With the explosion of the CBD market and the number of products available, a good question to ask would be, “Can you Smoke CBD oil?”.
The most popular way to take CBD remains via oral ingestion, but increasingly people are exploring other methods, including vaping, smoking, and edibles.
So, for those wondering if you can smoke CBD hemp oil, the short answer is yes. Some people actually prefer it to other modes of ingestion.
Ways to smoke or inhale CBD oil include:
- Dabbing, with a dab rig or portable dab pen
- Vaping with CBD vape juice and a vape pen or mod
- Smoking a hemp joint, or rolled, dried hemp (Hemp is richer in CBD than THC, so it will not give you a ‘high’, such as smoking a marijuana joint would.)
- CBD vape cartridges
Yet, like most things in life, there are pros and cons to each preparation with CBD. Let’s start with the benefits.
What Are the Benefits of Smoking CBD Oil?
Cannabidiol has many potential health benefits continuously undergoing research, but because it is an oil soluble compound, most CBD oil preparations have limited bioavailability. Liposomal extracts are the exception. ‘Bioavailability’ refers to the absorption of nutrients etc into the bloodstream after ingestion. Therefore, increasing any medicine or remedy’s absorption rate or bioavailability will also increase its potency.
When ingested orally, research has demonstrated THC’s bioavailability ranges from four to 12 percent. When smoked, THC’s absorption rate increases to 30 percent. This way, CBD enters the bloodstream through the lungs and is absorbed and metabolized much faster by the body than through the lengthy digestive process. To date, there are no studies exploring CBD’s bioavailability.[1]
Another reason why many people prefer smoking CBD oil instead of ingesting it orally is that of the taste. High-quality CBD is a whole-plant extract with dozens of well-researched health benefits. But, the various terpenes and cannabinoids have a unique flavor which doesn’t appeal to all users. Smoking CBD oil avoids this problem almost altogether.
Beyond Bioavailability of Smoking CBD Oil - What Are Other Possible Benefits?
Why has the use of CBD as an alternative therapy exploded over the past few years? Cannabidiol (CBD) offers a novel approach for illness and disease, and it is still undergoing extensive study around the world. As an all-natural, plant-based product, it has demonstrated some surprisingly potent results.
Although it comes from the same genus of the plant as marijuana, hemp CBD oil has none of the problematic side effects associated with the latter. This means that smoking CBD oil will not have the same psychoactive effects as smoking THC oil.
Because CBD doesn’t give you a high, its therapeutic applicability is increased compared to THC. For example, it is already used widely across the US for the treatment of drug-resistant forms of epilepsy, with extremely promising results.[2]
Many preliminary studies also note that CBD has fewer side effects than their pharmaceutical counterparts. Interestingly, according to a recent survey of CBD users in the US, many CBD consumers have gone on to reduce or replace their conventional pharmaceuticals with cannabis products.[3][4]
The medicinal properties of CBD are in the initial stages of rigorous scientific testing. The benefits of smoking CBD oil (as well as other forms of ingestion) show substantial therapeutic potential, but until clinical trials are completed, we can only make deductions.
The areas of study include:
- Inflammation
- Chronic Pain
- Cancer
- Sleep Disorders
- Anxiety and Depression
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Seizures
- Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s Disease
What Are the Risks of Smoking CBD Oil?
Smoking anything triggers legitimate fears of damage to the lungs and, most notably, lung cancer. After all, we are now all well informed about the side effects of smoking cigarettes.
So, can you really smoke CBD oil safely? The truth is that there is no specific scientific inquiry into the issue thus far, but we can draw conclusions from studies about smoking CBD-rich hemp or marijuana.
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In a 2014 review of the current research on smoking marijuana in relation to respiratory issues, the authors concluded that: “The medicinal use of marijuana is likely not harmful to lungs in low cumulative doses, but the dose limit needs to be defined. Recreational use is not the same as medicinal use and should be discouraged.” [5][6]
This indicates that smoking CBD oil could eventually lead to respiratory issues if done excessively over prolonged periods of time. However, it seems that the respiratory health issues are due to the smoke and not the substance being smoked. After all, laboratory research suggests that CBD inhibits lung cancer cell invasion and secondary malignant growths or metastasis.[7]
So, it can be speculated that besides the inherent issues with this method of ingestion, there should be no other serious side effects associated with smoking CBD oil. Most people report mild sensations of relaxation, but this is often considered a positive benefit. An average dose would not cause over-sedation, and as mentioned, it won’t give the associated “high” that THC triggers. Some people have reported experiencing a dry mouth after smoking CBD oil, but this is easily remedied by taking fluids.
RELATED: The Known Side Effects of Cannabidiol
However, cannabidiol’s potential to increase the potency of other pharmaceuticals is one side effect that should be taken seriously. Because of the way CBD is metabolized by the body, taking other drugs alongside any CBD product could raise the level of those medications in your bloodstream. Depending on what medication you’re on, this can cause serious problems, but as long as a medical practitioner is monitoring your toxicity levels and adjusting doses accordingly, this potential side effect is easily managed.
Vaping as an Alternative to Smoking CBD Oil
The natural taste of CBD oil is not for everyone. Its taste is one of the reasons why some people have turned to smoking CBD oil instead of spraying it or dosing it orally with tinctures. Yet, for those concerned about the long-term health issues associated with smoking, there is another solution.
Can you smoke CBD oil in a vape pen? Absolutely. This is done by taking specially prepared CBD vape juice with a vape pen or mod. The method is discreet, and tastes better than a straight tincture, as flavorings are often added. Plus, as mentioned earlier, it maintains the increased bioavailability because the vape is absorbed through the lungs.
As long as you source high-quality CBD vape oils, vaping CBD could offer a perfect alternative to smoking CBD oil. SOLCBD produces CO2 extracted hemp-derived CBD vape oil with a full spectrum of phytonutrients, in a grape mint flavor profile. It's an excellent way to reap the health benefits of CBD but avoid the sometimes tricky natural taste.
Final Thoughts on Smoking CBD Oil
Can you smoke CBD oil? For many of us, there is an assumption that smoking something inherently makes it less medicinal and more recreational. After all, there is still a stigma associated with smoking marijuana, and with smoking cigarettes. In fact, part of the reason why CBD is much more socially acceptable is that most people take it orally via tinctures and extracts.
People also ask: “Can you smoke CBD oil and pass a drug test?” Thankfully, CBD oil is not an illicit substance. Drug tests only look for THC or THC metabolites in marijuana, which is classified as a Schedule I Drug in most countries. Cannabidiol sourced from hemp will not show up in marijuana drug tests.
RELATED: Is CBD Hemp Oil Legal in All 50 States?
Rest easy that no matter which way you choose to take CBD, whether by tincture, vaping or smoking, it remains an effective medicinal treatment. Smoking CBD oil or vaping it could actually serve to increase its potency by increasing its bioavailability, making more of this compound’s health benefits available. So, find an ingestion method that suits your lifestyle and purpose for taking CBD oil.
Sources:
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16237477
[2] https://www.aesnet.org/about_aes/press_releases/cannabidiol122016
[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5569602/
[5] https://insights.ovid.com/pubmed?pmid=24384575
