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In the Pacific Northwest, locals may feel encouraged to let sunlight do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to their summer self-care routines, which feels fair, considering how little we see of Ms. Sun once fall rolls around. However, relying on that big fiery lady alone to keep your sweet summer bod balanced might actually leave you more ashen, cranky, and lethargic. Luckily, experienced cannabis users know that the benefits of ganja can help soothe those prickly summer pitfalls in ways more complex than simply improving your mood.
Sure, summer fun and THC go hand in hand, but secondary cannabinoids like CBD, CBN, CBG and CBC have also been shown to support healthy, restorative sleep, a modulated immune system, improved cognitive clarity and focus, and a robust dermal barrier when used topically. These are all essential self-care benefits, especially during the season of short nights, full-sun festivals, close-talker beer porch minglings, and sweltering, brain-draining workdays.
As we ease through the blistering climax of our evergreen summer season, consider incorporating cannabis into your self-care beyond just getting baked while floating on Trillium Lake (which still counts). Here are some of our nonpsychotropic self-care recommendations:
Skin care: East Fork Cultivars CBD and CBG Body Lotions
For my first sunburn of the summer, which I can assure you was as painful as it was embarrassing, I used East Fork’s CBG full-spectrum Rescue Rub Extra Strength Lotion with 1,500 mg CBG and 1,500 mg CBD ($45) exclusively (after exhausting all my heavy pours of pure aloe). After the initial two days of aloe-basted crimson discomfort, I began using both the CBG and CBD-forward lotions in tandem. Not only was my burn soothed, but the tone and texture of my skin were visibly improved by the time the burn had mellowed into my usual shade of summer beige. Bonus: The lotion’s loose texture and considerable cannabinoid does make it especially lovely for post-workout massages all year round.
Find it: eastforkcultivars.com
Energy: Greater Goods Focus Gummies
Summer brain rot is real. Between endless doomscrolls, a news cycle that has yet to remove its boot from our collective neck, and a climate disaster unfolding with increasing intensity each day, it can almost feel unethical to simply rest and recharge, let alone seek joy in the daily particulars of life. There is a way, however, to tap in to store-bought canna-dopamine without smoking yourself into oblivion. Greater Goods 20 mg CBD Focus Gummies ($48), for example, are a simple, THC-free way to bring a bit of cool clarity to a hot-brained overthinker. They can make it easier to sniff the perfume of the neighborhood rose gardens, get out and patronize a lemonade stand, or just quiet down and wiggle your bare toes in a patch of dewy clover.
Find it: hellogreater.com
Sleep: East Fork Cultivars CBN Tincture
For those who often run too hot to get a restorative night’s sleep during the dog days of summer, please align yourself with the newly scientifically backed super sleep aid, CBN. Cannathusiasts in the know have long been riding the wave of CBN, the nonhabit-forming, nonintoxicating, super-effective sleep aid. Multiple double-blind, placebo-controlled trials have shown CBN to be an effective treatment for a number of sleep disorders, including insomnia. For folks who struggle with restorative deep sleep, CBN can be a panacea well beyond the occasional sweaty summer night. East Fork creates CBN tinctures (price varies) both with and without THC, ensuring its hemp-based CBN products are 100% family friendly and produce rare, if any, side effects. Summer sleep sweats have finally met their match.
Find it: eastforkcultivars.com
Immunity: Luminous Botanicals Earth Blend Universal Tonic
Studies have shown CBD to be an effective modulator of the immune system, prompting healing and helping users maintain healthy immune responses. Though the effects are evergreen, they feel especially vital during the summer months when skimpy fits, flirty pool parties, and overcrowded street festivals mean more biome mingling than many of us will experience for the rest of the year. Luminous Botanicals is a trusted producer of both nonpsychoactive hemp and recreational cannabis tonics organically formulated for maximum efficacy. Thankfully, for those who prefer an organic, plant-based boost to their immunity without swan diving into an incapacitating high, this tincture is available in three different varieties: Earth, a nonintoxicating CBD formulation; Meadow, with a manageably low 1-to-1 THC-to-CBD ratio; and Sky, a THC-forward blend tempered with a complementary dose of CBD (price varies).
Find it: luminousbotanicals.com
