What You Should Know About CBD E-liquids
What’s a CBD E-liquid?
E-liquids, e-juices or vape juices as they are also called, are liquids that can be vaporized in conventional e-cigarettes. These devices feature a battery-powered atomizer to mimic the sensation of smoking while emitting less harmful substances. E-cigarette vapor doesn’t contain any tar and far less toxic volatile compounds than normal cigarettes. E-cigarettes around 95% less harmful than tobacco estimates landmark review published by Public Health England. Therefore, the devices are very popular with smokers.
While most common e-liquids contain nicotine, a highly toxic and addictive compound, there are also nicotine-free versions on the market. These contain either only flavour, or a certain concentration of CBD.
When vaporized, CBD enters the lungs and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream from there, bypassing the intestines and liver. This is why the uptake from vaping CBD (also called the “bioavailability”) is higher and quicker than the one from for example CBD oils or edibles, that need to pass the digestive system. This should be kept in mind when choosing the right concentration of a CBD product.
CBD E-liquid Ingredients
Most CBD e-liquids share the same ingredients: propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) that form the base, cannabidiol (CBD) isolate and flavorings.
Both PG and VG have a long history of use in pharmaceutical applications like medical inhalers and have a well-studied safety profile. While PG is a good flavor carrier and delivers a throat hit, VG makes sure that a suitable amount of vapor is produced and has a slight sweetness. Most e-liquids are designed to make these attributes perfectly balanced.
CBD isolate is generally regarded as safe and non-addictive by the World Health Organisation. As it is over 99% pure, it can be vaporized without leaving a residue that could potentially damage, burn or clog the coil. This makes it a better choice for e-liquids than full or broad-spectrum extracts.
Certain flavor compounds, like for example diacetyl, are known to cause harm upon inhalation and are therefore banned by the European Tobacco Products Directive (TPD). E-liquid flavorings are specially designed for vaping applications and don´t contain any of these known harmful substances. Reputable manufacturers will always carefully study and evaluate the safety data to ensure the safety of the final mixtures. But even with all these restrictions, there are still more flavors on the market than can be counted.
Conclusion
If you want to try vaping CBD e-liquids, pay attention to the composition, choose a supplier you trust and stay away from obscure additives. When in doubt, it´s always a good idea to reach out to customer service, they will be happy to help you.
If you´re a seasoned CBD user, keep the different bioavailability when vaping in mind and pick your concentration accordingly. And, as usual, check the certificate of analysis for your liquid to make sure it was manufactured with pure CBD.