What is Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil?

by Emjay

You’ve probably seen cannabis sativa seed oil pop up on the ingredients list of products you eat, cosmetics, and personal care products. Your first thought is probably something along the lines of “wait, is there pot in my sunscreen?” The short answer: yes, but also no. It is, but not in the way you’re likely thinking.

Cannabis is used to make a lot of stuff. It’s a very versatile plant, and almost every part of it can be used. We use the flower, the roughage, and the seeds to make all sorts of things. Each part of the plant serves a different purpose, and the seed oil has many benefits. 

What is cannabis sativa?

Cannabis sativa is technically all cannabis. Until recently, other types of cannabis were all classified as subtypes of cannabis sativa. 

What all cannabis sativa plants have in common is that they naturally produce cannabinoids, waxes, fatty acids, flavonoids, and aromatic compounds called terpenes. Each plant differs in the kinds of cannabinoids and amounts of each cannabinoid it produces.

Cannabis sativa has many strains. Some are higher in certain cannabinoids than others, and they all have different flavor and aroma profiles. 

Hemp is also cannabis sativa

Hemp is a cannabis sativa plant that contains less than 0.3% THC by its dry weight. It isn’t actually different from any other cannabis sativa plant. It’s simply been bred and grown to significantly throttle its capacity to create the main psychoactive compound of the cannabis plant.

Hemp is legal in every state. Almost every cannabis product you find being sold openly on store shelves is a hemp-based product. Technically, hemp is weed. It’s just weed that can’t get you high. 

What is cannabis sativa seed oil?

Cannabis sativa seed oil is the oil made from cold pressing the seeds of the cannabis sativa plant. In almost every case, hemp plants are used. They’re easier for manufacturers to legally grow and sell around the country. 

Cannabis sativa seed oil can be made in many ways, but manufacturers who really care about the product cold press their oil. Heat and solvents can destroy the beneficial properties of the seeds. Keeping them cool and using force to extract the oil from the seeds results in something purer and truer to its natural form.

The seeds are placed into a special machine called a hopper and pressed until the oil escapes. The hard pieces of the seed are discarded and the oil left behind is sold on its own or used to formulate other things.

What is cannabis sativa seed oil used for?

Cannabis sativa seed oil is certainly a lot more versatile than vegetable oil or olive oil. The unique nature of the oil’s composition allows it to be used to moisturize your face or dress your salad while imparting healthy fatty acids your body can use, both inside and out. 

Skincare, body care, and cosmetic products

Cannabis sativa seed oil is rich in fatty acids that deeply moisturize the skin and hair. Many skin care products and things like deep conditioning treatments use hemp oil as a main or complementary source of moisture. CBD is a natural anti-inflammatory, which is why so many product manufacturers blend CBD with cannabis sativa seed oil to make skincare products for acne and eczema.

Food

Cannabis sativa seed oil for food use is often marketed as hemp oil. Hemp oil’s smoke point makes it less than ideal for sauteing or frying. People use hemp oil as a cold oil for things like dressings or vinaigrette. You can also make your own nut butter with roasted nuts and hemp seed oil.

photo by enecta cannabis extracts on unsplash_what is cannanbis sativa sead oil

Can cannabis sativa seed oil get you high?

The compounds that make cannabis intoxicating are only produced by the plant. The plant creates a cannabinoid called CBGA, which eventually converts into THC and other cannabinoids. This process only takes place when the plant grows. These cannabinoids aren’t present in the seeds.

Cannabis sativa seed oil is not an alternative to the extract or concentrates of cannabis or hemp plants. The seed oil is only a source of fatty acids. You can consume several tablespoons of cannabis sativa seed oil without ever feeling the effects of cannabis. Feeling the effects of consuming so much oil is a completely different thing. You should use cannabis sativa seed oil as sparingly as you would use olive oil or coconut oil. 

What cannabis oils can you use for benefits?

If you want an oil that imparts the benefits of cannabis, you’ll need to choose an oil made from the cannabis plant. Its seeds aren’t capable of producing any of the effects associated with cannabinoids. 

THC products

Hash oil, THC oil, cannabis concentrate, and distillate are all names for oil-based products made from the cannabis plant that contains THC. They often come loaded into single-use vaporizer cartridges. Vaporizing cannabis oil is an alternative to smoking cannabis. There’s no flame, no ash, no complicated device to clean, and no preparation necessary. Cannabis oils are the most efficient and convenient way to use cannabis oil. 

CBD products

CBD products are also made into oils. Hemp extract and CBD tinctures are derived from low THC hemp plants. They won’t get you high, but they will deliver the relaxing benefits of the CBD cannabinoid. These products are easy to find. They can be purchased over the counter in every state without a prescription, and they’re often marketed as wellness supplements. 

Some people buy cannabis sativa seed oil or hemp seed oil believing that they’re getting CBD oil, but there’s a huge difference. CBD oil will never come in a large plastic bottle for a very low price. If you aren’t sure what you’re looking at, check the packaging. It will list the CBD content if it’s a CBD product. 

Can you use cannabis plant oils the same way you use cannabis seed oils?

You can technically eat cannabis plant oils, but it’s way more effective to vaporize them or use them as tinctures. You can infuse cannabis into carrier oils like coconut or olive oil. 

You can also mix cannabis plant oils in with moisturizing products just like cannabis seed oils, but the effects will be different. THC isn’t efficiently absorbed subdermally. THC-infused body oils will make your skin feel nice, but they won’t get you high. 

If you want to experience the benefits of THC, you should use THC topicals in conjunction with another form of THC. You need to have the THC inside of your body for it to be able to bind with your cannabinoid receptors. 

There’s one exception to this rule. You don’t have any cannabinoid receptors accessible through your skin, but cannabinoids may be able to pass through your skin into your bloodstream with a specially designed THC transdermal patch. Transdermal patches combine THC with ingredients that encourage the THC to deeply penetrate your skin. The patch traps the THC and forces it to absorb.

The effects of transdermal THC patches are very mild. They may provide some relief for aches and pains, but they aren’t capable of delivering as much THC as something like an oil-infused edible or a cannabis oil vape cartridge can. 

Making cannabis-infused oils

Cannabis-infused oils can contain THC if you want them to. You can buy cannabis-infused olive oil or coconut oil. You can also make your own cannabis-infused oils in a slow cooker with a tea infuser and some decarboxylated weed. 

Cannabis-infused coconut oil is often used to make cannabis edibles. Coconut oil works well as a butter substitute in most baked goods. Infusing refined coconut oil with cannabis makes it easy to bake pot brownies or weed cookies at home. 

The takeaway

Cannabis sativa seed oil has a lot of potential benefits, but those benefits are very different from the benefits of cannabinoids. The two aren’t interchangeable. If you’re looking to make cannabis topical moisturizing products or to add the healthy fats from cannabis into your diet, you want a seed oil. If you want to get high or enjoy the benefits of CBD, you want plant oil. 

You can get plain hemp seed oil at the grocery store or health food store. You can get cannabis plant oils from Emjay. We have an extensive variety of cannabis oils containing different ratios of THC and CBD. You can choose a strain and form you love, order it, and receive it in about half an hour. We’ll bring your cannabis oil directly to your door. It doesn’t get easier than that. 

Leave a Comment