Intro
CBD has continued to steadily grow in popularity over the past several years. Between the potential to treat chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and even certain kinds of addiction, CBD has developed a large, loyal following and is likely here to stay!
For those that are new to CBD, they may have concerns about how it will physically make them feel. Many people who have tried medical marijuana can't tolerate the strong high it often provides, and those looking to CBD may have similar concerns. How does CBD make you feel, and what effects should a new user be most aware of?
In this article, the experts will give you the details of some of the benefits of CBD, how CBD physically makes you feel, in addition to a variety of answers to common concerns new users have.
What Is CBD Vaping?
CBD vaping is used to describe ingesting CBD specifically through a vaporizer. You can find disposable vaporizers pre-filled with CBD oil, disposable cartridges with CBD oil, and even bottles of CBD vape juice meant for use in a box-mod and vape tank setup.
CBD vaping is one of the most popular forms of vaping due to the unique advantages it offers. If you've never vaped CBD before, consider some of the following benefits that it provides:
- Easy, quick access to getting a dose of CBD
- Quick physical impact (faster than swallowing tincture oil or edibles)
- Cost-effective and easy to find in physical and online retailers
While CBD vaping most commonly refers to oil or vape juice setups, it can also refer to dry herb vapes that use hemp or wax vapes that use CBD concentrate.
What Are the Benefits of CBD?
CBD has the potential to offer all kinds of health benefits to its users. While the only FDA-approved treatment involving CBD is for severe seizures, there are a number of other hopeful treatments that are promising in preliminary research:
Relief From Chronic Pain and Inflammation
If you suffer from chronic pain or inflammation, CBD may offer a fantastic alternative to traditional pain management. Research suggests that CBD can be used as a powerful anti-inflammatory, including chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.
In fact, CBD as a pain management tool is one of the reasons it has grown so popular so quickly. It stands as an alternative to opioids, which can lead to addiction and other less than savory side effects.
Treatment of Depression and Anxiety
CBD may offer an alternative for depression and anxiety treatment, especially for those who struggle with the side effects of traditional selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (or SSRIs). For those that struggle with anxiety (including associated with PTSD), CBD may offer effective treatment.
Human studies involving CBD and depression are still few and far between, but studies using animal models have demonstrated that CBD may provide effective treatment of depression. It could even be effective in treating severe psychotic disorders like schizophrenia.
CBD to Treat Opioid Addiction
Opioid addiction (formally called opioid use disorder, or OUD) is difficult to treat, and current FDA-approved medications often have their own harsh side effects. Animal studies with mice showed that CBD reduced the ability of opioids to trigger the "pleasure center" of the brain and otherwise reduced the tendency to seek out more.
Treatment of Insomnia
While studies are still few in number regarding how CBD can help with sleep disorders, early research is very promising. While it requires heavier doses, studies show that CBD can have a sedating effect on those that struggle to fall and stay asleep. That same research shows that, across various sleep disorders, CBD use provided a net increase in sleep.
CBD Vape vs. CBD Oil
Flexible vaping terminology can cause confusion among those who are new to both CBD and vaping. While terms like oil or vape juice are often used interchangeably, they can also refer to two distinct products.
CBD Tincture Oil
CBD tincture oil is sold in jars with an eyedropper and is meant for oral consumption. A few drops are placed under the tongue and swallowed, often providing potent, long-lasting effects. If you can't count on vaping throughout the day (or want something that will last through the night), CBD tincture oil may prove to be a fantastic fit.
CBD Vape Juice
CBD vape juice (sometimes called vape oil or e-liquids) is a product specifically formulated for vaporization. It will usually contain a mixture of vegetable glycerin (VG) and propylene glycol (PG), which are fantastic for making vapor and terrible for consumption. You should never directly ingest vape juice, regardless of whether it has CBD.
How Does CBD Work?
CBD is one of many cannabinoids found in cannabis (THC being another popular cannabinoid). As a cannabinoid, CBD can interact with the human endocannabinoid system. This system was discovered in the 1990s, and our understanding of how exactly it works is still improving.
That being said, scientists feel somewhat certain that the endocannabinoid system can influence the following common functions:
- Appetite
- Mood regulation
- Sleep cycles
- Memory formation and recall
Anecdotally, these possible functions correspond heavily with how we know THC or cannabis affects the body. Smoking weed often causes the munchies, can help relax or trigger paranoia and can affect the ability to form short-term memories.
If you have ever heard that it's essentially impossible to overdose on cannabis, its interaction with the endocannabinoid system is why. Cannabinoids don't interact with parts of your brain related to a function required for living (like your heart beating), so there's no overdose risk.
Effects of Vaping CBD
If you have never vaped CBD or cannabis, you may be curious exactly what the experience is like. While the best teacher is experience, there are some common effects you can expect to experience when you vape CBD. Since you're vaping, most will feel these effects very quickly.
Relaxation
If you vape a heavy dose of CBD, you'll likely feel relaxed or sleepy. If you're thinking about using CBD to help you fall asleep and stay asleep, taking several strong puffs shortly before going to bed may help you fall asleep fast! The effect happens quickly, which is why vaping CBD may be a useful tool in treating acute anxiety.
Focus or Energy
If you take a small dose of CBD, you may experience heightened focus or a little boost of energy. For some, you may also still feel the relaxing/sedating effects we described before, but they're less frequent with weaker doses.
How Does CBD Make You Feel?
How CBD makes you feel is a person-by-person experience. It will also depend on what strain of cannabis the CBD is derived from (unless you are consuming CBD-isolate products) since different levels of background cannabinoids and terpenes can affect your overall experience.
In general, most can expect to feel the following when using CBD products:
- Relaxed
- Calm
- Sleepy
- Focused
If you take too much CBD too quickly, you may experience more negative feelings. While less common, they can occur. If you experience these, think about adjusting your CBD dosage or how fast you take it in:
- Anxious
- Irritable
Again, CBD impacts different people in different ways. We recommend starting with a low dose and working your way up to a level that feels good!
How Long Does It Take to Feel CBD After Vaping?
The time will vary from user to user, as well as how strong your dose is. However, most people who vape CBD will feel some kind of effect within 15-30 minutes after their first puff. When you inhale the vapor, CBD is absorbed through your lungs directly into your bloodstream, which is why it hits so much more quickly than if you eat an edible or swallow oil from a tincture.
If you have waited within that time frame and you feel little to no effect, take another puff! You may need several hits of CBD vapor, especially if you are using CBD to treat acute pain. As long as you take it slow, try slowly increasing your CBD dosage until you feel a solid effect.
Does CBD Get You High?
CBD does not get you high. The substance found in cannabis that is responsible for the traditional high users feel is THC, which is a psychoactive cannabinoid. Full-spectrum CBD products (or products that have the "full-spectrum" of cannabinoids found in cannabis) will have trace amounts of THC. These trace amounts are not enough to give a user any kind of high.
CBD can produce some physical effects that could impair you. While you won't be intoxicated (like with alcohol or THC), strong sedative effects may be a problem if you need to use CBD throughout the day. As we've said, when you start using CBD, start with low doses and work your way to comfortable amounts.
Will CBD Vape Make Me Fail a Drug Test?
It is possible that certain CBD products will cause you to fail a drug test. If you are drug tested regularly, it is vital that you understand the difference between full-spectrum CBD and CBD isolate.
What Is Full-Spectrum CBD?
We mentioned full-spectrum CBD earlier, but it's good to highlight it here again. Full-spectrum CBD products contain mostly CBD and trace amounts of other cannabinoids and terpenes found in cannabis. If you use full-spectrum products on a regular basis, you may test positive for THC use, even if you have only been using legal products.
If you have been using a dry herb vaporizer with hemp, consider that a full-spectrum product, too. For those looking to enjoy CBD but need to avoid any amount of THC whatsoever, then consider CBD isolate products.
What is CBD Isolate?
As the name implies, CBD isolate has "isolated" CBD. That means it is the only cannabinoid present, including small, trace amounts. True CBD isolate won't test positive on a drug test (because there isn't any THC at all), but you need to be sure you are buying from a brand that is selling real CBD isolate and not a knock-off.
Reputable brands that sell CBD isolate will have laboratory tests available demonstrating that their product is pure. You can also expect to pay much more for CBD isolates than full-spectrum products since the refining process for isolates is much more labor-intensive. Cost aside, CBD isolate offers a great solution for those that want to use CBD but can't risk failing a drug test.
Conclusion
CBD is a product that so many consumers have come to love. It's important that you buy from reputable brands that offer genuine CBD and have the lab reports to prove it. This becomes even more important if you are seeking out CBD isolate in order to avoid failing drug tests. If a price seems too good to be true, it likely is!
Many vapers that can safely enjoy full-spectrum products look to vaping hemp in a dry herb vaporizer since it offers a cost-effective, potent source of CBD. For those looking for tasty, potent puffs of hemp, we recommend using the Firefly 2+. It uses premium convection heating to create consistent, delicious puffs of vapor for hemp or your favorite dry herb!
