hand holding vape pen with marijuana leaves in the background

Can You Smoke CBD Oil Safely? What's It Like?

Are you interested in smoking CBD oil? CBD oil has many health benefits, so it’s not surprising that you want to include it in your everyday life. But you may be wondering if smoking CBD oil changes the benefits to your health.

It’s also important to make sure it is safe for you to smoke CBD oil before you attempt it. Keep reading to find out if smoking CBD oil is safe and what you can expect if you do decide to smoke it.

hand holding CBD oil bottle with marijuana leaves in the background

What is CBD Oil?

CBD is short for cannabidiol and it refers to one of many cannabinoid compounds that can be found in a cannabis plant (otherwise known as a marijuana plant). Surprisingly, although it is found in the marijuana plant, most CBD is extracted from a hemp plant rather than the marijuana plant because it is easier to do so.

Although the cannabinoid CBD is associated with marijuana, you won’t get a high from marijuana alone. This is because CBD isn’t the active ingredient in a marijuana plant, rather the cannabinoid compound THC is. There are some CBD products however that do contain THC, more on this later.

How Can You Consume CBD Oil?

There are many ways to consume CBD oil, and how you choose to consume it will affect how the compound interacts with your body. It will also change how quickly it takes effect.

Different Methods of Consuming CBD Oil:

  • Smoking CBD Oil
  • Consuming Edibles with CBD Oil (Like CBD Gummies)
  • Vaporizing CBD Oil
  • Putting a Few Drops of CBD Oil Under Your Tongue (Tinctures)
  • Applying CBD creams Using a Topical Method (Balms or Lotion)
  • Taking a Capsule of CBD Oil

The best way to consume CBD oil for you will generally depend on your personal preference. Generally, beginners typically start with edibles, as these taste good and are less potent than other forms of CBD oil consumption.

But keep in mind, if you have been told to take CBD oil by a doctor for pain relief, ingestion of an edible may not be the best method for you, as it is difficult to consume high doses with this method. It also takes a while for the CBD to make it through your digestive system and take effect.

The Benefits of CBD Oil

When it comes to smoking CBD oil, there are several benefits that you get from this method of consumption that you don’t get from other methods of consuming the oil. It’s important to know that while there are studies that show the benefits of consuming CBD oil, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) has not approved all methods of consuming the oil.

Benefits of Smoking CBD Oil:

  • Quickest method of CBD absorption (3 minutes)
  • Great anxiety treatment method
  • Immediate pain relief
  • Can mitigate side effects of cancer treatments
  • Quick Epilepsy treatment

Smoking CBD is perfect if you have a chronic condition you are taking CBD oil for. This is because it takes only 3 minutes to take effect. This is much faster than any other method of taking CBD oil.

Oral CBD use through items like gummies or candies requires that the CBD makes its way all the way through your digestive system before it is absorbed by your body. When you smoke CBD oil, the CBD goes to your lungs where it is absorbed directly into your bloodstream skipping all the middle systems of your body and taking effect almost immediately.

Cons of Smoking CBD Oil

Smoking CBD oil provides great relief in almost no time at all, but like anything in life, there are always downsides.

Short-Lived Relief

One downside of smoking CBD oil is that the CBD does not stay in your system long. This means if you are taking CBD oil for pain relief, that while instant, the pain relief won’t last all that long. This isn’t great if you are in constant pain.

Bad For Your Health

The main downside to smoking CBD oil, however, is that smoking isn’t good for your health. Smoking, whether it is a cigarette, weed, or CBD oil, is damaging to your lungs. While smoking CBD oil is less damaging than smoking cigarettes, it can still lead to lung cancer.

Additionally, if you suffer from a condition like asthma, or anxiety where you experience panic attacks, breathing in a substance can make these symptoms worse. This is why you should discuss this with your doctor before smoking CBD oil.

Not Convenient

The final downside to smoking CBD oil is that it is not very convenient or discreet. If you are working a job and do not want them to know you are taking CBD oil, it will be difficult to hide it if you are smoking it.

This is why many people choose to take an edible like  CBD Milk Chocolate Bar instead, as this can be kept with you discreetly, and often taken while on the clock without your supervisor or coworkers noticing.

Is Smoking CBD Oil Safe?

Because smoking CBD oil can damage your lungs, and cause long term conditions like pneumonia and cancer, smoking CBD oil is not considered safe. If you truly need to smoke CBD oil for a health condition, the benefits of doing so may outweigh the negatives. Either way, you should discuss with your doctor before making the decision to smoke CBD oil.

Will Smoking CBD Oil Make Me High?

Many people confuse smoking CBD oil with smoking the marijuana plant. Remember that most CBD products contain no THC, this means you will not get high when you smoke them. There is a certain feeling that comes with inhaling any sort of product, but smoking CBD oil will not make you high.

Therefore it is more convenient to smoke CBD oil than it is marijuana because you don’t have to worry about not being able to operate machinery following your consumption.

Side Effects of Smoking CBD Oil

Because there is no high involved in smoking CBD oil, people often also assume that there are no side effects. This is not the case, as there are some side effects to smoking CBD oil.

Possible Side Effects of CBD:

  • Fatigue
  • Dry Mouth
  • Loss of Weight/Appetite
  • Low Blood Pressure
  • Coughing
  • May Cause Asthma Attack

While smoking CBD oil lowers your chances of experiencing nausea or diarrhea as you would with consuming an edible, you’ll notice that there are several respiratory side effects to smoking CBD. Unlike the other forms of consuming CBD, in which side effects tend to occur with too high of a dosage, you may experience the above side effects from smoking CBD oil even at a low dose.

Who Shouldn’t Smoke CBD?

There are several groups of people that are advised against smoking CBD oil, or at least doing so without consulting a health care professional. Those are people with lung conditions, such as asthma, as well as those who experience chronic shortness of breath.

Pregnant or breastfeeding women are advised not to use any CBD products at all during their pregnancy, and they should definitely not smoke CBD oil. If you are taking any sort of medication, you also should not smoke CBD oil until you speak with your doctor.

What is Smoking CBD Oil Like?

Smoking CBD oil will feel very similar to smoking a cigarette or inhaling smoke from a marijuana plant. But with CBD oil, you won’t feel a high feeling, instead, you should feel a sense of calmness and peace come over you within 3 minutes of smoking the CBD oil. Do note that some people may not feel anything when they smoke CBD oil.

And if you aren’t taking CBD oil for a condition (like pain relief or anxiety) you shouldn’t expect to feel anything. It is not recommended to smoke more CBD oil in order to ‘feel something.’ Rather, you should stick to the dose provided by your doctor or based on the label of the CBD product you are smoking.

Vaping CBD Oil Rather than Smoking CBD Oil

You may be surprised to find out that smoking CBD oil and vaping CBD oil are not the same things. This is because vaping CBD oil requires a special CBD vape juice which is a mix containing both vape juice and CBD oil, and a properly equipped CBD vape pen in order to consume it. Vaporizers are specially formulated to heat up the vape/CBD mixture so it can be inhaled.

Because a vape pen mixes CBD with vape oil, you are not consuming straight CBD. This means you may have to vape more frequently than you would just smoking CBD oil. This may sound a bit inconvenient, but the truth is, vaping CBD oil is frequently preferred by people. This is because it is more discreet, easier to transport, and you are more likely to be able to use it at work than you would smoking straight CBD oil.

Not to mention that your lungs have an easier time absorbing vapor than smoke, so you may find that vaping CBD actually takes effect in your body sooner than smoking CBD oil. This can be especially helpful for those battling anxiety or chronic pain.

There is still very little information on the damage vaping or e-cigarettes do to your lungs, so be aware that as far as health goes, vaping may or may not be a better alternative to smoking straight CBD oil.  In fact, the CDC in the United States cautions people heavily not to consider vaping any healthier than smoking.

Does Smoking CBD Show Up on a Drug Test?

For those with a career that drug tests, you may be wondering if you need to worry about smoking CBD oil. The good news is, CBD oil is a legal substance, which means it does not show up on a drug test. You need to be cautious however, as there are some CBD products that are mixed with THC. This is especially true when the CBD is synthetically made rather than derived naturally from the hemp flower. Be sure that whatever CBD oil you are smoking is pure CBD with no other additives mixed in.

How to Be Safe Smoking CBD Oil

There is one final concern when it comes to smoking CBD oil, and this is that smoking CBD oil that is impure, with ingredients that could damage your body. To avoid unpleasant side effects, below are a few things you should check before smoking CBD oil.

Ingredients

Just because the container says CBD oil doesn’t mean it’s pure. Check the label of the product before you smoke it. This is especially important as some CBD oils contain THC. If you don’t read the label, this could cause disastrous side effects if you are trying to avoid THC. Plus, sometimes companies who sell CBD oils do so with the intent of the CBD oil being dropped beneath your tongue(also known as the sublingual method).

They sometimes add flavors to make these drops taste good. These flavor additives could taste terrible when smoked causing an unpleasant experience for you. You should also be reading the labels to find out the CBD concentrate to know how much CBD you should be inhaling for your body weight.

Go For Pure CBD Oil

The best way to avoid all of these additives is to buy high-quality, pure CBD oil supplements. This means you also need to avoid CBD vape cartridges. While vaping CBD oil is a decent alternative to smoking CBD oil, these products are more likely to have additives like THC in them, which could cause disastrous results if you are trying to find a product you can take while at work.

Synthetic CBD oil may be cheaper, but these are even less regulated than regular CBD products, meaning there could be ingredients, such as propylene glycol, that cause severe reactions in your body. For your safety, you should avoid synthetic CBD products.

Doctors holds a bottle of hemp oil

Talk to Your Doctor First

Remember, your doctor will be able to guide you through the world of CBD oil. They will know the best way for you to take it as well as the best dosage. This is why you should speak to them before you purchase any sort of CBD oil product. They will also be able to discuss with you the long-term effects of consuming CBD oil via smoking or via another method such as CBD oil tinctures.

Check Reviews

Besides your doctor, your peers will also have a good idea of which products are quality and which are trash. Before you purchase a CBD product, take a look at the reviews and see what others are saying. If a company has a lot of negative reviews, or people reporting adverse side effects, then it’s probably a better idea to purchase your CBD oil elsewhere. If there are a lot of positive reviews, this doesn’t mean you should skip the other steps on this list, it just means it is more likely to be a better product.

Did This Help?

No matter what your previous experience with CBD oil is, smoking CBD oil could provide many benefits to your life. You need to be careful, however, as smoking CBD oil has many downsides that aren't found when consuming other CBD products. 

If you've decided that smoking CBD oil just isn't for you, not to worry as there are many other ways CBD oil can improve your life without having to be smoked.  Just take a look at our article on how topical CBD oil application can help you have healthy skin to learn more! 

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