The popularity of CBD has skyrocketed in the last few years. Now you can find CBD oil (a cannabidiol extract diluted in a carrier oil), CBD for pets, and even cosmetics and aromatherapy products containing this cannabinoid. And the boom of CBD-containing products has also reached the vaping market. So that is why many people wonder whether they can vape CBD oil. In this post, we will try to give an answer to that question.
Origins of CBD
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is one of the main active compounds of cannabis (cannabinoids). Together with THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), CBD is responsible for many of the active effects of cannabis.
Cannabidiol has also become very popular thanks to its many health benefits. Thanks to these benefits, many people are now using CBD oil or other cannabidiol products to treat many ailments. And cannabidiol comes with a great advantage over THC: CBD does not come with psychoactive effects, which means it will not get you high. Quite likely, that is why CBD is legal in so many places.
Most CBD comes from industrial hemp, which is a strain of Cannabis sativa that has lower levels of THC and higher levels of CBD. Moreover, the THC content commercial CBD products cannot exceed 0.2%. Therefore, with such a low content, it is impossible to get high on CBD oil.
Health Benefits of CBD Oil
Cannabidiol acts on the CB1 and CB2 receptors that are found throughout your body. These receptors form part of the cannabinoid system, which is common to all animals (including humans). The cannabinoid system plays a crucial role in modulating pain, mood, stress management, memory, appetite, energy or locomotor activity. Moreover, the CB1 and CB2 receptors could also be implied in weight loss, cardiovascular health, and even type 2 diabetes. With such a range of benefits, it is no wonder that the popularity of CBD has skyrocketed.
Nowadays, CBD oil has become a popular product to alleviate:
- Pain
- Anxiety disorders
- Depression
- Anorexia
- Insomnia
It could also relieve some symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and multiple sclerosis (MS), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Can I Vape CBD Oil?
No, you cannot vape CBD oil. At least, not the regular CBD oil that you usually consume orally. CBD oil is a hemp extract diluted in a carrier oil. The most common CBD carrier oils are hemp oil, olive oil, avocado oil, sunflower oil, and fractionated MCT coconut oil that contains medium-length chains of triglycerides. And in most cases, these carrier oils are not suitable for vaping and are not safe to inhale.
Having said that, however, there are CBD liquid products that you can vape safely.
How to Vape CBD Oil
If you want to vape CBD, there is one product for you: CBD e-liquid. Also known as CBD vape juice or even as CBD vape oil (even though it should not contain any oils), CBD e-liquid should only contain propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), CBD extract, and maybe other cannabis compounds like terpenes or other cannabinoids. Nonetheless, you can also find CBD vape juice that contains MCT oil. But is that safe? Well, there is some controversy here. Some sources claim that vaping CBD e-liquid with MCT could cause lipoid pneumonia, while others say that using this ingredient in vape juices is totally safe. Another discussion about MCT-containing vape juices is that these oils could end up damaging your vape pen. In any case, you should not vape regular CBD oil. That is, a cannabidiol extract tincture with a carrier oil.
Whether you choose a CBD e-liquid MCT-free or not, you will only need a vape pen or other vape devices. You can use your CBD vape juice alone or mix it with other e-liquids. For example, if you are used to vaping e-liquids with nicotine, you can mix it with CBD-based vape juice. You just need to make sure you are not vaping with pure CBD oil. And it goes without saying that you cannot ingest CBD vape juices.
CBD Oil Vs. CBD Vape Juice
Pure CBD oil is ingested sublingually. That means that you need to pour a few drops under your tongue and let them sit there for a minute or so before swallowing them. If you vape CBD e-liquid, you just need to do that: vape it. So, if you are a vaper, CBD vape juice may be the best option for you.
On the other hand, vaping CBD implies a quicker onset. The reason for that is that the cannabidiol you vape does not need to be digested and absorbed by your body so you can feel its effects. Instead, CBD e-liquid enters directly into your bloodstream almost as soon as you inhale it via your lungs.
However, the long-term effects of vaping are still unclear, and we still do not know how vape juices and the very act of vaping could affect our health and body in the long run. Could vaping be dangerous? Only time will tell.
