Are CBD Vapes Addictive? The Somewhat Surprising Answer

Anyone who’s grown up in the developed world knows that smoking is addictive. Most also understand why. Smoking is addictive primarily because the nicotine in cigarettes is addictive.

By extension, those people know that ordinary vaping can be addictive as well since most vapes also contain nicotine. (That’s why vapes were originally developed, to wean smokers off of more-hazardous cigarettes.) We can take it a step further, too. Statistics show that 10% of marijuana smokers can become dependent, meaning that weed vapes may be addictive.

It would be natural to assume that CBD vapes, at the very least, could be addictive. The truth is, however, that they’re not.

Published research dating back almost ten years has shown that CBD is not addictive; one study found it has no more potential for dependence than a placebo. And the World Health Organization (WHO) has definitively stated that there’s no evidence that CBD is addictive or can be abused.

It’s possible that some people find the action of vaping enjoyable, and it might even become a habit. Substance addiction, however, is defined as a compulsion to use a substance and the inability to stop. By that measuring stick, vaping CBD is in no way addictive.

It can apparently be beneficial for those dealing with a large number of medical issues as well. Let’s dig deeper into the subject of CBD vapes.

Why CBD Isn’t Addictive, But THC Can Be

CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) are linked in many people’s minds for good reason. They’re both plant compounds known as cannabinoids, they’re both found in cannabis and hemp plants, and their chemical structures are extremely similar.

The difference between them is what’s important for this discussion, though. We’ll get to it after a quick digression to introduce the endocannabinoid system (ECS), which controls many of the body’s most important functions.

The ECS is comprised of chemical messengers called endocannabinoids, and several series of receptors. Since cannabinoids are very similar to the endocannabinoids produced inside the body, THC and CBD are able to interact with ECS receptors and the messages they send and receive.

There are slight structural differences between CBD and THC, though, so they interact with different ECS receptors once they’ve been ingested.

THC binds to the “CB1” receptors, located mostly in the brain and spine. Those receptors primarily govern functions like cognition, memory, coordination, appetite, and sleep. THC’s interaction with them produces the psychoactive effects cannabis users associate with being high.

CBD acts differently. It interacts primarily with the “CB2” receptors located elsewhere in the body, which regulate things like immunity and inflammation. Because cannabidiol isn’t affecting the CB1 receptors in the brain, it doesn’t produce mind-altering effects and doesn’t make users intoxicated — so there’s no possibility of becoming addicted, either.

One more fact before we move on. The cannabidiol used to manufacture CBD vape juice and other CBD products is sourced from hemp, because those plants contain large amounts of CBD and small amounts of THC. By contrast, cannabis plants have high THC content and very little CBD.

Why is that important? Read on.

CBD Products and THC

The processes used to extract cannabidiol from hemp aren’t perfect. Other plant compounds wind up in the extract, too — and since hemp plants contain low levels of THC, extracted CBD contains THC as well. You might think that’s a problem, but in reality, it’s an added benefit.

Here’s why. The small amount of THC in cannabidiol is nowhere near enough to be intoxicating, so it doesn’t create any risk of addiction. What it does do is work together with the other plant compounds extracted from hemp to create what’s called an “entourage effect,” which maximizes the effectiveness of CBD.

In short, you can’t get high and you won’t get addicted when vaping CBD; you’ll just enjoy all of the apparent health and wellness benefits of cannabidiol.

Some people do object to the presence of THC in their CBD products, though. They may be allergic to the psychoactive compound, their bodies may simply react badly to it, or they may be afraid that the THC will trigger a positive drug test. (That last possibility is rare, but it can happen.)

For those folks, there are options. CBD vape juice and other products containing cannabidiol are identified as containing either full-spectrum CBD, broad-spectrum CBD, or CBD isolate. There are small but important differences between them.

• Full-spectrum CBD is cannabidiol extracted from hemp plants.
• Broad-spectrum CBD is full-spectrum cannabidiol that’s been processed further to have its THC content removed. It provides less of an entourage effect, so it’s not quite as effective as full-spectrum CBD. It may also still contain traces of THC.
• CBD isolate has been processed even more, to ensure that all other plant compounds have been removed. It’s pure CBD with no entourage effect at all, so it’s the least effective type of cannabidiol.

Those choices allow users to choose the type of CBD vape juice they feel is best for their needs. Even CBD isolate vape liquid, while somewhat less effective, provides most of cannabidiol’s apparent benefits.

How Do You Vape CBD?

The process of vaping CBD is essentially no different than the process of vaping any other substance.

Users have their choice of using either a prefilled, disposable vape pen, or a refillable vaporizer, vape pen, or similar device. The hardware is powered by a battery, which is used to heat liquid contained in a vape cartridge. The heated liquid produces vapor, which is then inhaled. If a refillable unit is used, the juice must be purchased regularly at a vape shop or online.

The liquid used in a CBD vape pen is called vape juice, vape liquid, or e-liquid. Its two crucial components are cannabidiol and a base liquid, most often food-grade propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin. The same liquids are used in nicotine vapes, but they contain no nicotine and aren’t addictive; they’re primarily used to create the vaping experience.

Many producers mix other ingredients into their vape juices as well. Flavourings are commonly added to make the vapor taste pleasant, and other health and wellness supplements or vitamins may also be added.

Once the vape is ready for use, the process is virtually identical to smoking. Some units require users to push a button to heat the juice and release vapor, while others are activated simply by the act of inhaling. Users breathe in the vapor, its CBD is absorbed rapidly by tissues in the lungs, and the vapor can then be exhaled.

It’s simple once you get used to it, but there’s one caution that all vapers must understand. Standard CBD oil should never be vaped; only specially manufactured vape liquid is suitable for use in vape pens or vaporizers.

Why? CBD oil that’s dripped under the tongue or added to food contains a “carrier oil” like MCT oil, coconut oil, or hempseed oil. When those oils are heated to the temperatures generated by vapes, they release vapor that can be hazardous for users to inhale. Vape juice is designed to avoid that potentially dangerous problem by using more heat-tolerant liquids instead.

Even though CBD vapes don’t contain nicotine or the harmful chemicals in cigarette smoke, some new vapers understandably worry about the safety of the process. The news isn’t bad, but it’s not all good, either. Most research shows that CBD isn’t the problem; studies say vaping any substance can irritate the lungs and possibly cause some cardiovascular problems.

However, experts say vaping CBD is certainly much less harmful than vaping nicotine liquid (with the bonus that CBD is not addictive), and that flavourings and other additives in CBD juice may be the primary culprits.

Why Vape CBD?

CBD provides its apparent benefits no matter how it’s administered. That doesn’t mean, however, that CBD oil, CBD edibles, and CBD capsules are just as effective as vaping. (We’re not including CBD topical products in this discussion; they usually don’t penetrate the skin to get into the bloodstream.)

We’ll start with the bottom line. Vaping is the most efficient and effective way to use CBD; only dropping CBD oil under the tongue (sublingual administration) can work as effectively. And we hinted at the reason in the last section.

When vapor containing cannabidiol enters the lungs, it is immediately absorbed by lung tissues and moved into the bloodstream for metabolisation and use. The same thing happens when CBD oil is used sublingually; the cannabidiol is absorbed by tissues under the tongue and reaches the bloodstream immediately. The CBD is able to go to work within minutes.

By contrast, the CBD oil added to food or beverages or contained in capsules or edibles has to move through the gastrointestinal tract, where it must be digested before the cannabidiol it contains can be freed for use in the body. Digestion can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, so these administration methods work much more slowly than vaping.

There’s another problem, too. Much of the CBD is “lost” during digestion, so eating, drinking, or swallowing a CBD product means much less cannabidiol will reach the bloodstream. In short, they’re less effective ways to consume CBD. Vaping or sublingual administration preserves much more of the cannabidiol, allowing it to provide more of CBD’s apparent benefits.

What are those benefits? Good question. Here’s the answer.

Potential Benefits of Vaping CBD

Research into CBD’s effects on the body is still described as “preliminary,” which is why the cannabinoid has only been approved for prescription use to treat several rare forms of childhood epilepsy so far.

Published studies, though, indicate that CBD may provide enormous benefits to those suffering from a wide range of medical issues. They include:

• Depression, anxiety, and stress
• More serious mental health issues including schizophrenia
• Neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
• Cardiovascular risk factors like high blood pressure and high cholesterol
• Pain, particularly pain caused by auto-immune and inflammatory diseases like arthritis and diabetes
• Insomnia and sleep quality problems
• Acne and other skin diseases
• Some forms of cancer

CBD may not yet be available by prescription for any of those medical conditions, but CBD products are widely available in the UK, most European countries, and America. So, with interest in these potential benefits soaring, CBD products have become one of the biggest business success stories of the 2020s.

And for those who don’t object to the process, CBD vapes are one of the best ways to consume and potentially benefit from using cannabidiol.

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