Can standard CBD oil be vaped if a person happens to run out of CBD vape oil? After all, sometimes you run out of things and it helps to have a backup plan in case you can’t get resupplied quickly.
The problem is that CBD oils in the form of tinctures are actually mixed with a base oil – many times tinctures use MCT Oil, which can be healthy to ingest and increase bioavailability of a tincture in your digestive system — but should not be inhaled into your lungs. If you have pure CBD distillate at home (which is rare), you can vape it, but it may actually be easier to dab. Generally, you really should never try to DIY a vape as it could be bad for your health – it’s your lungs after all, so leave it to the experts.
Bottom line – If you run out of CBD vapes, don’t fill a cartridge with your tincture and vape it. Read on to learn the science behind why.
CBD Disposable Vape Pens
CBD vape oil is meant to be used in a vape pen, and CBD oil as a tincture is meant to be taken orally or can be applied as a topical ointment. It is not intended for use in a vape. Making CBD vapes in a clean and healthy way is complex process, so you should vape ONLY oil that is specified for vaping, and also only vape the cleanest and healthiest CBD vapes that have third party lab tests available.
The problem with CBD tincture in a vape is what it's emulsified in.
Typical CBD oil - also called a CBD tincture - is usually a food-grade oil that's used as a carrier oil so that the CBD, terpenes and other compounds can be readily absorbed by the body. Typical oils used in the preparation of CBD oil are MCT oil (medium chain triglycerides) vegetable oil and, in some cases, olive oil.
Olive oil isn't common with commercial CBD oils. Neutral oils are preferred as olive oil has a flavor that not everyone cares for, but it is common with homemade CBD oils and some small producers to use olive oil.
The issue is that almost all of these oils aren't appropriate for use in vapor pens. The oil burns instead of vaporizing, creating acrid smoke (which you don't want to inhale) with a number of contaminants that you wouldn't want to inhale. Vaping requires a thicker oil that won't burn, which most food oils will if introduced into a vape pen.
Theoretically, a CBD oil of the correct viscosity, and with the right emulsifying agent could be used in a vape pen. Since MCT oil is a common thinning agent in many CBD oils that are taken orally, it's not outside the realm of possibility that you could find a CBD some of ingesting and vaping...but you really don't want to. MCT oil is great to ingest, but unhealthy to vape. The lipids or fats in the oil are bad for your lungs.
Its extremely important to vape oils that have been expertly produced to be made with only oil from the plant and no other carrier oils like MCT Oil, VG, PG, PEG, Vitamin E Acetate or olive oil. Nearly all tinctures have these carrier oils and at least 95% of vapes are improperly made with carrier oils as well (crazy right?!) by companies trying to take shortcuts. Read more in our article: What’s in your vape?
As the industry and consumers have learned the hard way, not all vapes are created equal!! This is why you should purchase only pure, cannabis or hemp derived distillate vapes with no carrier oils, from brands you trust. One quick "sanity check" is to check the viscosity. If the oil is thin and moves around very quickly in the tank when you tip it upside down, that is likely cut with something. Second, check for lab results. If the formulation is less than 50% cannabinoids minimum, it is very likely cut with something.
Third, always check packaging and ingredient lists for fillers like MCT Oil, VG, PG, PEG, or Vitamin E. These fillers are actually extremely cheap - so not only is that company putting something dangerous in the vape, they are also likely ripping you off if they are still charging premium prices per half or full gram. MCT oil in particular, a common vape filler because of its reputation for being healthy (to ingest), can produce a number of harmful compounds (including formaldehyde, aka embalming fluid) when heated to produce vapor. Other compounds that are used as thinning agents include vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol, and may produce a number of harmful compounds that shouldn't be inhaled and may have harmful long-term effects.
Lastly, an expert tip is to use vape oils with high quality terpenes and advanced hardware. The hardware is the cartridge itself. 95% of companies worldwide use one vape cartridge producer. More boutique manufactures may use the recommended stainless steel vape hardware that does not allow heavy metals to leak into the oil.
Overall, CBD oil can be vaped but its only recommended to vape CBD that was produced specifically for vaping. Creating healthy CBD vapes without fillers, carrier oils, or cutting agents is very hard to do which is why very few companies produce healthy clean vapes. However, clean vapes made only from plant material, full spectrum CBD distillate, and high quality terpenes are amazing products to consume.
