CBD users are spoilt for chance in today’s world, with so many ways of consuming the non-psychotropic cannabinoid. You can take it orally in an edible or via a sublingual tincture, apply it directly to the skin with a topical, or even smoke high-CBD cannabis. But none of these methods outperform vaping, which is the quickest way to get small or large doses of CBD into your system, where it can heal the body through its interactions with the endocannabinoid system.
The CBD industry is making up a bigger and bigger portion of the medical cannabis market, with CBD e-liquid and such products appealing to consumers who are curious about the benefits of cannabis but refuse to get stoned while medicating. CBD is a healthier and non-addictive substitute to dangerous opioid-based painkillers, a potent anti-inflammatory, an effective anxiety reliever and a hopeful treatment for depression.
In this article, we’ll focus on vaping CBD specifically and outline the various types of vaporizers and e-liquids on the market, while clarifying vaping terminology.
What is CBD e-liquid?
It sounds high-tech, but an e-liquid is simply a solution made up of the ingredient that is meant for vaping and a carrier oil. The tobacco industry was the first to pick up on the benefits of vaping, as a healthier and less toxic way of getting nicotine into the body. The cannabis industry once faced a similar quandary, with smoking the preferred method for many years. While cannabis smoke does not expose the lungs to the constriction that nicotine does, the hot temperatures can still be harmful, while free radicals in the smoke can contribute to extrinsic ageing.
The most common CBD e-liquid products that you’ll see are made from industrial hemp, an unusual but very useful strain of cannabis sativa. Hemp holds significant value as it’s high in CBD but low in THC, and therefore products can be made with a miniscule amount of THC so that they do not cause a high. The US federal government has recognized this and has set the THC limit at 0.3 percent – hemp-based CBD products with less than this are legal throughout the country.
There are a few ways of extracting CBD from the hemp plant, but the supercritical CO2 extraction method has risen above the rest. It’s important for hemp extracts to be taken via a high-quality method since the plant is a bio-accumulator, meaning it absorbs metals and toxins while growing in the soil. Supercritical CO2 extraction ensures that these harmful substances are siphoned out and are not present in the final CBD e-liquid. This is not only safer for user but provides them with a purer taste too.
CBD e-liquid is sold in potencies that are suited to CBD newbies and experienced users. The cannabinoid has no potential for abuse, which offers the peace of mind that you can simply keep topping up your dose if you don’t feel the effects are strong enough.
The upsides of vaping CBD over other methods
Edibles and topicals simply cannot compare to the near-instant relief that CBD delivers when consumed in a vapor. This is because the cannabinoids, which are activated by heating the e-liquid to around 400°F, make a swift entry into the bloodstream by passing through the lungs, where it can be transported to the parts of the body that it’s most needed. Because the effects of CBD are felt quickly when vaping, you can gauge soon after a draw whether it’s producing the necessary relief. If not, you can just take another toke. In contrast, it can take an hour or more to work out if your dose was high enough when consuming CBD edibles.
This is not to criticize edibles, which are excellent – and preferable to vaping – if you have to exercise discretion while medicating, or are dealing with a more ever-present discomfort, instead of something that comes on suddenly.
The e-liquid market is made up of both flavored and unflavored products. Some CBD e-liquids can even be mixed in with nicotine e-liquids and vaped together.
Getting the most out of your CBD e-liquid
If you haven’t vaped before, then you may hold reservations about the process or be uncertain about how to maximize your e-liquid. Thankfully, it’s pretty simple to get the hang of vaping, as we’ll explain now.
Prior to filling up your vaporizer with CBD e-liquid, give the e-liquid bottle a shake to prevent any residue with lots of CBD goodness from getting trapped. New users should start with a very low dose, not because the effects will be overpowering, but because this helps to get an idea of the effects of various doses. Finding the ideal dose for your condition will make your vaping experience more efficient and cost-effective.
There’s always the temptation to rush or take massive draws in order to blow huge clouds, as has become synonymous with the act of vaping. But you’ll be better served with slow and steady draws, deep inhales that take the vapor gradually into the lungs. Feelings of light-headedness are usually a signal that you’ve vaped enough.
Please note that you can also get disposable CBD vape oil cartridges, if you don’t want the trouble of having to refill your vaporizer tank every so often.
How can vaping CBD e-liquid help me?
CBD can alleviate symptoms from a myriad of physical and psychological ailments. Let’s look into a few of them, with an eye on vaping.
CBD for anxiety
A public speaking study from 2011 showed that CBD has anti-anxiety properties, when it outperformed a placebo. It works by promoting GABA receptors, which help to soothe the brain when it becomes overactive and caught in constant thought processes. If you work on becoming more mindful, you may be able to anticipate when you could suffer from an anxiety attack. At this moment, a few draws on a CBD e-liquid is the perfect tonic.
CBD for chronic pain
Whatever the type of pain, if it’s affecting you in unexpected, throbbing bursts, then you need a treatment on hand that can ease the symptoms as quickly as they appear. Vaping a highly potent CBD e-liquid allows cannabinoids to rapidly increase anandamide levels in the body. This endocannabinoid can then blunt the pain by binding with the vanilloid receptor, which is responsible for pain sensation.
CBD for depression
Anandamide deficiency could prove to be the chemical imbalance that causes depression. Research has shown that the compound is an antidepressant, and since CBD can help to boost anandamide concentration in the endocannabinoid system, it’s an encouraging treatment for the mental health disorder. Anandamide helps to produce a mood boost by binding with cannabinoid receptors in the brain. Vaping CBD works to rapidly enhance mood, just what you need during a low.
Final thoughts
Those were just a few reasons to vape CBD, but you don’t need a medical reason to do so – an increasing number of people are deciding to take CBD as a health supplement, as if it were a vitamin. The regulatory effects that this cannabinoid has been found to have on the endocannabinoid system could be essential to keeping the body’s mental and physical functions in balance.
