Vaping CBD: Is There a Thing as Too Much?
Vaping is one of the common methods of cannabidiol (CBD) consumption around the world. And although vaporizers have been around since the 1960s, it’s only recently that consumers have enjoyed them. In the CBD market, they probably land a close second to tinctures and sublingual CBD oils.
Many vapers transition from smoking cigarettes to nicotine oils via a vape pen. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet endorsed vaping as a method to quit smoking. In fact, many studies have shown that it isn’t as effective as other methods.
But an article published by Johns Hopkins confirms that vaping is certainly better for your health than smoking.
But my big question is this: Is vaping CBD healthy for non-smokers?
With the rise in CBD e-liquids, tinctures, and edibles—it’s a vital question. The short answer is… maybe not. There are many reasons, which we will address in this article.
How Do I Vape CBD Oil?
Vaping CBD oil is simple! It takes two things: a vaporizer and a good quality CBD e-liquid, also known as vape juice. And one of the cool things about vaping is that you can customize just about everything.
In terms of vaporizers, there are two different types—vape pens, and tank-style vaporizers. They may look different, but they have the same hardware. Every vape pen has a battery, heating element (called an atomizer), mouthpiece, and chamber (used to hold the liquid being vaped).
Vape pens look just about how they sound, that is, like a pen. A vape pen has a slender design, which makes it easy to slip into a purse or knapsack. They use concentrated CBD oils. Although vape pens are easy to carry, the heating coil will eventually burn out. That means extra cost for replacement parts.
Tank-style vaporizers sport a larger, boxy design for the chamber. They use e-liquid or vape juice CBD products and hold more vape juice than a vape pen. In the heating chambers, the coils are covered by cotton or silica so they’re more resilient; compared to vape pens, tank vapes less likely to burn out.
There are also disposable vaporizer options that are great for first-time users deciding whether or not they want to invest in vaping CBD products.
With either mechanism, the vaping process is similar:
Step 1: Make sure your vaporizer is charged. Then open your chamber and add your CBD vape juice (for tank style) or concentrated oil (for vape pens).
Step 2: Turn on your vaporizer. It will begin to heat the element in your chamber. Now you can vape—enjoy!
What Does Proper Dosage Even Mean?
Getting the right CBD dosage for your needs isn’t an exact science. There are general guidelines like these put out by vape360. In general, it’s a good idea to start with a low dosage and increase.
Most users find that vaping CBD nets them instantaneous results. That’s because the blood-brain barrier is almost completely surpassed. When you vape CBD, it goes directly into your lungs, and then straight to your capillaries. The process is similar for sublingual oils because of the capillaries underneath the tongue. But, overall, most people report using a vaporizer because it has a faster absorption rate than other methods, under five minutes.
That’s why it’s important to start low and work your way up. If you’re curious about your initial dose, Check out this body-weight chart.
Armed with that knowledge, you can confidently walk into your local vape shop and browse their collection, or check out our premium brands. If you’re in a bind and need to figure out the percentage of CBD is contained in a bottle, there’s also plenty of calculators online you can access from your smartphone.
Is There a Best Time to Vape CBD?
Honestly, you can vape whenever you want. If you’re treating something specific, like an anxiety disorder, it’s dependent on your needs.
For example, if you find your anxiety increases before hitting the mall, taking a couple of puffs before shopping is a good idea. Or, when you feel an attack coming on, vaping can drastically decrease the severity or completely wipe out that anxiety attack.
If you’re treating a specific medical or mental health condition, or just vaping CBD for relaxation, it’s important to know how much you’re vaping.
Some vape mods digitally count how many puffs you take. Vaping with a pen? Don’t fret, there are other ways to keep track of how much you vape.
Just looking at how many times you refill your cartridge per day will give you a good idea of your CBD consumption. For instance, if a tank contained 88 mg CBD total, and you vaped half of it, you would have consumed around 44 mg CBD. If you’ve been keeping track of your puffs, just divide your puffs by the milligrams. To keep it simple, if you took 44 puffs, that would equate to around 1m mg CBD per puff.
Can Vaping CBD Affect My Health?
Transitioning from smoking cigarettes to vaping is an obvious step in the right direction, for smoke is no longer polluting your lungs. But when deciding whether or not vaping is for you, there are a few things to keep in mind
Metal Particles
As we mentioned before, vape pens warm-up concentrated CBD oil via a heating coil. This coil can sometimes wear out. A study performed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), found that heating coils could release metal particulates into the vapor.
Although the study didn’t conclude that vaporizers are harmful, they did find evidence that pointed to coils releasing harmful metal particles. Many of these coils are made from metals like nickel, chromium, and lead. Obviously, small metal particles entering your lungs aren’t healthy.
This is a risk, especially when vaping regularly because the coils can burn out. Taking regular care to sanitize your vaporizer and keeping a close eye on the heating mechanism are both preventative measures to prevent this issue.
Allergens and Toxic Ingredients
The American Lung Association (ALA) published an article on vaping and pointed out two main culprits: propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin. These ingredients are very common in vape juices. Although the long term effects of these chemicals on your lungs isn’t known, the ALA notes that it will certainly increase the number of toxins inhaled.
Additionally, many people have a sensitivity to those particular ingredients. They are commonly used, so check the ingredient list to ensure that they won’t affect you negatively.
Other flavor chemicals such as diacetyl and benzene were mentioned in the ALA study as additional toxic ingredients. Diacetyl, for example, has been shown to cause serious lung disease.
Keep an eye on the ingredients in your vape juice or concentrate to make sure you’re getting a pure product. Quality does matter.
Get the Most Out of Your Experience
When vaping CBD, make sure you get the most out of your experience. Starting with low doses will help you assess what your body needs. But, in terms of uptake, how should you actually vape?
Vaping is a great option when you need to feel the effects instantly, but less so if you’re looking to track exactly how much CBD is going into your system.
Vaping is all about dose approximations. The amount of time you spend drawing in the vapor in addition to the CBD concentration will affect how much CBD you’re vaping. Some napkin math can help you gauge how much CBD you’re inhaling. But there really isn’t an exact science to getting the best vaping experience.
It’s all about personal choice: If you want more of a hit from your CBD, take more time drawing in the vapor. There are different flavors and concentrations available, so don’t be afraid to try out the different delivery methods.
Either way, do your research, and if it’s your first time, test out a few disposable vape pens. Also, don’t forget to check the ingredients to confirm that you’re getting the best possible quality.
If you’ve got a story to share about how CBD has improved your life, we’d love to hear it. And if you’ve nailed a vape dosage you think our other readers could find fruitful, tell us on Instagram!
Amy is a life-long writer. Small town living in the heart of the Rocky Mountains has provoked something deep within her soul. She loves nature hot-spots, national parks and the freedom to write off the page. When she’s not writing, you can find her racking up fines at her local library or analyzing the latest television show. Her weekly ritual includes a coffee, a word document, and the insatiable desire to tell a story. In her spare time, Amy writes articles on Medium about mental health, spirituality, and life experiences.