Can You Vape CBD Oil Or THC Oil?

As you’ve seen THC and CBD oils fly off store shelves, and perhaps picked some up yourself, you’ve likely considered the different ways you could take them. People tend to ingest cannabinoid-rich oils orally or sublingually—or add them to food or drink—but can you vape CBD oil or its THC-heavy counterpart?

As we’ll explain, the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might think, and ultimately depends on how your cannabis oil is crafted. We’ll discuss both types in detail, show you which ones can be vaped, and walk you through your best options for vaping CBD and/or THC.

What Is CBD Oil?

To give some background, CBD oil is a non-psychotropic concentrate made from either hemp or CBD-rich cannabis plants. The cannabinoids and terpenes within these plants are drawn out through various methods, but supercritical CO₂ extraction is the most effective and popular within the commercial industry.

There are products out there that look similar, known as tinctures, but these contain an alcohol base. They have similar effects, but oils and tinctures are distinct products with somewhat different appeals.

You won’t just see plain THC or CBD concentrate on the shelves, either. To make it easier to bottle, dose, and ingest, manufacturers blend the hemp or cannabis extract with a suitable carrier oil, which is essentially any type of edible oil.

Some use standard culinary options like olive and hemp seed oil, along with MCT oil, while others utilise BHO or CO₂ oil, which are comparatively more pure but less common.

Is CBD Oil the Same Thing as CBD E-liquid?

This is where things can start to get confusing for some people. See, many people who vape CBD refer to their e-liquid as “oil”, as it’s a common term for concentrates in the vaping community. However, CBD oil and CBD e-liquid are not the same thing at all.

Outside of the cannabinoids, terpenes, and other cannabis-derived phytochemicals, e-liquids and oils are made from entirely different ingredients. The former contains mainly water and propylene glycol/vegetable glycerine. While these organic compounds aren’t toxic, they aren’t advised in excessive doses either. In turn, as we’ll explain further on, attempting to use e-liquids and oils interchangeably (in most cases) will result in a negative impact on your health.

What Is THC Oil?

So, is THC oil much different than its CBD-loaded counterpart?

Well, they differ in terms of source material, as THC oil is extracted from standard cannabis plants (marijuana) rather than CBD-heavy strains or hemp. In turn, these oils will produce psychotropic effects, while CBD oils won’t. As a result, THC and CBD oils differ greatly in terms of where they can be sold—i.e. THC oils are restricted to parts of the world where maijuana is legal.

Other than that, however, they’re fairly identical, as their source plants are processed in the same manner, and the same sort of carrier oils are added. Really, you’d only be able to tell the difference between two unmarked bottles of CBD and THC oil by trying the contents.

Can CBD/THC Oil Be Vaped?

With all that in mind, we can better approach our main question: Can you vape CBD/THC oil? In short—no. But, there are some exceptions. As we briefly mentioned before, it depends on the type of carrier oil it’s made with.

If said carrier oil is heavy and plant-sourced, such as hemp seed or olive oil, attempts to vape CBD oil would not only be unsuccessful, but could harm your throat and lungs in the process. MCT oil, while not directly plant-sourced, is derived from palm kernel and coconut oils, causing the same sort of issues when vaped. The same goes for THC oil made with these carrier oils.

Overall, we cannot stress enough that CBD and THC concentrates made with olive oil, hemp seed oil, coconut oil, MCT oil, etc. are solely meant for oral and sublingual ingestion, and should not be vaped under any circumstances.

However, some carrier oils are pure and light enough to handle the vaping process. Namely, you’ll want to look for THC or CBD oil made with either BHO or CO₂ extract. These substances can handle high temperatures and will work in the average concentrate vape pen. The Storm vaporizer and the Mighty, for instance, are specially designed to work with cannabis concentrates.

MIGHTY

(60)

View

Speaking of temperature, we suggest setting your vaporizer between 200–220ºC (365–428ºF). This will ensure you enjoy the full range of cannabinoids and terpenes without burning any of them off.

Is There Another Option for Vaping CBD or THC?

So, besides what we’ve discussed above, are there any other options if you want to vape CBD or THC? Thankfully, there are!

You could try e-liquids, which we discussed above, and use a conventional vape pen or e-cigarette like you’d use for nicotine. If that’s not your speed, you could also get some wax, budder, or shatter to use in a dab rig or nectar collector (side note: using either apparatus counts as vaping). Those same waxes and budders can also fit neatly in a vape pen designed specifically with concentrates in mind.

Then, there are crystals to consider. Also known as isolate, you can source pure CBD and THC crystals that can be dabbed, vaped, or added to e-liquid with ease!

If you don’t want to deal with concentrates at all, you can always grind up some CBD or THC-heavy flower and vape it in a dry herb pen. There are also pens designed to vape both dry herbs and concentrates, which are worth keeping in mind if you want to try both.

Whichever way you want to go about it, there’s little besides the law and your budget stopping you from vaping CBD or THC.

DISCLAIMER: Concentrates that use heavy oils as a base, like olive oil, should never be vaporized. These are designed for oral ingestion and can be dangerous to inhale.

Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

With an AB Mass Media and Communications degree, Miguel Ordoñez is a veteran writer of 13 years and counting and has been covering cannabis-related content since 2017. Continuous, meticulous research along with personal experience has helped him build a deep well of knowledge on the subject.

Read full bio