The majority of readers will be fully aware now of the hype surrounding CBD. Interest has grown at a seemingly exponential rate in the past few years.
It is now no surprise to see CBD products stocked in the shelves of Boots, Superdrug and other major national retailers in the UK.
With this boom in interest, rampant innovation has naturally followed. This has resulted in a dazzling array of exciting and innovative products, including CBD vape oil, CBD patches and CBD beverages.
While this is excellent news for the consumer, the choice of delivery method can often be an overwhelming one, particularly if you are new to the CBD world. This article will focus specifically on one of the most popular products available today – CBD vape oil.
First, we must provide a brief definition of what exactly CBD is.
What is CBD?
Cannabidiol, or CBD as it is commonly known, is one of the two most dominant components of the cannabis plant. The other being THC. This is where confusion often takes hold.
THC is the main psychoactive component of the cannabis plant. This is responsible for getting the user high. CBD on the other hand, is a non-psychoactive compound. This means that it will not get you high. That said, CBD still retains many of the health benefits that the cannabis plant possesses.
There are three main types of CBD that everyone should be made aware of:
- Full spectrum CBD – Full spectrum CBD contains a wide range of terpenes and flavonoids that produce both flavour and health benefits. There are also trace elements of THC included in full spectrum CBD. The legal limit for THC in any CBD product in the UK is 0.2%, so it is important to be aware of this.
- Broad spectrum CBD – Broad spectrum CBD is almost identical in its molecular makeup to full spectrum CBD, with the only difference being the absence of THC.
- CBD Isolate – This is the purest form of CBD available. CBD isolate is as it sounds, isolated cannabidiol. This contains no other terpenes or flavonoids.
CBD vape oil is incredibly quick to deliver
While CBD possesses a fantastic array of health benefits, one element that often frustrates users is the time taken until the effects are felt. CBD patches for example can take anywhere between 1-2 hours and CBD oil takes between 30-60 minutes.
If you are looking for instant relief, for example if you were using CBD to combat anxiety and you were experiencing severe symptoms, CBD vape oil is the choice for you. This is because the effects take hold in as little as 2 minutes. You would not be able to find another commercial CBD product currently on the market that gets to work quicker.
Vaping CBD won’t get you high
Undoubtedly the most common misconception surrounding CBD is the concern that it will get you high. Clearly, all the evidence is there should people wish to review it, that CBD does not get you high. That goes for full spectrum just as it does for CBD isolate.
This is unsurprising, as the CBD industry has a fight on its hands to educate a public who have been subjected to stigmatisation of the plant for almost their entire adult lives. There is no doubt that the major barrier to any success the CBD industry hopes to have lies in education.
This is clearly outlined in the critical review of CBD by the World Health Organization (WHO) in June 2018. They stated that “To date, there is no evidence of recreational use of CBD or any public health-related problems associated with the use of pure CBD.”
In other words, use of CBD is completely safe for the average adult. While side effects are possible, they are incredibly rare and lack severity regardless. One may experience mild nausea, a slight headache, a dry throat, or drowsiness at worst. That said, it is always wise to check with your doctor before you try CBD.
Vaping CBD is Legal
Another misconception many have, is that vaping CBD is illegal. Again, this is completely false information. CBD is legal in the UK, provided the THC content is below the aforementioned 0.2% legal limit.
Unfortunately for CBD vapers, it is still illegal to vape indoors in most public places. This means that you will have to stand outside with the smokers.
In the interest of certainty and safety, it is wise to always seek an independent third party Certificate of Analysis (CoA) before purchasing any CBD product. This a document, produced by a third party, that confirms the exact ingredients of the CBD product itself. Not only does this prove its legality, but also confirms the legitimacy of the product and the absence of harmful additives such as heavy metals or pesticides.
CBD vape oil is great for sleep
We all know how precious sleep is. A study by Aviva conducted in 2017 found that two thirds of UK adults reported struggling with the quantity and quality of their sleep.
CBD is well known for its ability to improve the quality of sleep. While scientists are still diligently trying to find out exactly why this is, a number of major studies have found evidence that CBD does indeed improve sleep, without identifying exactly how.
One of these studies was conducted in 2019 by Shannon, Lewis, Lee and Hughes (Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series), who investigated the capacaity of CBD in improving the sleep quality of 72 participants struggling with insomnia. Within the first month, two thirds of participants reported a significant improvement in their sleep and found getting to sleep easier.
Furthermore, while you’re in bed, tossing and turning and trying to get off to sleep, you do not want to be using a slow delivery method. Taking CBD oil, or perhaps using a CBD patch would mean that you could still have to wait over an hour for the effects to kick in and you can drift into a peaceful sleep.
CBD vape oil on the other hand, works in a matter of minutes. This means that you could even consume your CBD vape oil after you’ve got in bed and still drift off in a matter of minutes. Why wouldn’t you want an extra hour of sleep by choosing your CBD product wisely?!
CBD is a great pain reliever
Much like research into the relationship between CBD and sleep, research into CBD and pain relief is still at a nascent stage. That said, initial results have been incredibly promising.
CBD offers a fantastic alternative to those stuck in the painful and taxing cycle of opioids, with far less side effects. More research is indeed required but a few interesting findings have been made so far.
The most significant study on CBD and pain relief to date was a meta review conducted in 2018 by Srebro et al (Cannabinoids and Pain: New Insights From Old Molecules). They reviewed every major study into CBD and pain relief between 1975 and 2018. This included cancer pain, neuropathic pain and fibromyalgia.
They concluded that CBD was an effective method of pain management that was also absent of severe side effects.
Great tasting
Last, but not least, taste is important to some of us! In fact, one of the most commonly cited reasons for people not persisting with CBD is the unpleasant earth aftertaste that accompanies sublingual CBD oil.
There is nothing to worry about in that regard when it comes to CBD vape oil. They come in a dazzling array of enticing flavours, from apple pie, to bubblegum, to candy floss. Just have a browse and pick the one that gets your taste buds tingling!
Conclusion
CBD vape oil is a great option for anyone who is looking to try CBD for the first time, but is concerned about how long it may take to work.
Specifically, CBD vape oil is great for instant pain relief, getting to sleep quickly and soothing symptoms of anxiety.
That said, CBD has various benefits in each of its forms and it is important to experiment and find the correct product for your needs.
