CBD vs NICOTINE
CBD and nicotine are both compounds that naturally occur in plants. Nicotine is produced by plants belonging to the nightshade family, and most famously, of course, the tobacco plant. CBD is produced by cannabis plants alongside other cannabinoids and it is the predominant compound in industrial hemp. Apart from this, there aren’t many similarities between the two, so let’s have a more detailed look at nicotine and CBD individually.
What is Nicotine
Nicotine is a highly addictive stimulant belonging to the group of alkaloids. It is one of the most commonly abused drugs and there are about 2mg of it absorbed when smoking a standard cigarette. It’s five to 10 times more potent than cocaine or morphine in producing behavioral and psychological effects associated with addiction, according to a report produced by the UK’s Royal College of Physicians in 2007.
It is highly toxic, and overuse can lead to nausea, abdominal pain, tachycardia (rapid heart rate), hypertension (high blood pressure), tachypnea (rapid breathing), headache, dizziness, and many other symptoms. It also has a negative impact on sleep, reducing as well the total sleep time as well as the REM sleep. When nicotine is withdrawn from an addicted individual, the effects can be a depressed mood, stress, anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances, among others.
Nicotine is also an effective pesticide and was widely used since the 1690s until it was banned in the EU in 2009 to prevent unintentional nicotine poisoning through food products. Nicotine itself doesn´t cause cancer, but cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 compounds like tar, benzene, ammonia, and cadmium, many of which are toxic and damage our cells.
Electronic cigarettes with nicotine e-liquids emerged as a way to consume it without the toxicity from the smoke. But lately, more and more vapers have been switching from nicotine to CBD e-liquids.
What is CBD
There are two main Cannabinoids that can be found in the cannabis plant, CBD and THC. While THC is highly psychotropic and creates the high and euphoria we all have heard about, CBD on its own won’t trigger any of these effects. CBD isolate is generally regarded as safe and non-addictive by the World Health Organisation. It can be used in a wide range of products like for example vapes or oils.
If you want to learn more about CBD, check out our articles “What is CBD?” and “How is CBD extracted from Hemp?” to learn more.
The Takeaway
It is pretty obvious that nicotine and CBD are nothing alike. Because of its non-toxicity and non-psychotropic nature, CBD is becoming the best choice for smokers looking to get into vaporization, and more and more vapers are switching from nicotine to CBD.
CBD is not a controlled substance and can be used in e-liquids as long as it does not contain THC. Always make sure to check the certificates of analysis provided by the producers to ensure your product is safe. All of Harmony´s CBD E-liquids are 100% free of nicotine.
