Anyone that has visited a CBD store recently should have noticed the wide variety of CBD
products available for purchase. We have come a long way from the days when CBD was only available in the form of oils. Today, CBD gummies, CBD topical products, and CBD vapes can be purchased from retailers such as Nothing But Hemp.
With such a large selection of CBD products to choose from, it can be confusing to decide which type you should try. Two popular forms of CBD products are oil tinctures and oil vapes. Each of these offers their own advantages for users. Let’s compare them and learn which one may be right for you.
What are CBD Oil Tinctures?
The term CBD oil tincture can be confusing as it could refer to either CBD oils or CBD tinctures.
Both of these are liquid products containing CBD, but they contain different carrier ingredients.
CBD oils are made by extracting CBD from a cannabis plant and diluting the compound in an oil such as hemp seed oil, sunflower oil, or medium-chain triglycerides (MCT).
CBD tinctures on the other hand are made by extracting CBD using alcohol instead of oil.
Medicinal tinctures have been used for thousands of years with the help of alcohol’s ability to
extract compounds from plant parts. However, extracting CBD compounds using alcohol is a
trend that has caught on only recently.
In this guide comparing CBD vapes with tinctures, we will be referring to alcohol-based CBD
products when we mention tinctures.
What are CBD Vapes?
CBD vapes are electronic devices similar to e-cigarettes. Both contain cartridges containing an active ingredient. However, the active ingredient in CBD vape cartridges is CBD, while the active ingredient in e-cigarette cartridges is nicotine.
Some CBD vape pens come with replaceable cartridges while others are single-use products
with built-in cartridges that cannot be replaced.
How is CBD Consumed in Tincture and Vapes?
CBD ingested via tinctures is absorbed differently than CBD consumed through vapes.
Absorption of CBD from Tinctures
Tinctures can be ingested by dropping a small quantity of the liquid under your tongue using a dropper. Through this route, CBD is absorbed by your digestive system, and transferred to the liver through the hepatic portal system.
Your liver metabolizes these CBD molecules and breaks them down with the help of enzymes before passing them onto your bloodstream. However, some CBD may also be absorbed directly into your bloodstream via capillaries under your tongue, cheeks, and gums.
How CBD from Vapes is Absorbed
CBD vapes are used by drawing CBD oil in cartridges across a heating element which vaporizes the liquid. When this vapor is inhaled, the CBD passes through air sacs in your lungs and enters your bloodstream.
How Long Does it Take to Feel the Effects of Tinctures and Vapes?
The effect of CBD, taken via tinctures is usually felt within half an hour to five hours. These
effects can then last up to a week.
The effects of CBD are felt a lot faster when inhaled through a vaporizer. After taking a single
draw from a vaporizer, you will feel the effects immediately, or within a few minutes. This
makes vapes a more efficient manner of consuming CBD and benefiting from its effects.
Patients suffering from chronic pain or other conditions that are alleviated with the help of CBD may benefit from the fast action of CBD vapes. However, there is a drawback with using this method.
The effects of CBD oil vape usually wears off within 2 - 3 hours. So if you intend to use this
method for treating medical conditions, you may need to use your vaporizer multiple times a
day.
Bioavailability of CBD through vapes and tinctures
CBD bioavailability refers to the percentage of consumed CBD that is absorbed into your
bloodstream. The more CBD your body absorbs, the greater the effects felt will be.
CBD bioavailability typically differs based on the method of consumption. A higher
bioavailability means a higher percentage of CBD is absorbed by your body.
CBD tinctures applied directly under the tongue have a bioavailability of 20 - 30%, while CBD
liquids that are ingested have a lower bioavailability of 13 - 19%.
The bioavailability of CBD consumed through vaporizers is 10 - 60%. This variance could be due to many different factors such as temperature and concentration of CBD in the cartridge.
Are tinctures safer than vapes?
Neither CBD tinctures nor CBD vapes are approved by the FDA, so it’s difficult to say that they are completely safe to use. However, these products have been popular for many years without any serious harm reported by users.
However, you should exercise caution when purchasing and using any CBD product. For
tinctures, users should check the label to see if food-grade alcohol was used for CBD extraction.
In addition to this, trustworthy products should contain a certificate of analysis verifying that
the product’s contents have been labelled accurately.
Tinctures are concentrated products, which makes it possible for users to take too much CBD without realizing it. The droppers provided with tinctures make it easy to measure out small quantities before ingesting them.
CBD vapes may be considered the less-safe option due to the dangers associated with vaping liquids. While most vape pens can be used without problems, a small percentage of vape cartridges have burst in the past.
Vape pens are also seen as riskier due to the thinning agents that many manufacturers use in
CBD cartridges. These include chemicals such as propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol which can break down into carcinogenic compounds.
Many of the aforementioned risks can be avoided by purchasing trustworthy CBD tinctures and vape pens from reliable sellers such as Nothing But Hemp.
CBD vapes vs tinctures: Which is right for me?
As we’ve seen, both vapes and tinctures offer their distinct advantages. If you want to feel the effects of CBD immediately, a vaporizer would be a good option. However, if you want the effects of CBD to last for an extended period of time, tinctures may be the better option.
Where to purchase CBD tinctures and vapes?
Nothing But Hemp is one of the leading suppliers of premium-quality CBD tinctures and vape pens in the country. Visit their website to see their wide range of products, or call (651) 330-9810 to speak with one of their CBD experts.
