How to buy cannabis oil online – Buyers Guide

This guide is intended for those seeking to buy cannabis oil online for medicinal purposes rather than recreational. Even though it is aimed at someone looking to purchase medicinal cannabis oil any recreational user would be wise to familiarise themselves with the health information and the dangers of buying from unscrupulous websites.

If you are reading this then chances are you have been searching the web trying to find a trustworthy supply of cannabis oil for your self or a loved one who needs it. The fact is there is a lot of misinformation and a lot of contradictory information leaving most people confused and not knowing who to trust or what sources to believe.

Do your own research first

No matter what anyone has told you about the miracles of cannabis oil and how it can cure life threatening diseases it’s important that before you even begin looking to purchase a product you do your own research first and set yourself realistic expectations. Chances are you have already talked to your doctor and they may or may not be supportive. Most doctors are not trained in understanding medicinal cannabis as a treatment modality so they tend to stay on the cautious and sceptical side and only trust something when it has been properly scientifically proven. If you educate yourself then you can help to educate your health practitioner which may help other patients coming after you.

You can research cannabis oil through other trusted resources such as http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed to educate yourself about how cannabinoids may affect the human endocannabinoid system. A site we also recommend is www.projectcbd.org You can also check out our articles on the scientific research into Medicinal Cannabis

Understand the different types of cannabis oil available

Cannabis oil is a concentrated oil extracted from the cannabis plant. The cannabis plant has been used medicinally for over two thousand years the most common way to divide cannabis plants today is based on their THC content and is a legal definition rather than a biological or genetic definition. Adding to this confusion is the use of the regional classifications of Cannabis Indica and Cannabis Sativa. Indica strains originating in the Indian subcontinent and said to be high in THC and Sativa strains from the more northern temperate regions said to be lower in THC. With modern day crossbreeding these regional terminology is obsolete but is often still used in the recreational market and used as branding tool by sites like Leafly. 

• Indica strains are believed to be physically sedating, perfect for relaxing with a movie or as a nightcap before bed.
• Sativas tend to provide more invigorating, uplifting cerebral effects that pair well with physical activity, social gatherings, and creative projects.
• Hybrids are thought to fall somewhere in between the indica-sativa spectrum, depending on the traits they inherit from their parent strains

If you live in a place where medicinal cannabis is legal this kind of terminology may be relevant.

If you are buying cannabis oil online or sourcing it from the illegal underground markets chances the main thing you need to know is how much THC is in it and in what ratio. Most illegal/home growers won’t have a clue because they never test the plants they grow.

For the purpose of this article we will use Cannabis to distinguish high THC Cannabis/Indica/Marijuana which generally has high levels of THC and low CBD. The Hemp plant or agricultural Hemp generally  has low levels of THC and high levels of CBD

Cannabis with high THC – Cannabis Oil

• Cannabis Oil / High THC Oil / Medicinal Cannabis Oil
• Ricks Simpson Oil / RSO / Phoenix Tears Oil
• Hash Oil
• Concentrates/ Honeycomb/ Wax/ Shatter

Hemp based Cannabis Oil – high CBD low THC

• CBD Oil / Cannabidiol Oil / CBD Hemp Oil

Further reading: Rick Simpson Oil vs CBD Oil – Differences Explained

What’s the difference between Cannabis Oil with high levels of THC and Cannabis Oil with high levels of CBD?

Cannabis oil can be made from any type of cannabis plant or agricultural hemp. Cannabis plants can have varying levels of levels of THC and CBD. Hemp generally has low levels of THC and high levels of CBD.  In the past few years many hybrid strains have emerged that have a 1:1 THC CBD ratio or other variations since getting the right ratio of cannabinoids has proven effective for certain medical conditions.

THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the psychoactive cannabinoid that gets you high or stoned. CBD (Cannabidiol) is non psychoactive and won’t get you high.

THC is more beneficial for extreme pain relief whereas CBD is more an anti-inflammatory and is good for treating neurological pain and pain associated with Arthritis

THC is preferred in palliative care for Cancer patients as it helps reduce nausea, stimulates apetite and reduces pain as effectively as opiates but without many of the side effects.

Many patients take both kinds of Cannabis Oil at the same time.

Further reading:  What is hemp CBD Oil

Whole Plant Extracts Vs Single Molecule Extractions

We always recommend trying to source whole plant extracts rather than single molecule extractions.

Natural whole plant CBD is Cannabidiol derived from cannabis or hemp plants (Cannabis Sativa). It often contains a complex mixture of other minor cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids which give each plant their unique characteristics and healing profile.

Many drug companies and research institutes have been experimenting with synthetic analogues to natural CBD and THC that will often look on a molecular level very similar to natural cannabinoids but the potency, efficacy, or pharmacokinetic properties is not always the same as it is in its natural form and often shows some unexpected side effects.

Most doctors who prescribe THC use a synthetic version called Marinol. Marinol is a legal prescription drug that contains synthetic THC dissolved in sesame oil. The generic name for Marinol is dronabinol, and it’s considered a cannabinoid.  Marinol and THC are structurally very similar. Marinol, however, does not contain any natural plant-based THC

Further reading: Understanding the difference between natural whole plant CBD Cannabidiol and Synthetic CBD

Whole plant extracts from Eternal Plants

Eternal Plants offers  CBD Oil with free shipping within Australia, delivery normally takes about 5-7 working days. All our CBD Cannabis Oil is whole plant extract, organically produced, GMP Certified and lab tested.

How is your cannabis oil made

SuperCritical CO2 Extraction

The optimal extraction method is using supercritical CO2. This takes place under very low temperatures and creates a pure extract that preserves the beneficial cannabinoids like CBD and CBDa. This kind of cannabis oil is often the most expensive. Pharmaceutical companies who make cannabis oil will generally use this method.

Solvent Extraction

A cheaper extraction method uses isopropyl alcohol to remove the cannabinoids from the plant material, the solvent is then evaporated leaving behind the hemp oil extract. This kind of oil needs to be made very carefully. A lot of cannabis oil for sale online still contains some of the harmful solvents that have not been fully evaporated.

Make sure your Cannabis oil is lab tested for quality and purity

Good quality medicinal cannabis oil should always be lab tested, since you are ingesting it and you need to know exactly what percentage of Cannabinoids it contains and that it’s free from any impurities like pesticides of heavy metals. Even if your cannabis oil is tested you should always trust your body. Cannabis oil tastes pretty bad but it shouldn’t make you more sick. If this happens stop taking it or reduce your dosage. Check to ensure you haven’t left it exposed to sunlight or heat that could cause it go rancid if it is mixed with another carrier oil like hemp seed oil.

Is Cannabis Oil better with more THC or more CBD?

This is a tricky question to answer and one that even within the industry is still hotly debated. People like Rick Simpson, the creator of Rick Simpson oil or RSO and the man behind the documentary “Run from the Cure” is convinced that for treating diseases like cancer it’s the THC that is important. Rick Simpson claimed to have cured his skin cancer by making his own homemade medicinal cannabis oil and has taught others how to make it.

Due to Rick’s documentary there is a lot of misinformation on the web that claims that THC is the only cannabinoid that affects cancer but this is clearly not true and is not upheld by proper scientific research or clinical trials. There are many other Cannabinoids like CBD, and CBDa that may also have anti cancer effects but so far these trials have been on rats or cell cultures in a laboratory not on humans.  

High CBD medicinal cannabis oil came to the public attention through the story of Charlotte Figi whose parents treated her rare form of epilepsy, Dravet Syndrome using CBD extracted from strains that were high in CBD and low in THC.

There has not been enough research or medical trials to say for certain which is better and from a legal standpoint as manufacturers of CBD oil we cannot give any medical advice concerning the effectiveness of cannabinoids for treating disease.

Further reading: The Facts about THC & CBD

Is hemp oil the same as medicinal cannabis oil?

Hemp seed oil should not be confused with cannabis oil. Hemp oil is normally pressed from the seeds of the hemp plant, which means it does not contain the same amount of cannabinoids found in medicinal cannabis oils which are extracted from the whole plant. Hemp oil does have trace amounts of CBD,  normally less than 25 parts per million (ppm) compared to medicinal cannabis oil extracts that typically contain between 3% and 30% CBD  (30,000ppm – 300,000 ppm) Hemp seed oil generally has no THC but does have beneficial antioxidants and omega 3 and 6 fatty acids.

Further reading: The Ultimate Hemp Oil Buyers Guide

How much does cannabis oil cost

Cannabis oil is expensive, it takes a lot of plant material to make a small amount of oil. In most countries there is a limited growing time so you are dependant on the market forces of supply and demand. You may find it cheaper at certain times of the year, just after harvest or more expensive or even impossible to find if supplies have run low. Even In the legal markets this is a problem due to the regulations and red tape that surrounds medicinal cannabis.

High THC cannabis oil generally costs more than cannabis oil with high CBD content. This is mainly due to the legal issues and risks involved. High CBD oil is legal in many countries so there are large professional hemp growers and manufacturers. The THC market in most countries is underground and unregulated. There are some exceptions like in Canada, Israel and in certain states in the USA.

Patients who are seeking THC often have more serious conditions and will need to consume as much as they can afford/stomach.  Many people use CBD oil to counteract the effects of high THC oil as it modulates the psychoactive components in the cannabis plant.

When faced with a life threatening illness any price is worth it if you get a chance of leading a healthy life again.

In Canada

THC oil, (what Rick Simpson called hemp oil) an RSO type indica or sativa whole plant cannabis extract, will run between $25–$40 per gram or ml, if it’s sold in a syringe. This oil is meant to be used under the tongue, or eaten, not smoked or vaporized.

The amber colored cannabis THC oils, the ones you can vaporize with, those range between $40-$60 per gram.

The THC:CDB combination oils 50:50 are running around $70 per gram or ml.

The CBD oil, either from cannabis or industrial hemp, is running around $40–60 per gram or ml.

In the USA

Generally; wax, budder, shatter, crumble, concentrate are considered high grade and smokeable. Retailing at $20–$80 per gram.

RSO or whole cannabis extract oil is condered not smokeable but high grade injestable. Retailing at $40–$100 per gram.

CBD oils can come in ingestable and smokeable and topical forms. Retailing from $20-$100

Is it legal to buy Cannabis Oil in Australia?

The legality of medicinal cannabis oil often depends on the plants that it was derived from and the amount of THC it contains. If you live in a country or state where medicinal marijuana is legal then you can buy high THC oil or get a prescription from your doctor. If THC is illegal then you may be still be able to legally use high CBD medicinal cannabis oil.

In countries like Australia, THC and CBD are both considered illegal unless you qualify under certain specific medical conditions. 

In Victoria some patients were allowed to legally import Medicinal Cannabis Oil from Canada from a company called Tilray, their products contain THC as well as CBD

Conclusion:  If you want to Buy Cannabis Oil Online

• Do your own research first
• Understand the different types of cannabis oil available
• Understand the difference between Cannabis Oil with high levels of THC and Cannabis Oil with high levels of CBD
• Look for Whole Plant Extracts Vs Single Molecule Extractions
• Go for SuperCritical CO2 Extraction rather than Solvent Extraction
• Make sure your Cannabis oil is lab tested for quality and purity
• Check the legal status, decide if it’s worth the risk
• The biggest danger when buying medicinal cannabis oil online is a lack of quality control.

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Eternal Plants

Eternal Plants writes about the benefits of hemp cbd oil and medicinal cannabis. We want to educate our customers and help spread the message about this miracle plant.

Latest posts by Eternal Plants

• Is CBD Oil Legal in Australia – Updated May 2019 - 2019-05-08
• Part 2: Is Mapping the Cannabis Genome the Future of Cannabis Medicine? - 2019-03-14
• Part 1: A Beginner’s Guide to Cannabis-Plant Classification - 2019-03-14