FAQ
Basics
You can totally Google this stuff but in case you're lazy here it is. CBD is one of many cannabinoid compounds found in the flowers of cannabis plants that interacts with the body’s natural endocannabinoid system. Unlike its cousin THC, CBD is non-intoxicating and doesn’t give the high.
CBD balances and tones your endocannabinoid system. Basically, our bodies naturally produce cannabinoids called endocannabinoids that work with the endocannabinoid system. This complex biological system allows cannabis to interact with receptors in the body, maintaining balance to keep the organs running smoothly. These receptors are found concentrated in the brain, in smaller numbers on the liver, digestive tract, and skin and can be pictured like a lock and every cannabinoid like a key. Cannabinoids in CBD activate specific receptors. So CBD is like a master key that fits everybody’s lock interacting directly with the endocannabinoid system and binding to the body’s receptors.
The health benefits of olive oil have been widely studied. Extra virgin olive oil is extraordinarily rich in phytonutrients, antioxidants, and vitamin E. Researchers observed that people on the Greek island of Crete lived longer and had lower rates of chronic disease than the general population. Cretans, the OGs of healthy eating, are known to consume vast quantities. Older generation Cretans often drink olive oil for breakfast.
Because cooking and eating are such an integral part of a daily routine, we found that infusing CBD into olive oil was the easiest way to get CBD into food and into ourselves. Absorbing CBD into your body along with a fat like extra virgin olive oil also makes it more bioavailable (meaning it feels more potent in your body) and slower to digest making it effective for longer. Science aside, the oil's peppery flavor enhances even the humblest ingredients which makes taking something “good for you” like CBD, less of a chore and more of a joy.
Sourcing
We work with a small outdoor grower in Oregon where under bright sun the plants develop unique aromas and flavors.
We like Greek olive oil because it stands up to the earthy notes in cannabis plants. We are partial to koroneiki oil from the small, green fruit, which we source from the island of Crete. A magical place both in natural bounty and culinary traditions, Crete was the first to cultivate olive oil as early as 3000 BC. It is renowned for the highly aromatic flavor and health benefits of its olive oil, which is low in acidity with one of the highest concentrations of polyphenols in Greece. Our oil is classified as extra virgin, which means it is extracted without heat or chemicals and contains less than 1 percent oleic acidity. We bottle in limited quantities so that we only make what will be sold. You can purchase the olive oil un-infused on our site.
The olive oil has the European Union designation of P.D.O (Protected Designation of Origin) which means that the entire production cycle from raw material to finished product, is carried out in a given territory. Many olive oils in stores are blended with cheaper oils even though they may claim a single country of origin. Sant’Ana is made from 100% organic koroneiki olives strictly indigenous to Crete by makers who follow ancient ways.
Process + How to Use
Our process takes a week from start to finish- from de-stemming to infusing, bottling and labeling- and is done entirely by hand without any mechanical means. To start, cured flower is infused in olive oil using the lowest possible heat for the least amount of time to preserve polyphenols and cannabinoids. We simmer the olive oil in batches over the stove until the air is thick with herby aromas before letting it come to room temperature and moving to glass jars. Resinous herb and oil continue to infuse for a few days until perfumed with the plants botanical aroma before filtering and transferring to UV-resistant glass bottles. A slow process, but the labors are worth it.
Are they ever. Each batch has been tested and verified by PharmLabs for potency & purity to ensure we are maximizing the alchemical benefits of the plant. We are compliant with USDA regulation and ensure that all products contain less than .3% THC. To see our latest test results for each formula, click on a COA on the product page in our shopping section.
With natural products of almost any kind, both the specific volatiles and proportions can vary due to the genetics of the plant, growing conditions, harvest time, and post-harvest handling. Take an apple as an example. Any given apple contains more than three hundred separate volatile compounds identifiable through gas chromatography. Even two apples of the same variety, from the same tree, will contain different volatile compounds, in different proportions, if they are at different stages of ripeness. This is the same for cannabis plants - the buds at the base get less light and contain far less concentrations of cannabinoids than the buds grown in full sunlight.
For this reason, we are less about teaspoons and tablespoons. We made Sant'Ana in various strengths so that they can be used liberally without having to pay much attention to milligrams or measurements. All the same, everyone is different and people will feel effects after different amounts. You'll find your preferred level of effects over time by experimenting. By days end, we’ve usually alternated between Formula I, II and III with our meals. It's a few steps down the path toward balance.
We use whole flower for the same reason we cook with true, whole ingredients. It's a habit rooted in using all of the flavoring a plant offers- from stems to flowers. The flowers are not the only useful part of the hemp plant; the leaves impart a wonderful fragrance as well as the seeds which are quite tasty and nutritious with rare omegas.
Whole flower contains everything from the plant, including all the terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids. Because nothing is removed, these components work together to become highly effective (known as the “entourage effect”) with better absorption rates in the body. People tend to experience better results with whole flower using much less than they would with an isolate or broad spectrum.
We use a strain with high amounts of the cannabinoid and terpene Caryophyllene for its spicy black peppercorn notes. When combined with Cretan olive oil, the resulting blend is warm, woody with a distinct cannabis flavor to evoke the desert from which it hails.
Incorporate into your cooking as you would any oil. It’s nice with grilled fish and meats, roasted vegetables, stirred into pasta sauce, brushed on bruschetta, drizzled over stews and soups, or into an olive oil cake. The only limitation to creativity is the appetite, inclination and time of the cook. The general idea is to nourish the Endocannabinoid System daily. We believe that benefits come with continual dosing of adpatogens, like CBD, over a lifetime.
It's best to try to avoid cooking above 325° F as some of the cannabinoids will begin to evaporate as it heats. You can bake cookies, brownies, cakes and breads at 350° F though, since the internal temperature of baked goods will be lower than the external temperature of the oven.
Once you open it, use it. Extra virgin olive oil that's been infused with flower becomes a delicate thing that requires a cool place on your counter to prevent degradation. It also needs the cork stopper on at all times to keep air out. Because the oil is adversely affected by heat or long storage, we use 240 ml bottles so that it is easier to finish within a few months of opening.
Re-stocking, Returns, Etc
Sant’Ana is made in little batches by hand. We don't announce re-stocks so we suggest just checking the website from time to time.
See our full return policy here.
Sant’Ana oils are available at www.sant-ana.com and select stores.
All of our packaging is eco-friendly with the exception of the food safety seal and band. We decant the finished oil into recycled glass bottles and use labels made from 30% post-consumer waste content. We use wood stoppers because they don't change the taste of the oil. To minimize $$$ and waste, we use the least amount of packaging in our boxes that we can. Any packaging we do use is made from 100% recycled paper and recyclable materials.