CBD has gained popularity among consumers, and it’s now being used in a myriad of ways. From edibles to muscle relief roll-ons to infused coffee, the market is rife with an array of CBD products that tout health benefits. Additionally, vaping CBD oil is quickly catching on because vaping enthusiasts want to reap its reported benefits. However, does vaping CBD oil get you high like marijuana? That’s one of the first questions people trying it out have, and we’ll discuss that later.
What is CBD Oil?
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Cannabidiol (CBD) is an ingredient derived from hemp and marijuana plants, and it is also the second most prevalent ingredient of cannabis, of which there are hundreds. Labs make CBD oil by isolating the Cannabidiol from other compounds and from any solvents used to extract it.
The isolate left behind is a white crystalline powder that is a pure form of CBD. The powdered isolate can then be ingested or used in topical products such as body lotions or creams. When making CBD oil, the isolate is diluted with a carrier oil such as hemp seed oil or the coconut-derived MCT oil.
CBD oil has been used as an oral tincture for quite some time, but many people are now using e-cigarette devices for vaping marijuana-derived products, including CBD. The CBD and carrier oil tincture are not suitable for inhalation and may make you very ill. Inhaling CBD oil in this manner can lead to serious health risks such as the lipoid pneumonia cases that have made headlines recently.
There’s another critical distinction between CBD oil made for inhalation and CBD oil tinctures: CBD oral tinctures are oil-based, but CBD vape oil (vape juice) is not. Even though CBD oil tinctures are designed strictly for ingestion, many do not have that information on the warning labels of their packaging.
CBD Vape Juice vs. CBD Cartridge
Vape juice, sometimes called CBD Distillate, is the liquid formulated especially for use in electronic vaping devices. As mentioned previously, it is not oil-based. Devices used for vaping this juice are called vape pens, mods or batteries. CBD distillate is generally made with food-grade ingredients so that it is safe to take it orally.
CBD vape cartridges provide a practical and are considered to be a convenient way to start vaping. These mini vape devices are slim, cylindrical and connect to standard-sized 510 batteries. They consist of prefilled and refillable e-cig tanks filled with CBD distillate. They are disposable, but you can refill them in most cases. Many of them are compatible with vape pens.
Does Vaping CBD Oil Get You High?
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Both CBD and THC are mood-altering compounds, but of the two, only THC has intoxicating effects. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana that gets you “stoned” when you use it. Even though CBD is a component of cannabis, taking it alone doesn’t make you feel stoned.
CBD promotes calmness and relaxation, while THC induces euphoria and additionally changes your perception of time and space. THC and CBD both work by interacting with your body’s endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a complex cell-signaling system identified in the early 1990s, and researchers discovered it while experimenting on the cannabinoid, THC. Cannabinoids are compounds found in marijuana.
The Effect of THC on ECS
Once THC is in your body, it interacts with the endocannabinoid system by binding to receptors in your central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). This interaction is one of the reasons THC has such a powerful effect on the body and mind.
This action allows THC to have the range of effects it does on your body and mind, and some of its effects are more desirable. For instance, marijuana is used in therapy to stimulate the appetite of cancer patients. Undesirable effects induced by THC can include anxiety and paranoia.
Researchers don’t know with certainty how CBD interacts with the body’s ECS, but they do know that it does not bind to CNS and PNS receptors the way THC does. Many of them suspect that CBD functions by stopping ECS from being broken down, while others believe that it binds to a receptor that has yet to be discovered.
Are There Side Effects of Vaping CBD?
Unlike THC, CBD doesn’t get you stoned. CBD usually doesn’t typically cause any adverse effects when taken alone, either. Studies looking into the side effects of it are still in its infancy, according to Harvard Health. A comprehensive study in 2019 indicated some side effects associated with its use, most notably mild drowsiness. The drowsiness was more common with people using it for the first time and subsided after regular use.
High doses of it often cause this type of drowsiness attributed to CBD. However, low to medium doses often produce the opposite effect. Other side effects observed in the study included hunger, red eyes and slight euphoria. Compared to many prescription drugs, the side effects of CBD tend to be much less pronounced.
The Case for CBD Health Benefits
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CBD is being promoted as a cure-all for several health issues, and some of this might be clever marketing ploys. However, strong scientific evidence exists for its effectiveness in treating Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), two of the most severe epilepsy disorders seen in children.
Both of these syndromes are slow to respond to antiseizure medications, but in numerous studies, CBD’s administration was able to reduce the number of seizures the children had. In some cases, it was able to stop their seizures completely.
You can access videos of the study, and watch the effects CBD had on these children’s seizures on the Internet. The results are quite remarkable, and the videos are readily available. Recently, the U.S. FDA approved Epidiolex, an oral solution that contains CBD for treating seizures in children with Dravet syndrome and LGS.
Regarding the advancement, former FDA Commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, M.D. said,
“This approval serves as a reminder that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies. And, the FDA is committed to this kind of careful scientific research and drug development.”
