There are several different ways to consume cannabis, and some of them don’t even involve actual consumption. Cannabis candles are beginning to take over the candle game, allowing cannabis enthusiasts to enjoy the smell they’re used to having to cover up and hide: the danky goodness of weed.
As cannabis becomes less stigmatized in modern culture, people are beginning to come out and admit to their cannabis use. While smoking weed used to be something people felt they had to keep on the down low, the culture is becoming increasingly mainstream and the scent is now sought after rather than condemned.
What is a Cannabis Candle?
Cannabis candles are exactly as they sound: candles that are infused with elements of the cannabis plant. Using cannabis essential oil and distilled oil with terpenes found in the plant, these candles are made to emulate the overall experience and aura of smoking weed.
Although cannabis candles may smell like they’ll get you high, this is just an illusion--lighting a scented cannabis candle won’t have any serious psychoactive effects.
However, the candle could emit some of cannabis’s healing properties, specifically from the terpenes involved. Additionally, if you light a candle in tandem with a smoke session, the combined effects of the candle’s terpene oils and the THC you’re smoking on may enhance your overall experience.
Cannabis Candles for Aromatherapy
While cannabis candles won’t have any sort of major psychoactive effect on you, they do have powerful aromatherapeutic properties that bring a host of benefits to the user.
Aromatherapy is a practice that uses the inhalation of essential oils to boost moods, increase energy, encourage relaxation, relieve pain, and more. Cannabis essential oil is recognized for its balancing properties: mind and body.
Some of the most common terpenes that are used in cannabis candles are myrcene, limonene, and linalool.
Myrcene is easily the most commonly-found terpene among cannabis plants today. Also found in thyme, mangoes, and lemongrass, the terpene promotes calming and relaxing effects. It’s present in strains like Grandaddy Purple, OG Kush, and Blue Dream. Myrcene is used to promote sleep, relieve pain, and soothe anxiety.
Limonene is another incredibly popular terpene, also found in citrus fruits like lemons or oranges. It’s easily recognizable for its orange-ish hue and citrusy, fruity aroma. Limonene is also used in a lot of natural cleaning products and cosmetics, because of its antibacterial properties. It is great for stress relief, mood elevation, and relaxation, and is found in strains like Wedding Cake, MAC, and Berry White.
Linalool is one of the most beautifully aromatic terpenes found in the cannabis plant, and therefore perfect for candle infusion. Also found in lavender and some spices, the terpene is known for its floral, clean scent. It’s found in strains like Amnesia Haze or Lavender Kush and promotes relaxation and depression and anxiety relief.
Between these terpenes and the many others found in cannabis, there is plenty of variety to experience when choosing your cannabis candle. Whether you prefer floral or woodsy scents, relaxation or an energetic boost, there’s definitely a cannabis candle out there for you.
CBD Candles
Interested in the idea of cannabis candle benefits, but not crazy about the smell of weed? If so, CBD candles might be a better choice for you.
Rather than infusing the candle with cannabis essential oil, CBD candles use CBD oil. CBD is great for pain reduction, controlling muscle spasms, and soothing depression and anxiety.
Candles made with cannabis essential oil are much more likely to smell like the plant, but CBD candles take a backseat to the terpene distilled oil and other essential oils that may be infused into your candle. Overall, this makes for a milder scent and experience.
CBD candles are great for enhancing the aromatherapeutic effects that already exist in the candle, and when lit may help to reduce any stress or anxiety you may be experiencing.
Although using CBD candles obviously doesn’t involve consumption, you may still experience the positive effects of the cannabinoid when you spark that wick. A 2017 study revealed that when people breathed in CBD-infused essential oils, there was a noticeable lowering of blood pressure. The participants also felt calmer and more energetic after inhaling.
As with most things cannabis, more research still needs to be done on the overall effects of CBD candles, but so far the anecdotal evidence suggests that the benefits seem to transfer when inhaled.
Hemp Candles
Yet another option for cannabis candles is actually derived from the hemp plant. Hemp candles are infused with hemp seed oil rather than cannabis essential oil or CBD oil, as well as terpenes. Like CBD candles, hemp candles don’t always smell like cannabis, but some of them can, depending on the terpenes present.
Hemp seed oil burns slower, so hemp candles are ideal if you’re looking to save some money and make your candles last as long as possible. They also may be easier for you to find, since hemp is federally legal and cannabis and CBD remain murky in legality depending on the region.
How to Find Cannabis/CBD/Hemp Candles
Again, availability of these products may depend on what exactly you’re looking for and where you reside, but you’ll definitely have the most luck with CBD or hemp candles, especially if you want the aromatherapeutic effects without the actual scent of cannabis.
The first step would be to consult your local dispensary and see if they offer any wellness products, but there are plenty of great cannabis candle brands online--it seems like more and more pop up every day. Sites like Etsy or Depop also offer cannabis candles, which is ideal for anyone interested in supporting small businesses.
How to Make Your Own Cannabis Candle
Finally, if none of these options are working out for you, you can always result to making your own cannabis, CBD, or hemp candle at home. It’s as simple as making a regular candle and adding in some cannabis essential oil, hemp seed oil, CBD oil, or even a mixture of all three if you’re feeling adventurous!
Here is our favorite, simplest way to create your own cannabis candle at home. Once you’ve got the basics down, you can really start getting creative:
Materials:
- 14 or 16 oz. mason jar (for your candle to reside in)
- Hemp wick (or other type of wick)
- 1 lb. of soy candle wax
- Hot glue gun
- Card stock
- Double boiler
- Food thermometer
- 1 oz. of hemp seed oil (or cannabis essential oil, or CBD oil)
Steps:
#1) Use the double boiler (can substitute with a glass bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water) to melt the soy candle wax on medium-low heat.
#1) Use the double boiler (can substitute with a glass bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water) to melt the soy candle wax on medium-low heat.
#2) While that’s melting, grab your hot glue gun and glue the wick to the very center of the bottom of your mason jar. The more the merrier--it can always be trimmed down later.
#3) While the wax continues to melt, cut your card stock to be a bit larger than the jar. Cut a hole in the middle of your card stock to suspend the wick. This will help the pouring process go smoother.
#4) Once your wax is melted, let it cool to about 120-140 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, add your hemp seed/cannabis/CBD oil.
#5) Pour your wax/oil mixture into the jar, leaving about ½ inch of space from the top of the jar. Allow to cool completely, and finalize by trimming your wick down to be about ½ inch.
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A good picture showing white mold next to cannabis trichomes.
