The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill has lead to a spike in popularity of Cannabidiol, also known as CBD. According to preliminary clinical research on CBD, the substance may ease problems related to anxiety, cognition, movement disorders, and general pain. While CBD is commonly ingested as a food or drink, or utilized as an external balm or oil, it can also be smoked. While edible forms of CBD can upwards to half hour to properly digest and enter the user’s bloodstream, CBD smokers report experiencing positive effects almost immediately. “Smoking” CBD is actually a misnomer since CBD oil is vaped. What’s the difference between smoking and vaping? During the act of smoking, fire causes substances to change from a solid state to a vapor, which is inhaled. When vaping, substances are changed from a liquid to a vapor using an electrical current.

‘Smoking’ or vaping CBD is different from consuming it as a food, liquid, or using it for external use. For starters, inhaling CBD vapors is approximately four-times more potent than consuming it through digestive system. Proponents of CBD vaping insist on it's wide variety of potential benefits. Unlike cannabis-derived tetrahydrocannabinol, CBD is not psychoactive, meaning it does not alter the vaper’s state of mind, or make the user “high” or “stoned.” 

CBD vaping has been known to reduce stress and anxiety associated with posttraumatic stress disorder, social anxiety disorder, OCD, and panic disorder. Some vapers even use it during the daytime to stay awake, relaxed and focused. Vaping CBD has also been proclaimed to reduce pain and inflammation related to Type 1 Diabetes and cancer treatments. Since CBD use is largely legal across the United States, it offers users a discreet, relatively odorless way to combat stress, anxiety and pain. Recent studies even indicate that CBD vaping my be effective as a tobacco smoking cessation methods.

 While “smoking” CBD may have numerous benefits, it is not without risk. Vaping anything, regardless of the substance being vaped (CBD, THC, nicotine) may in itself be harmful, particularly after long term use, but given the fact that vaping has only recently entered mainstream culture, there are scant medical studies to corroborate this. 

The largest concern around vaping CBD oil specifically is the present lack of regulation surrounding all CBD products. Before vaping CBD oil, speak with your healthcare provider. They will be able to provide information about safe CBD sources and local laws surrounding usage. If you live in a state where marijuana is legal for medical purposes, you may even be able to apply to purchase CBD oil and vape pens from a state-certified supplier. Lastly, and despite all of its numerous purported benefits, CBD vaping can affect individuals in different ways, so new users are encouraged to vape small amounts at first to ensure their body does not react negatively to the experience. Contact Altitude today or stop by for all your CBD questions.