CBD E-Liquid Info

By Quinton Charles, Op-ed blogger

What is there to know?

The World No Tobacco Day is coming up (May 31!) and many people are unfamiliar with vape pens, both those that contain CBD and those that do not. So what is there to know? Let’s dive into the information so that we can both make the best decisions for ourselves, and so that we can inform other people around us who may not know about the nuances of nicotine, tobacco, and vapes.

Smoking Tobacco

This is likely the most well-known product containing nicotine. Whether chewed or smoked (we are going to be focusing on the smoking aspect here), tobacco contains nicotine. But what is nicotine?

What Is Nicotine & What Does It Do In The Human Body?

Nicotine is a chemical and stimulant that is naturally produced by plants in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family. You probably know more plants from this family than you think: tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers (and yes, tobacco)^[1]. So why is this important? All the plants in this family contain nicotine. That homemade spaghetti sauce that everyone raved about had nicotine in it. But how much? A near negligible amount. This is where the key difference between tobacco and other plants in the nightshade family lies. While the amount of nicotine in a tomato is around 20 – 70 millionths of a percent of weight, tobacco contains 0.3 – 6 percent nicotine. To write that out would look like this: 0.3-6% vs. 0.0000002 – 0.0000007%. See the difference?

That was a lot of info (and a lot of zeroes), but I didn’t even cover why nicotine is bad, did I?

Its role in plants is as an antiherbivore. This means that the plants produce it to ward off animals and bugs that would otherwise eat up their leaves and seeds. For a while, nicotine was used as an insecticide^[2].

But what does it do in humans (and why should you steer clear of it, if possible?) While this is likely old news for many of us, nicotine has many negative health effects such as: physical and psychological dependency^[3] (both your brain and body become addicted), raised heart-rate, potential teratogenic effects (this means that it can cause congenital, or birth, defects), and mood and sleep can be impacted^[4].

Is Conventional Vaping Healthy?

You get it. Smoking cigarettes is bad for your health (and nicotine doesn’t sound too nice, either!). What about conventional vapes? I’m not talking about CBD vape pens yet, but rather about Juul, Blu, and a myriad of other E-cigarettes that currently are available on the market. While these alternatives to cigarettes claim to offer a smoking experience without many harmful chemicals (which is correct), they are still based on nicotine. You know, the nicotine that we just talked about (the one with all the negative side-effects).  Is it better than smoking tobacco? Perhaps. But it is better in the same way that getting into a car accident while going 30 mph is better than getting into a car accident while going 70 mph. Neither is a great option.

And it’s not just harmful; it’s addictive. As addictive as tobacco smoking? Yep. In some ways, it could be considered more addictive than smoking tobacco. Why is that? Flavor. Whereas before, getting into chain-smoking had a taste barrier (a lot of people find the taste of smoke off-putting), now, that barrier has been removed by vapes and E-cigarettes. Nicotine no longer has to taste like smoke, but instead can taste like bubblegum, grape, even dill pickles (I’m not kidding). Nicotine has never been more seductive.  That’s why it’s been a recent legislative target – many of these flavors have been banned, manufacturers are under siege, and the legal age to buy them is now 21 across the U.S.

Are Nicotine-Free Vapes Better For You?

While most E-cigarettes contain nicotine, there are some brands that tout their nicotine-free qualities. Are these better for you? Yes and no. While these options do not contain nicotine (and thus avoid the negative side effects and addictive qualities), there are risks due to their reliance on artificial chemicals for flavoring.

But why are flavoring chemicals a problem? Your body can deal with inhaling some particles, but it is not designed to handle the inhalation of large quantities of inorganic compounds. It isn’t the water vapor in a vape that causes problems, but rather the heated chemicals that are used to flavor them.

These nicotine-free options can also cause irritation in the mouth and throat for some people^[5]. Studies have found that consistent, habitual use can lead to soreness and irritation in the throat and mouth (due to chemical residues from flavoring).

What about CBD Vapes?

I’ve ragged on tobacco smoking and nicotine-based vapes now (something that isn’t hard to do). What about CBD vapes?  Are they right for everyone? Nope. Do they have a place in the CBD market? We believe they do. Unfortunately, though, we do not sell them.  Take a peek here to learn more about that:

CBD vapes don’t contain nicotine, which is one of the best things about them. Some of them may contain flavoring agents, which means that they have the potential to irritate the mouth or throat if used excessively. However, as they contain CBD oil (which is heated and inhaled as a vapor), the inflammation associated with irritants may be counteracted by CBD’s properties.

CBD vapes shouldn’t be treated as candy, or as something to take habitually. For former smokers, CBD vapes could be an alternative to nicotine-based vapes (due to their lack of nicotine), and could also serve as a slightly better alternative to nicotine-free E-cigarettes (that still contain significant numbers of chemicals). For a majority of people, however, they should be treated as what they are: a boost of CBD that you may need upon occasion.

Why vape CBD in the first place?

There are lots of reasons that people turn to smoking and vaping and there are lots of reasons that people turn to CBD. When people incorporate cannabinoids into their life, it is often for the big 3- pain, nausea, and anxiety/mood stabilization. There are lots of different mechanisms to deliver this compound, vaping being one of them. Again, we believe everything in moderation.  We wouldn’t encourage vape to be someone’s sole source of CBD.  The advantage of vaping CBD compared to ingesting it with the traditional tincture or capsule is the activation time. The respiratory system is much faster to respond as there is no wait time for digestion. Individuals may find benefit within 15 minutes as compared to the 1-3 hours that our bodies can take to break down and put those cannabinoids to use. Vaping CBD can be a great way to receive relief when having situational anxiety or help manage a shooting pain in the moment.

World No Tobacco Day

Don’t just think about this on May 31st. Talk to your friends and family members anytime about how nicotine is addictive, can lead to negative side effects, and how (if they are addicted to tobacco or nicotine-based products) there are alternatives.

As always, we are more than willing to help in any way that we can, and we would love to talk to you on this World No Tobacco Day! Feel free to reach out to us on social media, call us, or email us!

Resources

^[1]https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf990089w

^[2] https://catalog.loc.gov/vwebv/searchAdvanced?editSearchId=E

^[3] https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/15622970309167951

^[4] https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-developmental-origins-of-health-and-disease/article/nicotine-during-pregnancy-changes-induced-in-neurotransmission-which-could-heighten-proclivity-to-addict-and-induce-maladaptive-control-of-attention/BACF50A36E79743C8AF2D47C04E21E29

^[5] https://tobaccoinduceddiseases.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12971-015-0038-7

Vaping For The Fastest Results?

CBD is changing is becoming a very popular health supplement that is changing many people’s lives with a variety of chronic conditions. Almost as varied as the reasons people use CBD oil, are the ways it can be taken. However, vaping CBD oil is one of the most popular ways people choose to take it. For many of us vaping CBD is a bit overwhelming. Sometimes the act itself feels a bit like smoking, especially for those of us who do not or have never smoked. It is important to make the distinction right away. Vaping CBD is not the same as smoking or vaping nicotine. The benefits of vaping CBD can be life changing for some people. There are many instances where those struggling with different conditions like anxiety, seizures, chronic pain are not able to wait 30 minutes for an edible like a gummy or a mint to take effect. CBD e-liquid or vape oil, which is derived from cannabis though it lacks the components of marijuana that gives users a “high”, is used by people as a quick and health conscious solution to difficult and chronic conditions. So let’s talk e-liquid/vape.

What Does It Mean to Vape CBD?

Vaping describes the process of heating CBD oil or CBD e-liquid to the point where it becomes a vapor (typically using a battery-operated vaporizer), which is then inhaled.  The user usually inhales 1 to 3 times (this is not like vaping nicotine where the user is continuously inhaling the nicotine for the desired effect). The reason this provides the fastest results, is that the CBD is absorbed through your lungs, directly into your bloodstream. As a result, you begin to feel the effects of the oil almost immediately (generally no more than 15 minutes.)

Comparing Vape & Other Methods

When comparing this to other forms of taking CBD oil there is a huge difference, especially for those struggling with some serious chronic issues.

• Eating CBD in edible forms: capsules, gummies, chocolate, gum, mints and drinking requires the body to go through digestion before it can absorb the oil. This can take anywhere between 20 minutes, and a full hour depending on metabolism,  stomach content,  and other factors. 
• Sublingually: by spraying or dropping directly under the tongue.  This method is quick but still outside of the 5 to 10 minute expectation one gets from vaping. It is important to note that taking CBD internally whether by tincture or capsule is a great long-term effect but it can take time for this to work and for our bodies to utilize the CBD.  We tell people one should give this method at least two weeks to begin to see long-term changes in symptoms. Consistency and a daily regimen of taking CBD can help to alleviate long-term symptoms and conditions but the best CBD is the one you take every day!
• Topicals: Salves, lotions, oils and patches put directly on the skin is a quick method as well but can take just as long as eating/ingesting CBD, if not longer, depending on location, the user’s skin health, the amount used, and other factors. Topicals are amazing in treating a specific location and can be very useful when targeting skin issues, specific pain, burns, acne, etc.  As a general rule, they are much shorter acting – lasting 2 to 4 hours.

More CBD With Vaping?

While quicker absorption is perhaps the best reason to vape CBD oil rather than taking it another way, it’s not the only reason people have turned to vaporizers. The term called bio availability is one of the key reasons.  What does this mean?  Bioavailability means the amount of absorption and rate/time it takes for the CBD to reach the bloodstream. When you put CBD oil into your body, not all of it will reach your bloodstream and actually affect you. For example, the bioavailability of eating CBD oil is roughly 15 percent. This means that when you eat it, only about 15 percent of the CBD oil that you put into your body will reach your bloodstream.

The reason eating CBD oil has such a low return when eaten, is that it has to go through so many of your body’s filtration systems (namely your gut and your liver). These systems work to screen out the CBD before it can affect you. In order to get the effects you want orally you’re not only waiting longer, but you also need to take more of the oil than you otherwise might.

In contrast, when vaping CBD oil the bioavailability is between  35% and 50%.  When you inhale the vapor, it goes straight to your lungs, and from your lungs into your bloodstream. It’s the difference between taking a highway that goes straight from point A to point B, and going through a lot of stop-and-go traffic along the back roads. You’ll still reach your destination, eventually, but when you go directly you use a lot less fuel to get there, and you get there a lot faster than if you’d taken the more roundabout route.

Health Risks and Side Effects

A small percentage of users are allergic or later develop allergies to some of the chemicals and materials used in vapes. The two main ingredients that are being heavily discussed when referring to e-liquids are propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. Users with sensitivities to propylene glycol may notice sinus irritation, nausea or a headache upon use. Individuals with more severe allergies can break out in hives, develop swelling or have difficulty breathing. Lucky for us, this chemical is so ubiquitous in our everyday lives that it would be nearly impossible to not realize you have an allergy to one of them before you started vaping. It’s found in cosmetics, hair products, food, drinks, cigarettes, medicine and many more products and is recognized as generally safe by the FDA. The other ingredient referenced is vegetable glycerin.  Allergies to vegetable glycerin are very rare and are more likely caused by an allergy to the plant oil the vegetable glycerin was derived from. A third common ingredient is MCT or coconut oil, which is becoming really prevalent in many food supplements and as as a supplement in and of itself.

Getting Started

If you are new to the e-liquid(vape) world a great place to start would be our Select disposable e-liquid pen.  It is offered in three flavors…Lemon, Spearmint and Lavender and it allows you to try vaping without committing to purchasing and learning about all of the equipment necessary. It is simple and all you do is open the package and inhale!

Both are reasonable prices and easy to use but you will need to purchase e-liquid with the pen and the e-liquid will need to be added to the device.

Other Options include our Rubi e-liquid Pen and our All in One e-liquid Pen.

CBD e-liquid is the fluid used to vape by using vaporizer, e-cigarettes or vape pen. CBD e-liquid is also known by the terms e-juice or vape oil.

With e-cigarettes becoming very popular lately amongst cigarette smokers, the use of vaporizers & E Liquid has also branched out into our world of natural health and is considered the most convenient ways for taking CBD.

How E-Liquid works?

When CBD E-liquid is vaporized into your lungs, and diffuses directly into your bloodstream rather than passing through your gut and liver than if it were orally ingested. Essentially, this means you can achieve the same beneficial effects with a much smaller amount of CBD. Not only that, but vaping will greatly decrease the amount of time it takes for the CBD in your body to become active, since you don’t have to wait for it to travel through your gut. By vaporizing a CBD e-liquid or high-CBD concentrate, you could potentially feel its effects 30 to 60 minutes faster. This makes vaping CBD E Liquid an extremely efficient and fastest delivery method.

CBD e-liquid contains little to no traces of THC (this means it won’t get you High).

How to use E Liquid with vaporizer pen:

CBD e-Liquid is much easier to use. Fill up your vaporizer according to its specifications and get ready for a healthy and flavorful vaping experience like no other.

Below video will explain how to use e-liquid:

Hopefully, this CBD e-liquid article helped answer some of the questions you might have had on e liquids and vaporizing.