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The Entourage Effect:
How Cannabis Compounds Work Together
Learn how the entourage effect brings cannabinoids and terpenes together to enhance cannabis benefits.
Though medicinal cannabis use has become mainstream in the US in recent years, it has been used medicinally for thousands of years by people around the world. With the progression of science and technology, we learned that cannabis is not merely a single compound. Rather, its myriad of effects and benefits come primarily from the 100+ cannabinoids embolstered by the terpenes. A cannabis product that contains all 100+ cannabinoids along with the terpenes is referred to as a full spectrum product. A product that only consists of one cannabinoid, a select few, and or are THC free are considered broad spectrum. Full spectrum products are typically better than broad spectrum primarily because they provide the ‘Entourage Effect.’ Here, we will discuss what the entourage effect is and its benefits.
What is the Entourage Effect?
In short, the entourage effect is the idea that the medicinal properties of cannabis are most efficient when all components of cannabis are present. The primary components which create and enhance the effects of cannabis are cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids.
- Cannabinoids are naturally occurring chemicals all of which have different effects. Examples of commonly known cannabinoids are CBD and Delta 9 THC, and there are a plethora more. The reason cannabinoids generally mesh so well with the human body is because we have an endocannabinoid system. Meaning we have receptors in our brain, called CB1 and CB2 receptors, which essentially act as ‘homes’ for cannabinoids whether they are produced by the body or come externally as through cannabis use.
- Terpenes are chemical compounds found in various flowering plants. They largely act as aromatic compounds but research has also found that they have therapeutic properties. For example myrcene is a terpene commonly found in indica cannabis plants. It is known to have a generally relaxing effect, making it good for pain and anxiety.
- Flavonoids are chemical compounds which naturally occur in a variety of plants. They primarily contribute to enhancing the coloring and taste of different plants but they also have a plethora of therapeutic properties such as: anti-oxidizing, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.
Full Spectrum, Broad Spectrum, and the Entourage Effect
Overwhelming majority of CBD products available on the market whether it is at our store or others, are full spectrum or broad spectrum. Both can be effective in alleviating pain, inflammation, anxiety, sleep issues, nausea, along with a plethora of other ailments. Full spectrum and broad spectrum products both have their sets of pros and cons; in this section, we will delve into some of them.
- Full Spectrum: Full spectrum products contain all cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids,and other naturally occurring compounds found in cannabis. Since all of the components are preserved in full spectrum products, the entourage effect will come to fruition when taking them. All full spectrum products will not have more than .3% Delta 9 THC in totality. The small amount of THC with the high quantities of CBD is extremely unlikely to get you high, but it will “boost” the effects of the CBD and other 100+ cannabinoids to bring a higher degree of relief. The down side to full spectrum products is that if you are subject to drug testing, consuming a full spectrum product greatly raises the chances of failing a drug test.
- Broad Spectrum: On the other hand, we have broad spectrum products. Some benefits of these products are: you are able to find high quantities of specific cannabinoids for specific ailments. For example, our CBC tincture by 3chi is broad spectrum and contains nothing more than 1000mg of CBC. Therefore, if someone comes in store asking for something to help specifically with depression, the CBC tincture will be the top recommendation. Broad spectrum CBD gummies and tinctures are also available. These are great alternatives for someone who is looking for relief from pain or inflammation, anxiety, sleep, etc but can not have THC in their system. Despite broad spectrum products containing no detectable THC as well as having coinciding lab reports, Nurse Total Wellness can not guarantee the passing of a drug test when consuming our products due to liability reasons.
A Glimpse Into Our Full & Broad Spectrum Selection
Some Full Spectrum Products:
- Country Roads CBD Tinctures: Country Roads’ tinctures have an organic hemp seed oil base along with activated hemp extract (cannabinoids) as well as a proprietary blend of sativa or indica terpenes. The two variations are Clarity (Sativa) and Mellow (Indica). They are available in 3 strengths: 500mg, 750mg, and 1500mg.
- Enjoy Hemp Sex Gummies: If you are looking for something to spice up your sex life, try out Enjoy Hemp’s Sex gummies. They have 50mg of CBD along with 1.5mg of Delta 9 THC as well as CBC and other cannabinoids. Further, it also contains an herbal aphrodisiac blend consisting of schisandra, maca root, damiana, and muira puama. The cannabinoids can help relax you while the herbal blend can simultaneously boost your libido to really ensure you and that special person are in the zone.
Some Broad Spectrum Products:
- Nurse Wellness Nano CBD Gummies: If you are looking for quick pain, inflammation, or anxiety relief without any detectable THC, look no further than our in house Nano CBD Broad Spectrum Gummies. Made with cutting edge nano-technology, these gummies are significantly faster acting than our other CBD gummies. Since they are broad spectrum, they will be a ‘safer’ alternative for those looking for relief who also can not consume any THC. The gummies come in a blue raspberry flavor containing 30mg each. They are available in 10, 30, and 60 counts.
- 3chi CBD Focus Blend Vape Cartridges: The focus blend vape cartridges are unique because they all have different cannabinoid profiles meaning they are engineered to alleviate specific ailments. These 1 gram cartridges are available in five unique blends: Happy, Focus, Soothe, Calm, and Sleep. All of the cartridges are broad spectrum, hence they should have no detectable THC. Though it is essential to note that the Sleep cartridge contains CBN in it. This is important because despite CBN being non-psychoactive, its intake can result in a false positive on a drug test.
All of the products discussed and more are available in-store at all of our locations in NJ and PA as well as online. If you would like a consultation feel free to stop by one of our locations! If you are not close by, send us an email, give us a call, or check out our customer service live chat!
Drug Testing
One of the most frequently asked questions we get is: “Will I pass a drug test?” Unfortunately, the answer to that question is not a simple yes or no. There are a handful of nuances which contribute to the answer to that question. Here, we will discuss said nuances so you may get a better understanding of how our various products would interact with a drug screening.
THC
To pick the low hanging fruit first, consumption of any of our THC products whether it be Delta 8 THC, Delta 9 THC, or THCa will highly likely result in failing a drug test. THC can be found in your blood up to 12 hours after use, in saliva up to 24 hours after use, in urine for approximately 30 days, and in hair for up to 90 days. It is essential to note that the frequency of cannabis use will also play a role in how long it remains in your system. The more frequently you consume will naturally result in THC remaining in your system for a longer period of time. An occasional user’s body, on the other hand, may flush out THC quicker than a frequent user. At the end of the day, everyone’s body is different so flushing THC out of one’s system will vary person to person.
CBD and other Cannabinoids
With our CBD products, there is a chance one could fail a drug test if consuming a full spectrum product. These products will contain no more than .3% Delta 9 THC but consistent consumption of such products will inevitably lead to THC building up into your system. The ‘safest’ products to consume to pass a drug test would be one of our broad spectrum CBD products. (For more information on Broad Spectrum vs Full Spectrum products, click here) Anything that is broad spectrum does not have any detectable THC. This allows those who may be suffering from joint/muscle pain, inflammation, or anxiety who simultaneously can not consume THC a plausible alternative for relief. The absolute safest broad spectrum product would be any tincture, gummy, or flower that is pure CBG. This is because CBG is the first cannabinoid which forms in the plant. Hence, any product that is strictly CBG will not have any other cannabinoids. Making CBG a great option for alleviating pain, inflammation, migraines and or nausea while not putting one at risk for failing a drug test.
One non-psychoactive cannabinoid to be wary of if drug testing is a concern of yours is CBN. This cannabinoid’s main property is that it acts as an efficient sleep aid but CBN consumption can result in a false positive on a drug test. This is primarily because CBN forms from the degradation of THC. Meaning as a THC molecule deteriorates over time, it will convert to CBN. To reiterate what was previously stated, CBN is non-psychoactive but since it is a by-product of THC it can result in failing a drug test. Luckily, all of our products have QR codes on them which if scanned, will take you to a lab report done by a third party which shows all of the components which make up the product. So, depending on your situation you could in theory show the lab report to the entity which drug tests to show you are not consuming a THC product.
****Nurse Total Wellness LLC and its employees can not 100% guarantee that products will not show up on a drug test due legal liability reasons. Consult your physician and or entity drug testing you if you have further questions****
