Vaping has become a big deal in the 2020s — as has CBD use.
Both CBD and vapes are extremely popular, yet they’re each somewhat of a mystery to those who don’t understand their widespread appeal.
In a nutshell, CBD (cannabidiol) has won attention as a non-intoxicating substance that may deliver some of the same types of health and wellness benefits attributed to marijuana, like the relief of anxiety, pain, and insomnia, without making people high.
Vapes first won worldwide approval as a safer alternative to smoking, then became an accepted delivery device for cannabis. They heat substances instead of burning them, preventing the creation of toxic substances like formaldehyde and carbon monoxide.
The marriage of these two 21st-century phenomena was inevitable. Vaporizing is the fastest and most effective way to put cannabidiol into the bloodstream because the CBD vapor is absorbed by the lungs without having to be processed by the digestive system.
That’s the short version. For the longer one, keep reading. This guide will explain what CBD and vapes actually are and how they work.
Understanding CBD
We’ll start with a look at the substance itself.
What is CBD?
Cannabinoids are a class of chemical compounds found in plants. More than 100 cannabinoids are common to both the cannabis and hemp plants, which are closely related, and CBD is one of the two most important. The other, as you’ve probably guessed, is psychoactive THC (tetrahydrocannabinol).
Importantly, hemp contains very low levels of THC and high amounts of CBD, and it’s the other way around for cannabis. That’s why the CBD products available in the UK are produced from the hemp plant and not from cannabis. And government laws ensure that extremely low levels of THC can be present in CBD products.
THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids have chemical structures very similar to each other, but those slight differences lead to huge differences in the effects they provide. Cannabinoids are also very similar in structure to chemical messengers known as endocannabinoids, which are naturally created by the body’s tissues. Here’s why that’s crucial. The messengers are one crucial component of the body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS), which controls an enormous number of critical functions including the processing of emotions, learning and memory, pain control, appetite, inflammation, and sleep. The other key ECS components are receptors, which receive and send the messages carried by endocannabinoids. Because of their similarities with endocannabinoids, cannabinoids like THC and CBD are able to interact with ECS receptors. That allows cannabidiol and THC to block or amplify control signals sent by the ECS — and greatly affect the body’s functions. Because of the small but significant differences in their chemical structures, however, THC and CBD do it in different ways. THC binds to what are known as the CB1 receptors in the ECS. They control many of the operations we just mentioned, including brain functions and sleep. By contrast, CBD primarily interacts with the CB2 receptors, which mostly control things like immunity and inflammation. That’s the major reason that THC gets you high, but cannabidiol is non-intoxicating. With that background, it’s easier to understand why CBD provides its apparent benefits. Very few of the reported medical benefits of cannabidiol are officially accepted by the medical community, so CBD products aren’t officially approved or strongly regulated by the government. The only “approved” medical use of cannabidiol is to treat rare forms of childhood epilepsy, with a prescription CBD medication called Epidiolex available through the NHS. However, there have been numerous research studies and reviews showing CBD’s apparent health and wellness benefits. They include: A review of the literature on this subject shows strong indications that cannabidiol can reduce the symptoms of a wide variety of mood disorders. Studies, some with humans and some with animals, have shown that CBD appears to ease several types of anxiety, PTSD and other forms of stress, OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), depression, and even more serious conditions like schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. We’ve mentioned the approved medical use of cannabidiol for children with some forms of epilepsy. Its use may also help ease or treat seizure disorders more widely, as shown by a number of studies with adult participants. The American Epilepsy Society has stated that CBD provides hope for those suffering with the disease. Cannabidiol’s interaction with the ECS’s CB2 receptors, which regulate inflammation and immunity, implies that CBD might be able to fight inflammation throughout the body — and in research done to date, that appears to be one of the cannabinoid’s major benefits. Fighting inflammation and boosting immunity would not only help patients battle “routine” inflammation caused by infections, injury, or irritants, but could be a major weapon against inflammatory and auto-immune diseases like diabetes, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, IBD, endometriosis, and psoriasis. Reducing inflammation is one aspect of treating debilitating neurological and neurodegenerative conditions, but cannabidiol appears to have added power to protect the nervous system from deterioration that can cause serious conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. There are even some indications that CBD may help prevent strokes. Reducing inflammation could also help ease many of the painful conditions we’ve already mentioned. Although the evidence isn’t conclusive, there are signs that CBD may have additional pain-relieving properties that would help those dealing with chronic nerve, muscle, and joint pain without the development of a tolerance that could reduce those effects. There has been research showing that the use of cannabidiol may help people who have problems falling asleep and those with other sleep difficulties. Some studies have shown that cannabidiol appears to reduce the production of the oily sebum that, in smaller amounts, moisturizes the skin — but in greater amounts, can cause acne and other skin conditions. Research into the use of CBD for health and wellness has pointed to other potential benefits, which range from helping people withdraw from substance addiction to — at some point —possibly helping to fight some forms of cancer. The inveterate smokers of centuries past would be amazed at the rapid adoption of vapes, the concurrent precipitous decline in tobacco smoking rates in the West (also due in large part to increased taxes and regulation), and the popular adoption of vaping as a satisfactory and often social method of inhaling various substances. The concept of vaping dates back to the 1930s. Many patents were issued throughout the 20th century for devices that used techniques like heating or evaporation to deliver the effects of tobacco without burning it, and a “cigarette” somewhat similar to early electronic cigarettes was created by R.J. Reynolds in the 1990s. It failed commercially. The first successful e-cigarette, which heated a liquid containing nicotine instead of burning tobacco, was created in China in 2003, and similar devices arrived in Europe and the US a few years later. Since then, many modifications and improvements to the technology have led to the vaporizers and vape pens that are so ubiquitous today. The concept behind those early vapes remains essentially the same today: heating a substance to produce vapor, instead of burning tobacco to produce smoke, releases far fewer hazardous chemicals into the user’s lungs. Cannabidiol can be vaped with more complicated personal vaporizers. However, the usual method of delivery is with the use of a vape pen that contains a form of CBD oil called CBD vape juice. Most of the commercially available CBD oil contains ingredients (like the carrier oils mixed with cannabidiol) that can be hazardous or dangerous when vaped. These small, handheld devices are typically made from metal and/or plastic components and easily fit into a pocket or purse. They can be either disposable pre-filled units, or refillable devices that allow the user to use them for weeks or months. They’re usually activated with the simple push of a button. The vape pen’s technical specs, and its bells and whistles, can vary widely, but the device itself is quite simple. There’s a chamber to hold the vape juice, a heating element, a rechargeable battery to power the heating element, and a mouthpiece through which the vaper inhales. When activated, the vape heats the liquid to create vapor that delivers CBD directly to the lungs. Also known as CBD e-juice, vape juice is a combination of cannabidiol and a liquid designed to — in simple terms — make the cannabidiol “vapable.” It’s not an oil; it’s a different food-safe substance. The two most common ingredients used are propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG). PG makes the vapor harsher (producing a “throat hit” many nicotine vapers enjoy) while VG is smoother, sweeter, and produces fluffier clouds when exhaled. VG is more likely to clog vapes and reduce battery life. Some vape juices use a combination of PG and VG. A few companies produce CBD vape juice without either, opting to use hemp-derived alternatives to create “whole plant” juice that may not perform as well. Most e-juices include a flavoring agent, and some may also contain other ingredients aimed at boosting the juice’s health benefits. CBD juice comes in a variety of strengths and doses. And as with all CBD products, there are three types of CBD vape juice you can choose from. Most CBD juice contains CBD isolate. Safe is a relative term. When it comes to vaping nicotine juice, it’s been proven that the process is far safer than smoking tobacco. The question of whether it’s safe to vape CBD, or to vape any substance at all, is still subject to debate. The most often cited evidence on vaping safety involves the lungs, although there are no documented and proven cases of lung injuries specifically related to vaping CBD (possibly because the emergence of the process is so recent). Experts say the aerosol vapor may potentially cause shortness of breath and wheezing, scarring in the lungs, and narrowing of the airways. Many of the media reports involving more vaping and serious issues, such as “EVALI” and “popcorn lung,” have been related to ingredients in nicotine e-juice, vaped cannabis, or black-market products that have been adulterated. Both PG and VG have been approved as ingredients in CBD vape juice, and there are no long-term health risks associated with either. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for example, classifies PG as “practically non-toxic.” Recent studies have reported that continued use of the substances may lead to inflammation of the lungs, although the changes were small and temporary, and that they may affect the lungs’ ability to fight off infections. Other articles claiming more serious health effects of PG and VG are based more on speculation than research; there’s been no confirmation of any negative effects on the heart or other organs. More research, including studies on the effects of flavorings used in vape juice, is underway. However, most experts say that except for the possible temporary pulmonary effects we’ve mentioned, only those allergic to the ingredients are likely to suffer serious negative effects from vaping CBD. Users, particularly those new to the process of vaping, may experience minor side effects when vaping CBD. These issues are relatively rare and certainly not serious or life-threatening, but they have been reported to varying degrees among a small number of users. A few users have also said that vaping CBD caused increased anxiety, although most people say that they feel less anxious after vaping cannabidiol. Some who’d like to try CBD or experiment with a different delivery method have no interest in vaping because they don’t want to bother fiddling with equipment, they don’t want to breathe in any foreign substance, or they have possible health concerns. Those who already vape other substances, or have no objection to vaping in general, will find that this method of administration is the fastest-acting and most effective way to use CBD. The reason is simple. Methods like mixing CBD oil into a beverage or food, taking capsules, or consuming edibles require the “carrier” to be processed in the digestive system before it can be sent into the bloodstream to be used in the body. Much of the ingested cannabidiol can be lost in that process, and it can be as long as two hours before any effects are felt. When a user inhales CBD vapor, it goes right to the lungs where it’s absorbed and immediately moved into the bloodstream. Far less cannabidiol is lost in that process, and the CBD may take effect within just minutes. Only dropping CBD oil under the tongue is comparable (because no digestion is required), but that process takes longer and more of the cannabinoid can be lost. CBD vapes have quickly gained popularity in the UK and worldwide because they’re the fastest and most effective way of obtaining the many apparent medical and health benefits of cannabidiol. There are possible, minor side effects of vaping CBD, and there’s a slight learning curve for those unfamiliar with the vaping process. But for most, the potential benefits of CBD and ease of administration vastly outweigh the minor concerns they might have.
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What Does CBD Do?
Easing Anxiety, Depression, and Other Mental Health Conditions
Easing Epileptic Seizures
Easing Inflammation and Supporting Immunity
Treating or Preventing Neurodegenerative Conditions
Easing Pain
Easing Insomnia
Fighting Acne
Other Possibilities
Understanding Vapes
What is a Vape?
How Does a CBD Vape Work?
What are Vape Pens?
What is CBD Vape Juice?
Is Vaping CBD Safe?
The Safety of Vaping
The Safety of CBD Vape Juice
Side Effects of Vaping CBD
Why Vape CBD?
Conclusion
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