IS THERE SUCH A THING AS VAPING TOO MUCH?

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS VAPING TOO MUCH?

CBD vape products are legal in 36 states of the US. Despite the suggested health benefits, there is no exact prescription for CBD vape products. The common symptoms of too much vaping include severe headaches and dry lips. CBD vapes are offered in full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate.

New ways of enjoying CBD products keep coming into the market for convenience. CBD products that have been trending include gummies, tinctures, capsules, vapes, and topicals. These products are manufactured using various hemp plant elements. The elements include tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), terpenes, cannabidiol (CBD), and flavonoids. THC and CBD have side effects when consumed excessively, unlike terpenes and flavonoids. Vaping CBD has become the new trend, especially among the youth. They find it cool and pleasurable, making them take too much, damaging their health unknowingly. Vape products are infused with specific CBD potency levels.

Are CBD Vape Products Legal?

CBD vape products are legal in the US. However, the 2018 Farm Bill legalizing CBD products in the USA gives states the mandate to legalize hemp-based products. Due to the presence of THC in the hemp plant, 14 states are yet to legalize CBD products, including vapes. According to the 2018 Farm Bill and the Foods and Drugs Administration (FDA), CBD products are only legal if THC levels are below 0.3%. The hemp and cannabis plants were legalized in the US, leaving out marijuana since their THC levels are 0.3% which is considered insignificant to harm the users unless overdosing. THC is the second dominant element of the hemp plant with psychoactive side effects. Too much of it could make you feel “high,” have severe headaches, or result in poor memory.

Is There a Prescription for CBD Vape Products?

Although CBD continues to be associated with multiple health and wellness benefits, nearly all of them are yet to be approved. The only approved treatment of CBD is epilepsy. Mechoulam (2017) states that CBD helps in treating epilepsy. Therefore, there is an exact prescription for CBD vapes. Users are required to take personal responsibility and vape considerably. The novices should consider low concentrations of 30 mg of CBD as they adjust gradually as they monitor the impact; the reaction differs with the body chemistry.

Can I Vape Too Much?

Vaping has become a trend, and brands are making it even more fascinating by bringing CBD vape products with flavors to the market. As a result, people end up vaping more than enough. Some vape products are infused with CBD distillates of up to 500mg. Such potency levels require the users to be cautious since taking a few puffs could result in CBD or THC side effects. However, the question of too much also depends on the experience. Too much for the novices varies from veterans. The novices are likely to experience the side effects with low potency levels while veterans with extreme.

How Do I Know I Am Vaping Too Much?

Flavored CBD vape products are somehow irresistible. This tricks you into taking too much vaping without realizing it. However, you will start feeling the side effects, especially if it’s a full spectrum. Full-spectrum contains THC, which might accumulate in the body and result in its side effects. The symptoms of vaping too much include getting anxious, poor memory, red eyes, severe headaches, and dry lips. Some of the symptoms are not likely to occur in veterans since their bodies have adapted to CBD.

Which is the Best Type Of CBD Vape?

There are three types of CBD vape products; full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate. They are differentiated using unique elements of the hemp plant.

Full Spectrum

Full-spectrum vapes contain all the elements of the hemp plant. They comprise terpenes, flavonoids, CBD, THC, and other hemp plant elements. A full-spectrum vape pen is not the best option, especially if you intend to take too much. Although full spectrum vapes are the most popular, too much consumption is harmful to your health. The manufacturers ensure THC levels in full-spectrum CBD vapes are below 0.3% for consumers’ safety. However, full-spectrum CBD is the best option for improving our general health and wellness because it offers an entourage effect. According to VanDolah et al. (2019), full-spectrum CBD offers an entourage effect. The entourage effect is the ability of various elements to work together to give more health benefits than a single element. According to Vučković et al. (2018), Hammell et al. (2016), and Shannon et al. (2019), CBD might help with pain, inflammation, and sleep problems.

Broad Spectrum CBD Vapes

Broad-spectrum CBD seems the best option for vaping. This is because it contains all the useful elements of the hemp plant except THC. Broad-spectrum vapes comprise terpenes, flavonoids, and CBD. It also offers an entourage effect but with THC risks. However, the absence of THC shouldn’t be a reason for taking too much highly concentrated CBD. A high intake of CBD could result in THC-related side effects, including experiencing severe headaches, poor memory, and dry lips, as highlighted by Habib et al. (2020). Also, the smoke damages the lungs leading to interference with oxygen flow around the body. This develops into health complications such as heart failure and liver cirrhosis.

Isolate

Isolate vapes are unique in a full-spectrum and broad-spectrum. They are manufactured with pure CBD. Isolate CBD is void of flavonoids, THC, and terpenes. Isolate vapes are suitable for the novices and those who take pleasure in vaping since they are not exposed to THC. However, CBD being the only element in isolate vapes, it is likely to be highly concentrated. It is also suitable for people targeting health benefits associated with CBD only. Isolate CBD has one main disadvantage; it doesn’t offer entourage effects like full-spectrum and broad-spectrum.

Conclusion

Vaping has become common in most parts of the US. The youths find pleasure in it. CBD manufacturers are now offering vape products to add pleasure to vaping. Although vaping is unhealthy, the FDA is yet to react to it. Too much vaping damages the lungs because of the smoke covering the lungs. This leads to harmful diseases such as liver cirrhosis and heart failure. CBD vape products are in full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, and isolate. Broad-spectrum is the best option since it offers an entourage effect and protects its users from THC-related side effects. It comprises all the elements of the hemp plant except THC. Vaping is generally harmful to our health and should be done moderately.  

Mechoulam, R. (2017). Cannabis and epilepsy. Epilepsy & Behavior70, 278-279.

Hammell, D. C., Zhang, L. P., Ma, F., Abshire, S. M., McIlwrath, S. L., Stinchcomb, A. L., & Westlund, K. N. (2016). Transdermal cannabidiol reduces inflammation and pain-related behaviors in a rat model of arthritis. European journal of pain (London, England), 20(6), 936–948.

Shannon, S., Lewis, N., Lee, H., & Hughes, S. (2019). Cannabidiol in Anxiety and Sleep: A Large Case Series. The Permanente journal23, 18–041.

Vučković, S., Srebro, D., Vujović, K. S., Vučetić, Č., & Prostran, M. (2018). Cannabinoids and pain: new insights from old molecules. Frontiers in pharmacology, 1259.

VanDolah, H. J., Bauer, B. A., & Mauck, K. F. (2019, September). Clinicians’ guide to cannabidiol and hemp oils. In Mayo Clinic Proceedings (Vol. 94, No. 9, pp. 1840 1851). Elsevier.

Habib, E., Helaly, M., Elshaer, A., Sriwi, D., Ahmad, M. S., Mohamed, M. I., & Obeidat, A. (2020). Prevalence and perceptions of e-cigarette use among medical students in a Saudi University. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care9(6), 3070.

Anastasia Filipenko is a health and wellness psychologist, dermatolist and a freelance writer. She frequently covers beauty and skincare, food trends and nutrition, health and fitness and relationships. When she's not trying out new skincare products, you'll find her taking a cycling class, doing yoga, reading in the park, or trying a new recipe.

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