“The nicest part about this creme is its lack of oiliness. ”

Each bottle contains arnica, peppermint, juniper, and of course CBD derived from hemp. Thankfully, it doesn’t smell like cannabis, so you need not fear of giving yourself a good lather. The last thing you want is to walk into the office after your morning pilates session and watch the entire accounting department catch a contact buzz from the plant power coming off your pores. Additionally, it doesn’t have that pungent or stinging sensation that some more popular pain-relieving creams contain. You know, the kind that stays on your fingers and then accidentally gets in your eyes and burns your corneas to the point you can’t see, so you wind up knocking over a priceless family heirloom that leads to admonishment and ultimately banishment. It’s a risk is all I’m saying.

The nicest part about this creme is its lack of oiliness. It feels pleasant on the skin and would be of good use in conjunction with a massage. I used it mostly on my knees and ankles because they both tend to cause me anguish—and sometimes sound like an old rocking chair being dragged across a Civil War reenactment field. I can’t say Apothecanna cured my chronic pain, but I did enjoy a brief respite.

The sensation was subtle, but it did manage to mitigate some of the tightness I get in the ol’ meat hinges. It was at its best for me as a pre-workout creme. I slathered on a liberal amount before I started in on an hours-long yoga session. In general, it helped me go a little deeper and fall more into sync with my breath by adding a heightened sense of fluidity to my movements. There wasn’t a time where I actually felt high from the application. There was at most an ethereal sense of relaxation that was well on par with a CBD buzz.

“It was at its best for me as a pre-workout creme. I slathered on a liberal amount before I started in on an hour’s long yoga session.”

I used this several times in the same spots throughout the day, and found that my pain was noticeably more tolerable. Perhaps the greatest testament to its effectiveness is the fact that I was up early the next morning, and was able to set out on a six-mile run without being any worse for wear. I normally hesitate to apply a bunch of pain creme on myself due to all the harmful ingredients carried in such products. I did not have this concern with Apothecanna, as it’s mostly plant-based and comprised of several essential oils.

For those who have nagging pain or are just used to putting their body through the wringer, this creme from Apothecanna can deliver short-lived results that make it easier to continue your daily grind. The product in and of itself eschews the antiquated notion of the lazy and lethargic cannabis user. For people like myself who often go on miles-long trail runs after a bong rip, it’s nice to know the cannabis industry has turned its attention to athletic recovery.