Quick guide: CBD e-liquids

What is CBD?

Cannabidiol, or CBD as it’s most commonly known, is a chemical that is extracted from the leaves of the cannabis plant. But while cannabis alone is illegal, CBD isn’t, as it doesn’t contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) – the substance that will get you high. In the UK, CBD is legal to purchase as long as the THC amount is limited to no more than 1mg per container. Since 2020, CBD food and drink require a novel food authorisation issued by the UK’s Food Standards Agency, and as such, retailers are encouraged to only buy from reputable suppliers to avoid stocking illegal CBD products, which may have high amounts of THC.

Supposed benefits

Vape brand Smoko says that vaping CBD e-liquids can help a person feel more relaxed and can have a calming effect on the mind, “helping to reduce feelings of anxiety without getting you high because CBD vape products do not contain the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis-THC. There many other CBD vape effects that may help you, like reducing your blood pressure and tackling chronic pain.” Vaping CBD is also the fastest way to get CBD to absorb in the body, taking about 20 minutes for it to ‘work’, having the highest absorption for CBD products over the likes of oils, gummies and cream.

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Things to be mindful of

To vaporise CBD effectively, users need to have a vape pen that is powerful enough to facilitate it, as CBD e-liquids tend to be thicker in texture compared to a standard freebase e-liquid. This of course means being prepared to deal with cleaning the tank regularly, replacing the coils frequently, and making sure the battery is at a decent capacity. These things in turn could increase the costs significantly, especially since CBD e-liquids tend to be pricier. However, there are some devices on the market that are specifically designed for vaping CBD, and offer pre-filled CBD cartridges.

Types of CBD

There are three main types of CBD e-liquids, the first being whole plant. This, according to Totally Wicked, uses hemp oil/paste as an ingredient. This contains not only CBD, but many other cannabinoids present in the hemp plant. Full-spectrum CBD contains CBD and a broad range of cannabinoids. However, the wax, lipid and oil in the hemp oil are removed via an extraction process. Finally, the brand says that CBD isolate e-liquid contains only high purity CBD as an ingredient. CBD isolate quality can vary between suppliers, with the highest purity CBD isolate attracting a premium supply cost.