What Is A CBD Vape And Does It Help To Provide Relaxation?

There is a vape tool for every single type of person on their stop-smoking journey, whether they are on their first day or have successfully transitioned to e-cigarettes, gum or patches.

One of the greatest advantages vape kits have over cigarettes, aside from lacking the hundreds of ingredients that could potentially kill you, is that there are so many different types of devices, liquids and salts to suit every need.

From tobacco-flavoured vapes designed to replicate the taste, sensation and feel of smoking but without the harm, to flavoured vapes and liquids infused with ingredients that claim to help with focus, relaxation and calm.

There are a bewildering number of vape flavours on the market, but one of the most popular recent trends is in vapes infused with CBD.

What is CBD, how does it work in a vape and what can it do for you?

What Is CBD?

CBD is short for cannabidiol and is one of the two main active ingredients found in a cannabis plant, alongside tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

It is not like THC, which has a psychoactive component and is therefore a Class B drug typically only legally allowed via special prescription for a very small range of conditions for which there are no alternative drugs that can provide a consistent level of assistance for certain treatments.

CBD, by contrast, does not make you “high” but instead is purported to have a more calming and relaxing effect. If THC is the part of cannabis that is harmful, CBD is the part that has potential benefits for both the body and state of mind, although studies are still ongoing as to the potential effects.

How Does It Work In A Vape?

The current advice from the Food Standards Agency is that CBD should be limited to 10mg per day, but there are various ways in which that 10mg is taken.

The most common CBD product is an oil usually dabbed under the tongue, but it is also found in food supplements, gummies, sprays and some topic skincare products, although the latter might only provide placebo benefits depending on the formulation.

In a vape, CBD is mixed with glycerin, propylene glycol and liquid in such a concentration that allows the CBD to be aerosolised and inhaled into the body.

It is the same process other additives such as flavourings are added to vape juice, but it has more of an effect than simply ensuring that the vape aerosol tastes nice and smells pleasant when blown out in clouds.

This can be done through a vape juice in a box mod, or there are many disposable vapes that can be bought which provide the same effect out of the box. Whichever is best for you will depend on the type of experience you want and how immediately you want to feel the effects.

What Are The Benefits Of CBD Vaping?

The benefits of CBD are largely anecdotal, with the recent interest in CBD meaning that the research base for its effects is still very much a work in progress.

Irrespective of this, there are a range of benefits that people have noticed when using CBD, effects that are typically experienced quicker when vaping due to the faster absorption process compared to capsules, creams or gummies.

The effects can vary from person to person because tolerance, metabolism and concentration can vary enough to lead to a more individual experience.

However, there have been several studies based on animal research, self-reporting or pilot studies in humans which suggest that it can be very helpful in treating several conditions.

Whilst vaping is inherently helpful for treating tobacco addiction, CBD might be able to help lower cravings for not only tobacco but heroin under certain conditions, at least according to human studies.

Animal studies go further, suggesting it might be potentially useful for helping reduce cravings for cannabis, other opiates, stimulants and alcohol, but as these are based on animal studies, it is important to note that there is no clear pathway for CBD to help treat addiction.

The main use of CBD oil is in pain management, and there is a growing evidence base that suggests that CBD can help reduce inflammation and reduce the sensation of pain, which are two of the most difficult elements of pain management to treat.

The studies are not perfect in this regard and involve the use of CBD oil on the skin to specifically treat arthritis, but it does suggest that people who use CBD for pain management do have some evidence base to believe it can help.

Similarly, there have been studies that suggest that CBD can help with insomnia, something that has been supported by anecdotal evidence.

In cannabis, CBD is the compound that has had a relaxing effect compared to THC’s relaxing effect, so it is perhaps not surprising that CBD has been connected with relaxation, falling asleep and remaining asleep.

Part of this is because it helps with the relief of physical pain but the tiredness can be incredibly beneficial for people who have historically struggled with sleeping.

Finally, there have been studies and clinical trials exploring CBD’s effect on anxiety, which can potentially be soothed using the same mechanism that relieves pain and improves sleep.

At the same time, this might not work for everyone, given that a side effect of CBD is effects on the mood, which in cannabis has been connected to paranoia and anxiety. However, this is often linked to the THC content in cannabis, so there is a chance that CBD helps anxiety whilst THC can make it worse.

It is important when vaping CBD to know what it can and cannot do. Whilst some people have felt some significant benefits from CBD, the effective dosages are not known as of yet, and it is vital that you source your CBD vape liquid or disposable vapes from a reputable source.

However, there are suggestions that it can help, although it may take some time for these benefits to be truly confirmed.