Cannabis Topicals: How They Work and How to Use Them

Cannabis topicals are one of the most approachable products in the dispensary. Standard topicals don’t get you high, and they act where you apply them rather than throughout your body. For people who are curious about cannabis but nervous about intoxication, topicals fill a niche no other format does.

What Are Cannabis Topicals?

A cannabis topical is any product you apply directly to your skin: a cream, lotion, balm, salve, roll-on, bath soak or patch. Most contain cannabinoids (usually THC, CBD or both), often alongside familiar ingredients like menthol, camphor, arnica or capsaicin that create a cooling or warming sensation.

How Topicals Work, and What They Don’t Do

The most important thing to understand is that standard topicals don’t reach your bloodstream in meaningful amounts. Your skin has its own CB1 and CB2 receptors as part of the endocannabinoid system, and topical cannabinoids interact with them locally, where you apply the product, without reaching the brain.¹ That’s why standard topicals don’t produce a high.

The exception is the transdermal patch, which is designed to carry cannabinoids through the skin and into the bloodstream. Patches can have whole-body effects, including a high from THC patches.

Types of Cannabis Topicals

Lotions and Creams

Light and quickly absorbed, good for larger areas and everyday use. Usually water-based with added oils.

Balms and Salves

Thicker, oil-based and more concentrated, made for smaller, targeted areas. Often blended with menthol or arnica.

Massage Oils

Made for massage. The longer contact time and rubbing may help absorption.

Bath Soaks

Used in a warm bath for a whole-body soak. Effects are mild.

Patches

Transdermal patches stick to the skin and release cannabinoids slowly over hours. Unlike other topicals, they’re designed to enter the bloodstream and can produce a high with THC.

Roll-Ons and Sticks

Applicators that let you apply a balm without getting your hands greasy. Handy on the go.

How to Use Topicals

• Apply to clean, dry skin. Sweat, lotion or dirt can get in the way of absorption.
• Massage it in thoroughly. More contact with the skin helps.
• Be patient. People usually notice effects within 15–30 minutes, and they can last a few hours. Menthol and warming ingredients are felt within minutes.
• Reapply as needed, following the product label.
• Wash your hands afterward, unless your hands are the area you’re applying to, so you don’t get it in your eyes.

Topicals and Drug Tests

Because standard creams, balms and lotions don’t reach the bloodstream in meaningful amounts, they’re generally not expected to cause a positive drug test. Transdermal patches are different: they’re designed to deliver cannabinoids into the bloodstream and can show up on a test. THC topicals still contain THC, so if you’re subject to drug testing, talk to your employer or testing provider before using any THC product.

Choosing a Topical

• THC topicals contain THC but, apart from patches, don’t produce a high.
• CBD topicals are widely available and don’t contain THC at meaningful levels.
• Balanced 1:1 topicals combine THC and CBD.
• Products with menthol, camphor or arnica give the most noticeable immediate sensation: cooling, warming or tingling.

Our budtenders can walk you through the topicals on the menu at your store. For more on how CBD and THC compare, see CBD vs. THC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will cannabis topicals get me high?

No. Standard topicals don’t enter the bloodstream in meaningful amounts. The exception is transdermal patches, which are designed to and can produce a high with THC.

How quickly do topicals work?

Most people notice something within 15–30 minutes. Menthol and warming ingredients are felt within minutes.

How long do the effects last?

Typically a few hours, depending on the product and how much you use.

Can I use too much?

Using more past a certain point mostly wastes product. Follow the label for how much and how often to apply.

Can I use topicals on broken skin?

Check the label. Many cannabis topicals are meant for intact skin only, and broken skin may let more of the product absorb or become irritated.

The Bottom Line

Cannabis topicals are the most beginner-friendly product in the dispensary: no smoke, no high (with standard products) and no complicated dosing. Apply, massage it in and give it a few minutes. They’re also an easy entry point for anyone curious about cannabis but not ready for intoxication. For how long other formats last, see how long a cannabis high lasts.

Browse THC and CBD topicals at Bloom Ohio or Maryland.

Footnotes

1. Bíró et al., 2009. The endocannabinoid system of the skin in health and disease. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. ↩