Cannabidiol, or CBD, is popular for a lot of reasons. Many people take it for anxiety or insomnia, and still others use it for chronic pain or even acne. There are even FDA-approved seizure control prescriptions containing CBD on the market today. But how do people take CBD? There are actually many different manners of CBD consumption. Each has a different range of effects and varying degrees of immediacy. The different ways of taking CBD can be widely grouped into four general categories: inhalation, topical application, ingestion and sublingual.
Inhalation
Vaping CBD has become more popular in recent years, coinciding with the popularity of vaping in general. The main advantage of vaping CBD is its immediacy. People who take CBD oil for anxiety or pain often prefer to vape and get immediate relief, rather than waiting half an hour or more for an edible to take effect. Vaping also gives you a little more control over your exact dosage, allowing you to dole out your CBD rather than take it all at once. If you’re going to vape, you’ve got two basic routes: vape pens or the larger tank mods.
- Vape pens
Vape pens are pretty simple. There’s a tank that holds the CBD, an atomizer to heat the CBD, and a battery to power that atomizer. Vape pens use a CBD concentrate, not CBD oil, which can cause a bit of market confusion. Many stores mistakenly advertise CBD oil in reference to all CBD products. CBD oil is meant to be ingested, whereas CBD concentrate is meant to be heated up and inhaled. You do not want to put CBD oil into your vape pen because it won’t work.
- Tanks
If you’re looking for a bigger investment with a bit more style and flare, you can look into reusable tank mods. These devices use yet a different CBD substance, CBD e-Juice. This e-Juice can be customized in size, potency, and flavor. Tanks are a bit less discreet than a smaller vape pen, but for many people, they’re a form of personal expression.
Topical Application
CBD can be absorbed through the skin. CBD-infused lotions and creams are very popular, especially for mild pain. These products don’t get CBD into your bloodstream, so they are less effective for mental health and are used almost exclusively for pain relief or even acne treatment. CBD administered topically is thought to help ease inflammation.
CBD is hydrophobic, and so it has a relatively low bioavailability when consumed through the mouth. Therefore topical CBD treatments can be effective with lower doses.
Ingestion
Edibles are by far the most popular method of consuming CBD. They are extremely discreet and easy to get ahold of. While people who vape CBD run the risk of looking like they are smoking nicotine or marijuana, no one gets strange looks for popping a gummy treat into their mouth. CBD edibles are most people’s introduction to CBD.
CBD oil that is ingested passes through the same process as most of a person’s daily vitamins. After digestion, it is metabolized in the liver and then from there makes its way into the bloodstream.
The possibilities with ingested CBD are endless. Most popular are simple capsules, gummies and other easy-to-eat foods, but CBD can also be infused into drinks and juices. When looking for CBD-infused foods, it is important to look for two specific factors.
- Quality
There are differences in the quality of CBD used in CBD edibles. Foods that use CBD with all the compounds of the hemp plant have better results than foods that use only isolated molecules of CBD.
- Infusion method
You will always get better results with foods that have been properly infused with CBD. Some gummies and other foods have merely had CBD “sprayed” onto their outermost layers. Avoid these, as you’ll likely not get good results.
Sublingual
Similar to ingestion, sublingual involves placing CBD oil directly under the tongue. The compounds of CBD are absorbed by the capillaries in the mucus membranes and from there go straight into the bloodstream. Sublingual application of CBD is faster than ingestion. After the immediate relief of the initial absorption under the tongue, the remainder of the CBD capsule can be swallowed and more slowly digested. This makes sublingual application the only method which offers both instantaneous and long lasting effects.
Where to get CBD
CBD comes from the hemp plant, which while related to marijuana, is not the same. Marijuana and the THC it contains are federally illegal in the United States and only allowed in several select states. CBD and hemp, however, are widely available and legal. CBD products can be purchased from many venders with little hassle. Some doctors are also willing to prescribe or advise the consumption of CBD depending on the circumstances. Anyone looking to treat potentially serious issues, such as chronic pain or seizures, with CBD should first consult a doctor to make sure no other medical course of action is recommended.