The relationship between humans and cannabis goes back thousands of years. The plant, in its various forms, has been an incredible steadfast ally. Not only did early civilizations use hemp for fabric, twine and other construction materials but also, importantly, for medicine. Fortunately, the archeological record has uncovered artifacts, illustrations and textual references that give us fascinating details about medicinal usage.

At Synergy we offer six types of embodiment of cannabis for medicinal use, some are new innovations while others date back into antiquity. Here is a guide to our offerings with some background history and suitability for different conditions and personal preferences.

Topicals

Salves, poultices and plasters have long been used for treating skin conditions, sprains, strains and deep muscle pain. The six thousand year old Ayurvedic healing tradition holds that plant oils applied to the skin will travel down through the body nourishing to the bone, herbs that have been infused in the oil will be carried deep into the body. Synergy salve is made with a 1:1 ratio CBD:THC cannabis oil. It is highly recommended for alleviation of pain, both nerve pain and pain from inflammation. It is also recommended for cancer remediation and the resulting pain experienced after chemotherapy treatments. CBG isolate is also an ingredient, this cannabinoid is indicated for inhibiting cancer cell growth, slowing bacterial growth, promoting bone health and aiding sleep. The carrier oils are Shea Butter and Coconut MCT Oil, both excellent for absorption. Essential oils complete the recipe: Lavender, Lemon Eucalyptus, Rose Geranium and Wild Ginger are the therapeutic oils that compliment our cannabis-rich salve, chosen for their anti-inflammatory properties.

Synergy also offers the topical roll-on for deep muscle pain and sprains, here the thc-rich cannabis and CBG isolate are suspended in organic alcohol for a robust delivery, we finish the recipe with a choice of essential oils: Mint or Lavender, or a plain unscented option. The roller-ball alcohol application is 50% stronger than the salve, has better absorption and penetrates deeper than the salve.

For the best results, apply both together. First apply the roller-ball tincture, let it dry for a couple minutes. Then, apply the salve on top. It makes a sandwich of pain relief that lasts much longer.

Tinctures

Tinctures are the fastest acting of the oral delivery modes and long employed by herbalists in many traditions. As well as being quickly assimilated in the body, 15-30 minutes, lasting 6-8 hours, there is great advantage in this delivery in terms of accurate dosage.

A precise dosage can be easily established by titration, a self experimentation process, starting low and slowly adding drop by drop, over time. Some people need more than others, dosages varying from 3 to 30 drops often yield the same results.

Our tinctures are available in olive oil, sesame oil and traditional organic alcohol mediums, sublingual ingestion is fast and we recommend adding tincture to a small amount of water or juice for this method. We offer CBD-rich, THC-rich and blended tinctures, all made in-house by hand, the traditional way.

Capsules

Capsules are a modern invention. At Synergy, we use vegan capsule casings for easy digestion. This delivery method has been developed to cater to the need for large doses of cannabis medicine. The capsules contain only pure ground decarboxylated CBD flower, in 25mg and 50mg. We have great feedback on the capsules working on inflammation and deep anxiety. The advantages of capsules are the elimination of taste and a longer duration of effectiveness. Flower capsules tend to last longer, making them good for sleep.

Suppositories

The first reference to cannabis suppositories is found in a fragment of an Egyptian medical text dated from 3,000 BCE. Later, in 1700 BCE, there is a direct reference to cannabis suppositories being used in the treatment of hemorrhoids.

Suppository use, both vaginal and rectal, has been used as a delivery method across many healing modalities. Cannabis suppositories have a great advantage when delivering THC-rich medicine, by avoiding the digestive tract, the blood stream and a first-pass of the liver. Because of this, the psychoactive component of THC remains inactive, allowing for large doses to be administered. Research has shown THC in large doses shrinks cancerous tumours, while CBD and CBG act against the proliferation of cancer cells. Cannabis suppositories alleviate pain and inflammation specifically in the abdominal area, from G.I. issues to endometriosis and other female reproductive complaints and hemorrhoids. Synergy offers suppositories in three dosages: 50mg, 100mg and 200mg, in a 1:1 CBD:THC ratio, the carrier oil is organic cocoa butter.

Concentrates

In 2003 Rick Simpson was diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, a form of skin cancer. Following his intuition, Simpson made a cannabis concentrate and applied it topically to his skin. In four days Simpson had no visible symptoms of the cancer, he continued to take the concentrate orally and has tested cancer-free ever after. Some refer to this form of cannabis extraction as RSO (Rick Simpson Oil) or Phoenix Tears, a name coined by Simpson himself. Synergy produces concentrate by extracting cannabis using a Carbon Dioxide (CO2) extraction method, the concentrate is winterized to remove waxes and then the valuable terpenes are reintroduced to the final product. Synergy packages concentrate in easy-to-use syringes, this makes dosage effortless to calibrate. Synergy’s cancer cure protocol involves the patient taking 200 mg a day of concentrate for 90 days, using either suppositories or the syringe method. Using the syringe method for oral application, the dosage must be gradually increased to the desired dosage. Concentrates are popular when high doses are recommended for many conditions: MS, pain, diabetes, arthritis, inflammation, cancer and sleep problems to name but a few. Synergy offers concentrate in seven different cannabinoid ratios from CBD-rich to THC-rich and blends in between.

Cartridges and Flowers

Inhalation of cannabis is the fastest acting of the various embodiments. It’s an ancient tradition, Herodotus wrote in 450 BCE that the Scythians’ had a purification ritual wherein they would prepare a tent and burn great quantities of cannabis flowers in cauldrons, entering the tent, participants would inhale the herb and as Herodotus reports, laugh and shout! The lungs absorb cannabis from inhalation at around 20%- 30%, the effect is almost immediate so while it is not the most efficient delivery in percentage terms, it has the great advantage of instantaneous relief. Synergy offers a selection of ten different cartridges, these are made using CO2 extraction which provides a pure essential oil which is then winterized to remove waxes. No fillers or additives are used, no thinning agents, just pure organic cannabis oil.

Edibles

Cannabis edibles are hugely popular, easy to digest with a sustained effect. Cannabis recipes from ancient India and Persia are still used today: the ‘Majoun’ confection is a date ball made with hashish and honey, popular for general health as well as specific complaints and taken as a special relaxing treat. Synergy’s range of edibles come in convenient 10mg CBD-rich and THC-rich cookies, in chocolate and ginger flavors. Digestion of cannabis yields a slower and lower absorption rate than rectal application, nevertheless it is easy and effective and a reliable delivery method with a great taste.

By offering this range of delivery methods we are making cannabinoid-based treatments as available as possible, in as many distinct ways as we can. We value the time-tested traditional medicine and embrace the clean processing technologies which create pure full spectrum extracts.

As research continues to improve our understanding of cannabinoids and how they act on the endocannabinoid system Synergy plans on remaining at the forefront of innovative cannabis medicine delivery.