Guide to Vaping CBD oil: benefits, risks and how to properly use it

Vaping is becoming more and more common, and it has the ability to quickly deliver relief for chronic pain, anxiety or other health problems when CBD vape oil is used. While vaping CBD shows a lot of potential health benefits, there are also possible risks involved in vaping.

Before listing the benefits and risks of vaping, let’s have a look at two important concepts: CBD an vaping.

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a cannabinoid present in hemp and cannabis plants. There are 113 cannabinoids in cannabis plants, but the two most notable ones are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and Cannabidiol (CBD). While THC is known for its psychoactive properties, CBD is quickly becoming better known for its many health benefits. CBD and THC have an effect on the endocannabinoid system — a biological system that uses neurotransmitters and receptors in our nervous system to regulate our appetite, sleep, mood, pain, etc. Our bodies produce endocannabinoids, substances similar to cannabinoids found in cannabis plants, whether or not you use cannabis products. CBD and THC also can send signals to our nervous system, which can have a potentially positive effect on how we feel physically and emotionally.

What is vaping?

To vape, you need a vape pen and cartridge or a vape battery with a refillable tank. Vaping is simply heating the vape juice to a certain temperature using a tiny metal coil. When the plant extracts hit the correct temperature, they become vapor. At this point, you can inhale the vapor into your lungs and then exhale it.  

Now that you are familiar with this concepts, let’s dive right into the risks and benefits.

Benefits of vaping CBD oil

One of the most popular ways of using CBD oil is vaping it, it is arguably the best method of consuming CBD. And it has become quite popular because of its several benefits. So, should you vape it? Find the answer after reading the benefits of vaping CBD oil.

Vaping CBD oil is the fastest way to feel the positive effects

Inhaling the CBD vape oil gets the active ingredient into your bloodstream more quickly than other methods of consuming CBD. This means that using CBD vape juice will give you quick relief from pain or anxiety.

CBD is more bioavailable when it is inhaled as vapor

CBD is more bioavailable when it is consumed through vaping than when it is used in other products. Basically, this means that a higher percentage of the CBD in the product will be absorbed into your bloodstream and it will be absorbed at a faster rate than if it were used in other forms, such as capsules, creams, oils, oral sprays, tinctures, etc.

It is a discreet way to consume cannabis products in public

It is possible to consume legal cannabis products in other ways, but a vape pen is really discreet. Nobody knows which vape juice you have in your vape pen, and they have no way of knowing the cartridge you are using has CBD in it. In addition, if the cartridge has CBD isolate, there are zero traces of THC in the product so you don’t have to worry about passing drug tests at work.

It’s really easy if you already have a vape pen

If you already have a vape pen, it’s really convenient to just buy cartridges that have cbd vape juice. You just attach the cartridge containing CBD vape liquid the same way you do with any other vape cartridge. It’s also possible to buy CBD vape juice to add to a tank, if you have a vape with a refillable tank. If you have a vape with a tank, you can continue to use the vape liquid you normally use, by just adding CBD vape liquid to the tank as well.

There are a lot of potential health benefits of CBD

Initial research is showing that cannabidiol has many health benefits. Studies have shown that it can help patients with many different health challenges such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), epilepsy, anxiety, depression, neurodegenerative illnesses, cancer symptoms, the side effects from cancer treatments, circulatory health, insomnia, inflammation, chronic pain, arthritis, and more. The positive effects of cbd are still being researched today, and other benefits of CBD could be found in the future.

Risks of vaping CBD oil

While there are many benefits to CBD vape oil, there are possible side effects in vaping. Let’s have a look of them.

Some CBD vape oil cartridges contain additives that become carcinogenic when heated

CBD oil is very thick, so many manufacturers put additives in their CBD vape oil to thin it out so it can be used in a vape pen. These products, while harmless in topical products, are carcinogenic when they are heated to the temperature necessary to vaporize the plant extracts. These additives include vitamin E acetate, coconut oil, vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol. 

Vaping has been linked to respiratory illnesses such as asthma and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)

Asthma, COPD and other lung problems might be caused or worsened by vaping in general. This is a significant possible side effect to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to vape CBD. 

Long term health risks of vaping in general

Chronic inflammation of the lungs may be related to vaping. Because vaping is a relatively new way to consume nicotine, CBD and other products, there isn’t enough research to say exactly what the negative effects are, or what ingredients could cause them.

Deaths caused by vaping

There have been some deaths related to vaping. These deaths mostly have been related to people buying black market, off the street cartridges that had been contaminated with chemicals that shouldn’t be present in vape liquid, and in at least one case the cartridge was contaminated with heavy metals. The component creating the most concern is vitamin E acetate.

What you should know to properly vape CBD oil

Understand the difference between CBD oil and CBD vape oil

CBD oil is a thick extract of CBD from cannabis plants, that is meant to be taken orally. It is not recommended to vape this oil because it could clog your vape, ruin the coil, and create a harsh smoke instead of the vapor that you are supposed to inhale from the vape pen.

CBD vape oil is specially formulated from CBD extracts, vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol. Calling the vape liquid “CBD oil” is misleading because it can easily be confused with CBD oil.

Other names for it include vape juice, vape liquid or e-juice. The CBD vape liquid can be a CBD isolate, to mix with the vape oil you use in a tank, or it can come premixed with a variety of flavors in a cartridge ready to use with a vape pen.

Recognize the different types of CBD vape products

CBD vape liquids exist as an additive to a vape juice you already enjoy in your refillable vape tank, or you can buy cartridges that are mixed with flavors for a vape pen.

The liquid products come in two main types:

• Full spectrum CBD, which includes terpenes and other flavonoid and cannabinoid extracts, including up to 0.2% THC, which is not enough to feel any “high”.
• CBD isolate is pure CBD extract with no other extracts.

If you are planning on mixing the CBD vape juice with another flavor, CBD isolate is the best choice, because full spectrum CBD has a strong flavor from the many plant extracts present in the liquid product.

Find the dose of CBD vape oil should you use

If you are just starting, you should start with a lower dose of CBD and slowly build up to a higher dose as you build a tolerance for the CBD product you use.

Starting doses vary depending on your height, weight and the symptoms you want to treat. Remember : different bodies have different reactions!

Are there alternative methods of taking CBD?

Yes! If you feel like the risks of vaping outweigh the health benefits you could see from using CBD, there are alternative methods of using CBD.

It comes in many forms : CBD tinctures, CBD infused creams, salves, lotions, CBD oil, CBD capsules, CBD edibles and more.

Always consult with your primary care physician before using any supplement or herbal remedy, because they can interact with medications your doctor has prescribed.