies even functions.

That makes perfect sense...if it feels good it must be doing good.

I guess, as in all things, its a matter of balance. If I get too high, I just wanna lie down and hold onto the bed. Not really that pleasant. And if I get too stoned, I just want to lie down and sleep.

Now, for a perfect example, today I went to a local dispensary and purchased 2 grams of good old Sour Diesel.

Euphoria, here we come.
 
Sue, a quick question: as you may recall, I found a supply of Fake RSO which, so far, seems to have a strong effect on my wife.

It as advertised as 37% THC / 24% CBD. She's been taking a rice-grain sized dab, orally, at bed time and on rising. She sleeps like a coma at night, and usually in the morning, after her rising dose, she go back to bed. for another 3 hours.

It works VERY well on pain relief, and also well with swelling in her knuckles.

I'm concerned about the huge sedative effect. Can she expect build up of tolerance so she's not knocked out, or should we reduce the dose?

My gut tells me that while sleeping, she's healing.

What do you think?


The first time I talked to my practitioner, he said that many people experience this extreme sedative effect for the first few weeks of healing. His approach was that if somebody really needs the healing sleep, they'll sleep. If others simply need to feel more calm, they'll feel that.

I'm not qualified to say if this is what's happening with your wife, but he made this very clear to me at first, so he wanted me to clear at least that first week to make sure I allowed myself that if it happened.
 
Hi Sue.

I went back and looked at the recipe again and the original recipe called for lecithin granules, which the Old Hippie crossed out and said "[FONT=&quot](Note: I no longer recommend adding lecithin due to studies that indicate it can cause heart damage – OH)". So, I'm guessing the granules were probably soy and that the sunflower lecithin is probably fine?[/FONT]


This is a new one on me HashGirl. I wonder how much lecithin one would have to consume? Also, lecithin is typically made from soybeans, which are mostly GMO now. The liquid sunflower lecithin has other components that aren't in regular lecithin. I'd bet he's talking about soy-based lecithin, and GMO at that.

Lecithin actually contains inositol, a B-vitamin-like substance that the body uses to support cardiovascular health and maintain good blood pressure.
 
Sara if possible could you get him to write down the contents of these different solutions? Important for dosing and making custom solutions.

mdw has some pain issues. Had her try a drop of CBD in mct oil. She had a moderate allergic reaction to it. She is very sensitive to lots of things so it wasn't a total surprise.


Yes, I will definitely do that.

Wow, I didn't know anyone COULD be allergic to CBD :( That is so sad. And I hope not a problem I have, but knowing me.... I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Hmmmm...... I wonder if that's the heart rate issue I had with my hemp. Something to think about.
 
Interesting. Keep us posted.

Interesting outcome and untested theory.

I keep all the oils / tinctures in the fridge. Yesterday out of the fridge start up dose normal reaction. Today, it was at room temperature because it was left out all night (my bad - good thing the dog didn't find it). My reaction was stronger than normal.

It could be other things but it does have me wondering if warming the oil increases bio availability or somehow makes the compounds stronger.

More tests to come.
 
Interesting outcome and untested theory.

I keep all the oils / tinctures in the fridge. Yesterday out of the fridge start up dose normal reaction. Today, it was at room temperature because it was left out all night (my bad - good thing the dog didn't find it). My reaction was stronger than normal.

It could be other things but it does have me wondering if warming the oil increases bio availability or somehow makes the compounds stronger.

More tests to come.


YES. Yes it does. I had my own issue with the hemp oil one evening with this.

On a purely superficial note, this is one reason why they tell people to warm up oils, moisturizers, etc, in your hands before applying. It seeps in better (so technical and scientific of me, right?). There has to be research on this somewhere.

Yeah, the evening I kept my hemp in my pocket for several hours, it entered my system in seconds. Add that to fact that I used more drops because I didn't feel it hit my mouth right away....
 
I personally believe getting high just to get high is good for my health as I'm very relaxed (for the most part) when I'm high and it's easier for me to ignore any bad/negative stuff and that fits in quite nicely with your thoughts below. Being high makes me feel more grounded.

Danolo, you'll probably be happiest with a strain that's balanced in the ratio of CBD to THC. Most of the reports I read by consumers are very positive about feeling a sense of "well-being" which was what they wanted more than euphoria.

I personally believe that the euphoria may be a major player in the healing process. It's recently come to my full attention how necessary for healing and homeostasis it is that one spend more time thinking happier thoughts and far less time wallowing anywhere else emotionally. I've come to believe that the euphoric effects of THC reduce the tension in the system enough to to support the busy workings of the ECS. It's a part of the entourage effect our lawmakers aren't catching on to, because most of them probably have no understanding of how the most important system in their bodies even functions.

In all fairness, I wasn't this aware as recently as two years ago, but then I wasn't charged with writing the laws that would restrict this healing plant from those I found objectionable.
 
DH made roasted leg of lamb with potatoes and green beans for dinner and then I'm planning on vaping something and hanging out here for a few hours before bed. I won't be up until midnight as we're celebrating Christmas with my family tomorrow at lunch time and even though, they live within spitting distance, I don't want to be too tired to enjoy the day.:laughtwo:


Looks like I get a walk in the blustery rain. :laughtwo: Out of coffee and creamer and it's New Year's Eve. Priorities woman! Lol!

Is everyone having a good time today? Have your celebrations planned? I'm staying home with :420: and my brownies. It should be great fun. :slide:
 
Hi Sue. I do believe your assumption is correct about the type of lecithin used. I found this information online:

THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SUNFLOWER LECITHIN AND SOY LECITHIN
Soy and sunflower lecithin are two of the most popular lecithin supplements. Sunflower lecithin is the more expensive option because of the differences in production costs and yield. There are however definite advantages that sunflower lecithin has over soy lecithin.

  • One of the main advantages is the extraction process; sunflower lecithin gets extracted without the need for potentially damaging chemical solvents such as acetone and hexane.
  • Sunflower lecithin is also processed through a cold press system like the one used to derive olive oil and similar products.
  • It is the only lecithin which is obtainable both chemical-free and raw.
  • Sunflower lecithin is rich in choline and other essential fatty acids such as phosphatidylinositol.
  • Soy lecithin is derived by using dangerous chemicals like hexane.
  • Some people may develop soy allergies.
  • Soy is often genetically engineered.
  • There are concerns of elevated estrogen levels by consuming soy and soy lecithin.

Hi Sue.

I went back and looked at the recipe again and the original recipe called for lecithin granules, which the Old Hippie crossed out and said "(Note: I no longer recommend adding lecithin due to studies that indicate it can cause heart damage – OH)". So, I'm guessing the granules were probably soy and that the sunflower lecithin is probably fine?
 
Hi Sue.

I went back and looked at the recipe again and the original recipe called for lecithin granules, which the Old Hippie crossed out and said "(Note: I no longer recommend adding lecithin due to studies that indicate it can cause heart damage — OH)". So, I'm guessing the granules were probably soy and that the sunflower lecithin is probably fine?

You got it HashGirl. Liquid sunflower lecithin is the way to go.
 
The first time I talked to my practitioner, he said that many people experience this extreme sedative effect for the first few weeks of healing. His approach was that if somebody really needs the healing sleep, they'll sleep. If others simply need to feel more calm, they'll feel that.

I'm not qualified to say if this is what's happening with your wife, but he made this very clear to me at first, so he wanted me to clear at least that first week to make sure I allowed myself that if it happened.


Thanks Sara...that was my feeling as well...I think we'll continue on the "coma" program for another few days and see if she balances out. She's certainly enjoying the pain relief.

Thanks for you input.
 
YES. Yes it does. I had my own issue with the hemp oil one evening with this.

On a purely superficial note, this is one reason why they tell people to warm up oils, moisturizers, etc, in your hands before applying. It seeps in better (so technical and scientific of me, right?). There has to be research on this somewhere.

Yeah, the evening I kept my hemp in my pocket for several hours, it entered my system in seconds. Add that to fact that I used more drops because I didn't feel it hit my mouth right away....

I can't believe this never occurred to me before this. :laughtwo: I'll start leaving my CBD capsules out the night before. I bet it increases the effects. Sweet! :slide: The CBD is what I take in expectation of having a positive impact on the psoriasis. Potentiate that baby. Yes!
 
I personally believe getting high just to get high is good for my health as I'm very relaxed (for the most part) when I'm high and it's easier for me to ignore any bad/negative stuff and that fits in quite nicely with your thoughts below. Being high makes me feel more grounded.

One of the effects that makes cannabis so valuable for the treatment of PTSD is the ability to bring you back into the "now." When you're anxious that's part of what cannabis does for you. It keeps you here in the now instead of worrying about the future or digging up the past. And it makes you want to laugh, which is so beneficial to the ECS you wouldn't believe it. :laughtwo:
 
Yes, I will definitely do that.

Wow, I didn't know anyone COULD be allergic to CBD :( That is so sad. And I hope not a problem I have, but knowing me.... I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Hmmmm...... I wonder if that's the heart rate issue I had with my hemp. Something to think about.

I was reading through and thought "I wonder if she realizes how amazing we all think she is to be so open to sharing, and open to the exploratory process."

Sara, you are amazing.
 
Interesting outcome and untested theory.

I keep all the oils / tinctures in the fridge. Yesterday out of the fridge start up dose normal reaction. Today, it was at room temperature because it was left out all night (my bad - good thing the dog didn't find it). My reaction was stronger than normal.

It could be other things but it does have me wondering if warming the oil increases bio availability or somehow makes the compounds stronger.

More tests to come.

I'd go with increases bioavailability, which has the effect of potentiating the dose at large.

I'm impressed, fellow lab rat. I'll be setting my capsules out from now on. :high-five:
 
Sue, a quick question: as you may recall, I found a supply of Fake RSO which, so far, seems to have a strong effect on my wife.

It as advertised as 37% THC / 24% CBD. She's been taking a rice-grain sized dab, orally, at bed time and on rising. She sleeps like a coma at night, and usually in the morning, after her rising dose, she go back to bed. for another 3 hours.

It works VERY well on pain relief, and also well with swelling in her knuckles.

I'm concerned about the huge sedative effect. Can she expect build up of tolerance so she's not knocked out, or should we reduce the dose?

My gut tells me that while sleeping, she's healing.

What do you think?

I agree with Sara. Let her get sleep until she starts to feel it's too much. It sounds like the pain has been a constant visitor, so this is relief. Take it and rest.

She'll know when she's caught up. That's when you start modifying the dose. She should be building a tolerance at the same time, which will help get more cannabinoids into the system.

Keep us in the loop. Like I have to say that. :laughtwo: :Love:
 
I can't believe this never occurred to me before this. :laughtwo: I'll start leaving my CBD capsules out the night before. I bet it increases the effects. Sweet! :slide: The CBD is what I take in expectation of having a positive impact on the psoriasis. Potentiate that baby. Yes!

I have psoriasis, too! It went away once in my life while on a regimen of a ton (basically, a ton) of fish oil.

I'm very curious to see if cannabis can calm down the autoimmune issues I've had all my life. The cannabis seems to calm my digestive issues (Crohn's and Celiac). I WAY overindulged on my ... everything I'm not supposed to eat during Christmas week and my system did very, very well.
 
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