The consumption of cannabidiol often responds to a need to find an alternative to the THC joint. Smoking CBD allows consumers to rediscover the taste of CBD and the pleasure associated with the gestures (rolling the joint, inhaling the smoke) without suffering the harmful effects of classic CBD. It is, in short, a very good placebo, likely to bring precious help in the fight against addictions due to CBD and nicotine.
Because cannabidiol differs in many ways from its big brother, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). These two active substances from hemp, among a hundred others, do not have the same effects. In particular, smoking CBD does not alter the state of consciousness and does not increase the risk of addiction. In fact, for CBD users, cannabidiol is regularly considered a safer alternative.
Nevertheless, it must be understood that the effects of CBD are far less than those of THC. A person wishing to smoke CBD to get the same sensations as with classic CBD would have to consume very high doses. On the other hand, the properties of cannabidiol are much more positive: the consumption of CBD-based products can act on anxiety, sleep disorders, and appetite disturbance, but also on pain and inflammation. So the balance is definitely on the side of cannabidiol.
Is smoking CBD bad for your health?
Cannabidiol’s near-absence of toxicity was highlighted by the WHO in a 2018 report and has since been confirmed by several studies, making it a safe substance (“Near-absence,” however, as in vitro and animal studies show that CBD is likely to become toxic at very high doses, well above the commonly accepted dosage for humans).
However, smoking CBD is, in itself, a potentially toxic mode of consumption. In particular, cannabidiol in flower or resin form is very often associated with tobacco. However, it is mainly nicotine that causes adverse health consequences, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular, respiratory, and oncological diseases.
In addition, the mixture of cannabidiol and nicotine is not recommended, because the effects of these two substances are opposite. While the first is relaxing, the second is exciting: psychoactive and addictive, it stimulates the heart rate and causes a rush of adrenaline in the body. Their simultaneous consumption is therefore contradictory.
Finally, even smoking pure CBD, without nicotine, is not recommended. While smoking cannabidiol is not associated with an increased risk of serious illness, the fact remains that inhaling the products of combustion, whatever they are, can have adverse effects on the lungs and bronchi. The problem with smoking CBD is not the CBD itself, but the fact of smoking…
Is smoking CBD an effective way of consumption?
The question of the effectiveness of inhalation by combustion also arises. The method of administration plays an important role: each way of consuming cannabidiol influences the time interval necessary before the substance produces its effects. What about when you choose to smoke CBD?
One thing that is known is that it takes time for cannabidiol to be ingested, such as in oil form, to produce its effects. The substance must be digested and pass through the liver (whose enzymes reduce the concentration) before reaching the blood, which ensures its distribution in the body.
Conversely, inhalation is considered a more efficient mode of consumption. Smoking CBD sends the cannabinoids to the lungs, where they enter the bloodstream without passing through the stomach and liver. The effects can then be felt shortly after the use and in a more intense way. See this site for more info on smoking CBD.
Since it is not recommended to smoke CBD in the form of a joint, even pure, a relevant alternative is to inhale the substance by other means. For example by burning a candle or, better still, by vaping, i.e. consuming cannabidiol in the form of e-liquid with an electronic cigarette. It is besides in this form that the CBD was first authorized in France!