Vaping has existed since the early 2000’s but in the history of vaping there has never been a better time to start. The popularity of vapes began as they were seen to be a healthier alternative to cigarettes, a way to have the nicotine without the carcinogens. And as a way to keep popularity up, fun flavored and scented “e-liquids” were introduced for vapes, such as bubble-gum and cotton candy, and this opened the door to those who used CBD oil. And with more people wanting to find a healthier, less-toxic alternative to nicotine, people are turning to Cannabidiol (CBD) as a non-addictive way to ease their anxiety. With multiple studies suggesting that CBD has many health benefits, more and more people are turning to vapes as a cheap, efficient way to cure their anxiety and their reliance on smoking.
What is CBD?
CBD is the second most common chemical compound found in the cannabis plant, the other being THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), but unlike THC, CBD lacks any psychoactive effects, meaning it won’t change the way you perceive your surroundings or intoxicate you. It isn’t addictive and it won’t cause you to become reliant on it, with some studies even showing less reliance to other substances after using CBD. Many people use CBD for multiple different reasons from teenagers passing around a CBD pen to little old ladies struggling from migraines.
There are several ways that CBD can be made into consumables like edibles, e-liquids, and oils. This is via extraction of CBD from either hemp (a crop derived from Cannabis sativa that contains no THC) or cannabis (which contains THC). Depending on the way that the cannabis is extracted it will make either full spectrum CBD oil/paste (A condensing of the full plant and other cannabidiols in it, which, is said to give a more powerful effect) or a powdered CBD isolate (that contains CBD only and will have no psychoactive ingredients that would ruin the desired effect). The process of extraction decides how much or how little of the other cannabidiols is wanted for the product. For example, to vape with CBD oil, the plant must be turned into a powder or paste, then be mixed with a combination of Vegetable Glycerine and Propylene Glycol, and have flavors added before it can be suitable to vape. Vaping CBD is the most efficient way of ingesting it with most people being able to feel effects within fifteen minutes and then lasting around two to three hours.
Is it legal?
Depending on who you’re asking, you’ll get different answers. THC is, obviously, very illegal thanks to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 but with CBD and THC being chemical compounds from the same plant any product advertised to contain CBD oil must also be tested for THC and pass having no more than %0.01 THC content. This makes producing CBD products a lot harder as they will require lab testing before then can get approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency and sold to vapers. With there being such a fine line between CBD oil being legal and illegal it is important to make sure you are buying from a trusted retailer who has a license to sell CBD oils.
Is it dangerous?
CBD is regarded as being completely safe to consume in any way with there being no evidence of someone dying directly related to taking CBD. There have been very few studies done on this topic because of the implied unethical testing that would be required to complete such a study. What we do know is that it is not known to cause side effects like THC is and that a report from the World Health Organization stated that “CBD exhibits no effects indicative of any abuse or dependence potential” and has been shown to have very positive results in helping people who suffer with epilepsy.
Will it get me high?
Again, it depends on who you ask, everyone experiences the effects of CBD in their own way, but you will not experience the same high that you would get from smoking THC or any synthetic variation of THC. Users will often find themselves feeling more relaxed and able to focus on more positive ways of thinking. this is, of course, dependent on a few factors such as how much you have eaten, how strong of a dosage you’ve taken and some finer details of the oil you’ve taken (what plant it came from, how the oil was made and how pure it is).
Vaping
To vape you need vapor to breathe in, this can be made from anything such as concentrated waxes, e-liquids or just some dried cannabis flower depending on the type of vaporizer you have and what purposes you have it for. The most common type of vaporizer you find will use e-liquid, which is a mix of vegetable glycerine (VG) and or propylene glycol, (PG) which will change the consistency of the vapor; flavorings, to improve the taste, and ingredients such as nicotine, CBD or even THC.
Batteries are the next thing. Making up most of the price and weight of a vaporizer, batteries are the power source that is used to heat the coil at the top of the vape that contains liquid inside the that when heated can be breathed in.
Vaping is often seen as a healthier way of consuming nicotine, with most users being ex-smokers trying to cut down on breathing in carcinogenic chemicals and irritants in the smoke, reducing risks of cancers and other smoking related illnesses. Vaping has been found to be up to 95% less dangerous than smoking due to the lack of combustion, lower temperatures of the vapor and lower rates of harmful chemicals and irritants used with the devices.
Vaping takes a much shorter time to show effects compared to edibles or other forms of CBD that are broken down by stomach acids and absorbed through the liver. As it is directly introduced into the bloodstream by the mucus membrane that traps the vapor in the lungs directly introducing it into the bloodstream.
Different types of vapes
Trying to understand different types of vapes there can be difficult, especially if this is your first endeavor into vaping. So, here’s a rundown of some different vaporizer types.
Vape pens are a small form factor vape that is great to use if you’re looking for a quick and efficient way to try CBD. These pens will often come with preloaded pods of e-liquid of your choice, so you don’t have to handle any of the mess like with the larger vape tanks installed in mods. These tend to be cheaper than other vapes but can also be more temperamental, especially if you don’t choose the right CBD pen.
Disposable vapes are the smallest and cheapest form of vape around. As the name implies, these are non-refillable vape pens that contain a few hundred puffs and are designed for people who want to give vaping a try before sinking too much money into it.
Dry Herb vapes can operate in a couple of different ways. Just like with other vape, dry herb vapes use a battery to heat up a component, just in this case, instead of a coil an oven is heated up and cooks the contents inside until vapor is released and is then vaped like any normal vape, this is in a conduction vaporizer. Another way they can operate is by drawing hot air through the plant matter instead, this is called convection.
Box mods are some of the larger more powerful vapes available. Often costing over £100 and requiring extra batteries and an e-liquid tank before you can even use them, they take time, some previous vaping knowledge, and a lot more money than other, more convenient vapes available, these vapes are recommended for people who are the most dedicated vapers.
Dosages
Dosages are different for everybody and depend on several different things like your weight, body fat percentage, how much sleep you’ve had, how full you are etc… There are several charts and guides on this matter that are based solely on bodyweight and how strong of a dose you want but It’s unclear if there was any research to come to these results. I don’t recommend starting at a ridiculous small dose and working up to find what your tolerance is as this can take a lot of time and money due to the wasting of CBD. CBD vape juices tend to come pre-allocated with an amount of CBD in them (5mg, 50mg, 100mg) so it’s recommended that you start on the lower end and try gradually working your way up until you find the desired effect. On the other hand, CBD oils are much different, being broken down and diluted before passing through the liver. Making them less potent than vaping and taking a great deal longer to kick in.