If you’ve already read our Hemp Seed Oil vs CBD oil blog post, then you know that “hemp oil” can actually mean a lot of different things. Sometimes it can refer to the dietary supplement hemp seed oil, and sometimes it can refer to CBD-rich oil that’s been extracted from hemp stalks and flowers.
Today, we’re here to look into a commonly posed question regarding hemp oil: can I vape it?
The answer:
What is a Vape?
First off, let’s define our terms. When used as a noun, “vape” is a shorthand for saying vaporizer – a device designed to heat up material like cannabis concentrates until the material is converted into a vapor that can be inhaled. When used as a verb, “vape” means to inhale the vapor from a vaporizer.
Most vapes are made up of three main components: a mouthpiece, an atomizer, and a battery. The mouthpiece is pretty self-explanatory; it’s the part of the vape where you will inhale from. They’re usually made of glass or ceramics. The atomizer is the engine of the vape; it’s the part of the device that converts your material into vapor through heat. The battery is what powers the device.
Normally, vapes are customizable. For example, a 510 thread battery is the industry standard – meaning that most standard batteries will fit most standard vapes. Some vaporizer brands, however, only work with brand-specific parts. For example, the popular brand of vape, Juul, is only compatible with a Juul Pod, and the individual components are not interchangeable.
Can I Vape Hemp Seed Oil?
This is the easiest one to answer. Hemp seed oil is not ever suitable for vaping. First of all, the amount of CBD in hemp seeds is minimal, so extracts made from them will have a negligible CBD percentage. Since most people interested in vaping hemp are primarily interested in accessing the therapeutic benefits of the CBD found inside the plant, hemp seed oil wouldn’t make for a good vaping liquid.
The other issue here is that hemp seed oil is designed to be taken orally and not inhaled. Vaporizing a product that is not intended to be vaped can have disastrous health consequences.
Can I Vape Hemp Oil?
As we discussed in the Hemp Seed Oil vs Hemp Oil blog, name standardization is an issue. Hemp oil can refer to a lot of different things. Many times manufacturers will label a product as hemp oil instead of CBD oil in order to avoid having to disclose CBD percentages, or to stay in a legal grey zone depending on the state they’re operating out of.
Generally, hemp oil is like hemp seed oil in that it is intended to be consumed orally. For this reason, a product labeled as hemp oil should not be vaped.
What Can I Vape?
Hemp extracts that are intended for use in vaporizers are typically explicitly labeled. Look for products like hemp vape juice, hemp e-liquid, CBD vape juice, or CBD vape oil. Mainly, the word “vape” in a product label is a clear sign that the product is in fact designed for vaporizer use.
Health Concerns with Vaping CBD Vape Oil
One of the biggest appeals of vaporizers is that they are better at delivering cannabinoids into the body. CBD has a relatively low rate of bioavailability when consumed orally. What that means is that when you use a CBD oil or tincture, most of the CBD doesn’t actually end up getting absorbed into your body, essentially going to waste. When it’s inhaled, however, significantly more of the cannabinoids are able to be utilized.
On the flip side, though, vape e-liquid has garnered a ton of negative media attention due to the possibility of adverse health effects. Because manufacturers often cut CBD e juice with potentially harmful additives like PG (Propylene Glycol) and VG (Vegetable Glycerin) in order to achieve a viscosity more conducive to vaping.
A Better Alternative to a CBD Oil Vape
