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The Entourage Effect
If you’re new to cannabis, you may not know about THC, CBD, and terpenes, but they’re an integral part to the cannabis plant that all novice and expert consumers should know about. Even if you’re just entering the cannabis world, it’s likely you’ve heard about various ratios. But the real question is: why do so many cannabis enthusiasts care about ratios? Answer: different cannabinoids (THC, CBD, THCa, etc.) work in tandem when consumed—a process known as the entourage effect. The cannabis Entourage Effect is the idea that various compounds found in the cannabis plant act in synergy together to create enhanced therapeutic effects, and that they work better in tandem than they do on their own. What is the Entourage Effect? The Entourage Effect is the idea that molecules that occur together in nature will interact in useful ways. With cannabis, this means that the benefit of capturing the whole plant has higher therapeutic value than just consuming isolated cannabinoids. Cannabis has a lot of amazing compounds such as terpenes, cannabinoids, cannabinoid acids, as well as phytonutrients. These molecular compounds are also naturally found in other plants and insects. Terpenes are just one aspect of the cannabis plant: the natural oils which are accompanied by a distinct aroma and viscosity. Terpenes and cannabinoids (such as CBD and THC) work together to maximize benefits in the body. Lab and patient-based studies reveal that while CBD or THC can work well independently, they can often create better outcomes in when taken in combination. Entourage Effect with CBD & THC When you choose a specific ratio, especially with naturally occurring terpenes, they have the potential to cause even better results. The Entourage Effect is one of the leading theories influencing cannabis research worldwide. It has been shown that terpenes, for example, not only allow cannabinoids to pass through the bloodstream and into the body’s cannabinoid receptors more easily, but they can also work against the memory loss caused by THC and help you relax and relieve stress. This is what the Entourage Effect is all about! The way CBD and THC works together is why our products help you feel better. Just like a great teammate, these two cannabinoids help each other be their best selves! It should be noted that everyone’s body is different, so a 1:3 CBD:THC ratio might help your friend sleep well, but it might give you a little more than you bargained for. In that case, a 3:1 CBD:THC ratio or a 30:1 CBD:THC ratio might be a better option for you because the CBD counterbalances the intoxicating effect of the THC, providing you with the restful sleep you’re looking for. The Endocannabinoid System & Entourage Effect The endogenous cannabinoid system, also known as the endocannabinoid system (ECS), can be thought of as the air traffic control center for the body. It controls physiological processes including appetite, pain sensation, mood, and memory. The ECS consists of two primary cannabinoid receptors: CB1 receptors (most concentrated in the central nervous system and brain) and CB2 receptors (abundant in the cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and peripheral nervous systems). The natural cannabinoids and phytonutrients found in cannabis communicate with these signal receptors of the ECS to help reduce minor aches, acute discomfort, and normal inflammation Cannabinoids and naturally-occurring endocannabinoids affect us by binding with the CB1 and CB2 receptors found throughout our bodies, much like a system of locks and keys. If you think of cannabinoids such as THC, CBD, or CBN as the keys, then the CB1 & CB2 receptors are the corresponding locks that they fit into. These interactions are what drive modern research into cannabinoids and will lead to future medical discoveries as research on the cannabis plant continues to grow. The physiological effects of cannabinoids vary depending on the location of the cannabinoid receptors that they stimulate. These receptors are common in our limbic system (the part of the brain that affects memory, cognition, and psychomotor performance) our mesolimbic pathway (associated with feelings of reward), and are also widely distributed in areas governing discomfort perception. Products that capture the whole essence of the plant and provide a full spectrum of the plant’s cannabinoids and natural terpene profile interact on a larger scale with our endocannabinoid system. Whole Plant Full Spectrum™ Products Papa & Barkley is committed to creating wellness products that adhere to the highest quality standards. It is our firm belief that cannabis is an individualized medicine. Different bodies with varying health concerns require different ratios of cannabinoids. We believe that optimal therapeutic efficacy requires the use of both CBD, the non-intoxicating compound, and THC. Each person’s body and endocannabinoid system is unique, with different needs and receptors. We believe that cannabis is not one-size-fits-all. We also believe—thanks to research—that optimal therapeutic efficacy requires the use of both CBD, the non-intoxicating compound in cannabis, and THC, its intoxicating component. Papa & Barkley offers a suite of products in different ratios, allowing you to select the best ratio for your therapeutic needs. At Papa & Barkley, we’re known for our award-winning Releaf Balm, but we’re so much more than that. The creation of our balm allowed us to branch out and create Whole Plant Full Spectrum™ cannabis wellness products that help you feel better every day. Sore muscles and joints? Try our Releaf Balm or Body Oil – the whole plant and soothing essential oils are great for post-workout recovery. Need to relax and get a better night’s rest? We have myriad ratio options of tinctures and capsules to help you sleep tight. Want to make your hike even better? Grab a gummy and hit the trail! No matter what kind of relief you’re looking for, we’re here to help you feel better every day.
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Debunking Myths: Top 6 CBD Misconceptions & What You Need To Know
Some of the information you may see online about CBD is more myth than fact. Here are the top 6 myths about CBD and the truth about them!
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Everything You Need to Know about THCa vs THC
THCa is the non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in raw cannabis and live cannabis plants. Unlike THC, it doesn’t produce a euphoric effect, but still has plenty of benefits.
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What Are the Benefits of THC?
From pain relief to deeper sleep to better sex, here are the benefits of THC, a natural compound found in the cannabis plant
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CBD vs. THC: Which Is Right for Me?
Like all cannabinoids, THC and CBD interact with the body’s endocannabinoid system. We know that our body creates endocannabinoids that plant-derived cannabinoids supplement in order to regulate appetite, pain, mood and energy. So which one is right for you?
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What Is a CBD Tincture: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners
What Is A CBD tincture? CBD tinctures are liquid extracts that make dosing easy and convenient. Learn about CBD tincture uses, CBD tincture benefits, and dosage.
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How Going Solventless Better Protects Our Planet
If you’ve ever tried any of Papa & Barkley’s CBD and other wellness products, you already know that we’re big believers in the power of all-natural ingredients. If you look at what’s in our award-winning CBD Releaf Balm, for instance, you’ll see it contains things like beeswax, coconut oil, and tea tree oil. You’ll also see what it doesn’t contain: chemical solvents. What are solvents? In this context, solvents are chemicals commonly used to extract CBD from plants. While they’re effective at separating CBD and other medically active compounds from cannabis, solvents can present serious drawbacks as well. What’s more, there’s a cleaner, more environmentally friendly way to achieve the same goal by relying on relatively simple solventless infusion equipment instead. This begs a question: Why would you use solvents in the first place? In today’s post, we’ll explore that topic and more. As you’ll learn, solvent-free CBD infusion is not only kinder and gentler on our planet and the people who live on it, but it’s at the very leading edge of functional medicine production, allowing us to access all the benefits of the cannabis plant without the use of chemicals (or anything else that shouldn’t go on our inside your body). Are you ready? Let’s dive in! Solvent Free CBD Extraction: Why It Matters If you’ve spent any time on our CBD 101 Blog, you know that CBD is a cannabinoid, or what you might think of as an innate “active ingredient” of the cannabis plant. As shown by a number of clinical studies, CBD has the potential to help us fight stress, support faster muscle recovery, and impart other beneficial effects. But not all CBD is created equal. As a growing number of us are realizing, how it’s extracted from the cannabis plant makes a difference, both in relation to its purity and to its impact on the environment. CBD can be extracted from plant matter in one of two basic ways: Through the use of solvents or without them. Solvent-based extractions use chemicals such as butane, CO2, or propane to remove the CBD and other active compounds from the plant matter. Then the solvent is “purged” (or washed away) so that the resulting concentrate is safe for you to use. By contrast, solventless infusion equipment relies on gentle heat and pressure to remove the CBD from the plants. It’s an inherently simple process with a lot of downstream benefits, which we’ll explore in greater detail in just a moment. One of the major issues with solvent-based extraction methods is that producers who use them must safely dispose of those chemicals once they’ve been purged. This requires the use and upkeep of sophisticated and costly waste-management systems to ensure that no one is harmed by such compounds—both onsite during production and outside in the air we breathe and the water we drink. What’s more, many of those solvents give off high levels of volatile organic compounds, otherwise known as VOCs. These chemicals pose a threat to the people handling them. According to the American Lung Association, VOCs can cause multiple health problems, including difficulty breathing and nausea, and they can damage the central nervous system and other vital organs. We’re not willing to take that risk with our team. As we mentioned earlier, a properly made solvent-based product should be free of any solvent residues. But here’s our point: At Papa & Barkley, it’s our stance that any given product should be assessed not only for its health benefits or risks to the end user, but to everyone who comes in contact with that product. In other words, stating that a solvent-based product is safe to use isn’t the whole story. From the impact on workers who must handle such chemicals to those who live in the vicinity of such production facilities, we feel that solvent-based extraction is a decidedly unnatural way to access the healing power of this all-natural product. Why Are Solventless Products Better? A Holistic Approach That said, we’d prefer to focus on the positive, and at P&B we believe solvent free CBD infusion is only one part of a more balanced approach to CBD-based care. Here are just a few of the ways we use this technique to produce our thoughtfully made wellness offerings. Outdoor Growing Some cannabis cultivators prefer to grow their plants indoors, arguing that this allows greater control over light, moisture, and other environmental factors. However, this approach requires significant amounts of electricity to maintain a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. That’s one reason we prefer to let Mother Nature do the work, growing our vibrant cannabis plants outdoors instead. Organic Growing Methods When your goal is producing exceptional all-natural products, it makes sense to refrain from adding anything you wouldn’t want in your body or on your skin. This includes synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, and other questionable products. Instead, we source our sungrown cannabis from farmers who cultivate using organic and regenerative principles, and chemical-free inputs for healthier soil and a healthier you. Solvent-Free CBD Infusion As we referenced earlier, our solventless infusion equipment uses gentle heat and pressure—really, that’s all!—to extract the purest CBD possible from our 100% USA-grown plants. That means our partners and employees aren’t exposed to the VOCs present in most solvents, and there’s no need for complex waste management systems to dispose of such solvents, either. Renewable Ingredients Finally, we go out of our way to use renewable ingredients such as beeswax and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), a pure coconut-derived oil that provides its own benefits as well. As numerous studies attest, MCT oil may promote weight loss, help manage blood sugar levels, and provide other corollary advantages. Solvent-Free CBD Infusion: Why It Matters to Us At Papa & Barkley, we’re committed to harnessing the full power of plants. That’s why all of our products are made with solventless, whole-plant infusions that contain the full spectrum of terpenes and cannabinoids present in each plant we harvest. From our award-winning topicals to our joy-sparking edibles and our convenient and effective tinctures, you’re putting these therapeutic plants to work with each and every one of our products. Do you have other questions about the benefits of solventless extraction? Just ask! We’re always here to help.
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Separating Fact from Fiction: CBD and the Placebo Effect
If you know Papa & Barkley, you know that we’re passionate about CBD news and the potential of this all-natural plant medicine to reduce age-related aches, support faster muscle recovery, and even foster a natural state of calm and wellbeing. Today, we’re especially excited to share recent CBD research that offers new and fascinating insights into the placebo effect and how it affects our experience of acute pain. If you’re interested in how to leverage cannabis as a gentle and sustainable response to physical discomfort—even including acute pain—this post is for you. CBD for Pain Relief: The Experience of Acute Pain Like it or not, pain is a part of life. While pain can be bothersome, it’s helpful to think of it as an essential warning system that tells us when something threatens our physical health and safety. Even so, when we’re experiencing pain—especially high-volume acute pain—it can feel like the warning came too late. There are many pharmacological responses to pain, ranging from gentle homeopathic remedies such as massage to more intense medicines like opioids, all with their own pros and cons. The reason we focus so keenly on CBD here at Papa & Barkley is a very personal one: Our best-in-class topical Releaf Balm helped our founder’s father overcome debilitating back pain. That’s because CBD can promote our bodies’ natural ability to regulate pain, reducing pain by helping modulate the actions of signaling and repair cells. CBD also impacts pain-perception mechanisms in the brain by stimulating receptors to dampen the signals of pain. What Is the Placebo Effect? How Placebo and CBD Work Together A moment ago, we mentioned the placebo effect. What is the placebo effect? Simply put, it’s a phenomenon whereby a pharmacologically inert substance—such as a sugar pill—stimulates healing effects simply because the subject believes it will improve their health. It’s a fascinating quirk of our physiology, and it’s 100% real. So, what does this have to do with CBD? As we mentioned earlier, CBD exerts effects on our experience of pain. But as recent CBD research from Syracuse University suggests, part of its efficacy also comes from the power of the placebo effect. Let us explain. We tend to think of the experience of pain as being a single variable, like when doctors ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1 to 10. But as Martin De Vita—one of the authors of the study—explained in an interview: “If you think of pain as the noxious noise coming from a radio, the volume can represent the intensity of the pain, while the station can represent the quality.” In other words, how the discomfort feels on a qualitative level is different from how severe it is. And as the study found, CBD—in addition to reducing the severity of some types of pain—had an effect on the quality of the pain, making it less unpleasant and more manageable. Echoing the findings of other clinicians, De Vita points out that it’s important to know where your CBD actually comes from. At Papa & Barkley, we make our award-winning CBD products from 100% USA-grown hemp plants, then triple test it for purity and safety. Our complete line of Releaf products—including topicals, capsules and drops— are thoughtfully formulated to ease discomfort and support your body’s natural ability to regulate pain. In Conclusion: More Evidence for CBD’s Ability to Soothe Discomfort The role hemp and cannabis play in relieving discomfort is complex, and research is currently underway to illuminate how cannabis terpenes (the aromatic “essential oils” that give hemp and cannabis plants their unique aromas and flavors) and other active compounds in the plants might be impacting its efficacy. But one thing is clear: This latest study adds weight to the notion that CBD helps us manage physical discomfort in several different—but complementary—ways. Do you have other questions about the placebo effect or using CBD for acute pain?Reach out anytime; we’re always here to help!
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Cannabis and the Gender Gap: How Men and Women Use It Differently
Even as research into cannabis unlocks a number of potential uses for cannabinoids such as CBD, there's one little-noticed detail: Men and women tend to use it for different reasons. Let's drill down into the stats to see how different genders use it (and how they could derive even greater benefits from this gentle and sustainable plant-based medication). CBD for Women, CBD for Men: What the Science Tells Us In previous posts, we’ve focused on some of the many benefits of using cannabis to boost mood and support better sleep, among others. In addition to supporting deeper, more restorative sleep, clinical studies suggest that this remarkable plant-based compound has a role to play in reducing the changes in wellness associated with aging, empowering faster muscle recovery from overexertion, and supporting our mental health and wellness. Exciting as these developments are, they ignore an intriguing fact about CBD for women: They tend to use it differently than do men. Here are a few examples of how—and why—this might be the case. When it comes to CBD for stress relief, a study indicates that women tend to absorb it differently than men. One study done at Yale’s Cchool of Medicine suggested that women absorb more CBD more quickly than men, and researchers there hypothesize that women may in fact derive greater anxiety relief from CBD as compared to men. This idea is supported by a cross sectional study that found, in general, women tend to use CBD for sleep and stress relief, while men tend to use it to relieve post-workout muscle discomfort. In addition, that study suggested that women tend to derive more subjective effects from CBD, an effect generally supported by the Yale study. But here’s a crucial aspect of that study: One of its goals is to determine whether there’s a “ceiling” on the effects of CBD for stress relief in women. According to Dr. Sarah Lichtenstein, who headed the Yale study: “If there is a point at which higher doses trigger a neurobiological mechanism that blocks the anti-anxiety effects of CBD, that could very likely lead to different effects for women and men.” This would be an illuminating discovery. As we’ve shared previously, while CBD is well-tolerated even in very large doses, it’s important to determine your optimal dosage for best results. When it comes to CBD for men, the trend appears to be more towards treatment of specific complaints—such as helping overexerted muscles recover—than for generalized health and wellness support. There’s another intriguing detail about CBD for men: According to one animal study, CBD may suppress the natural breakdown of testosterone in the liver. Does this have any effect on libido? It’s hard to say, but the concentration of endocannabinoid system receptors in male sex organs suggests that cannabinoids such as CBD have a role to play in regulating the production and breakdown of this crucial sex hormone. The fact that CBD may reduce levels of the “stress hormone” cortisol—a known suppressant of testosterone production—may add weight to this argument. CBD for Women, CBD for Men: Shopping Differences The differences between men and women do not stop at how active compounds from cannabis may work in their bodies: Men and women tend to purchase differently, too. While historically there have been more male than female cannabis consumers, more and more women are seeking out cannabis to support health and wellness. When shopping, women purchase topicals, tinctures and edibles more frequently than men. In contrast, men purchase more cannabis flower and concentrates. CBD for Health and Wellness: In Conclusion We’re passionate about our customers’ health and wellness and the potential of this all-natural plant medicine. Do you have other questions about how to use CBD to support your health and wellness? Reach out anytime; we’re always here to help!
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