CBD cigarettes are an increasingly popular commodity in the cannabis sector. Many CBD users find them to be a delicious and effective way to indulge in cannabidiol. Both online and brick-and-mortar retailers now stock these products, as interest in them continues to build.
For those unacquainted with this relatively new item, there are a lot of questions about the use of CBD cigarettes. Luckily, as these types of cigarettes are becoming more common, so is the information about them.
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CBD: A quick recap
To start, let’s first define CBD. Short for cannabidiol, CBD is one of the most common cannabinoids found in the Cannabis Sativa plant, besides THC (or tetrahydrocannabinol).
While CBD is not considered a psychotropic (unlike THC, it doesn’t cause any psychoactive or intoxicating effects on the brain), it does have some other effects. CBD is often associated with feelings of relaxation and calmness. Moreover, of late, researchers have also started to find some evidence that it may be potentially useful in treating different kinds of health problems.
CBD cigarettes: what are they?
When people try to visualise CBD cigarettes, they often imagine a typical joint rolled up with intoxicating THC-infused marijuana. This is far from reality. CBD cigarettes are created to look and smoke like traditional tobacco cigarettes but without the negative side effects associated with smoking tobacco.
They are made with specially grown hemp that has a negligible amount of THC content (which doesn’t cause any psychoactive effects) but which is high in cannabidiol. In fact, a CBD cigarette is simply just a CBD rich hemp flower put into rolling paper and shaped in the form of a joint.
By smoking a CBD cigarette, the user can get enjoy the benefits of CBD without the intoxicating effects of THC or negative side effects of a tobacco cigarette. A CBD cigarette can cause relaxation but never a ‘high’.
Now that you understand the basics of what a CBD cigarette is, let’s explore 8 important things to know before you use CBD cigarettes.
1. CBD cigarettes: why don’t they get you high?
As discussed above, smoking a CBD cigarette will not get you high. The high feeling, associated with consuming standard cannabis, comes from the THC binding to endocannabinoid receptors in your brain. THC imitates the brain’s natural cannabinoid receptors and fits perfectly into the receptors your brain has for those neurotransmitters.
This creates several effects, including anxiety, euphoria, hallucinations, paranoia, short attention span and short-term memory loss. The effects vary, depending upon the individual and the strain of cannabis they have consumed.
A CBD cigarette has no THC. It only contains cannabidiol, which is the non-psychoactive compound in cannabis.
To achieve this, the cannabis plant is grown from wild hemp strains that initially start with a lower amount of CBD. They then have THC further bred out of them through generations. The end result is a flower that is smokable without a high sensation.
Since a CBD cigarette is devoid of THC, when you smoke it, there is nothing to bind to the brain’s cannabinoid receptors. This is the reason you don’t experience the feeling of being high.
2. Are CBD Cigarettes legal in the UK (and the rest of the world)?
A lot of people are interested in purchasing and using CBD cigarettes but hesitate to do so as they are unsure about their legality in the UK. Let’s take a brief look at their exact legal status.
CBD is not classified as a controlled substance in the UK and is legal to possess and sell. It is legal, as long as it has been extracted from an industrial hemp strain that is EU approved, or which comes from outside the EU.
It can also be imported into the UK but there are some conditions regarding that. The products must be clearly labelled. They must also have third-party lab reports that prove that they do not contain illegal levels of any controlled substances.
CBD is legal in the UK if the finished products have a THC content below 1 mg, with THC being classified as a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. The hemp strain should contain less than 0.2% THC, but this applies to farming hemp. In the case of the finished product (CBD cigarettes in this case), the stipulation is that a pack should contain less than 1 mg of THC.
Legal status of cannabidiol internationally
Internationally, the legal state of CBD hemp flower varies from country to country. It is therefore important to check the laws in your country/state to ensure that you are not penalised.
3. Smoking CBD: is it bad for you?
While several people are interested in CBD cigarettes due to the purported health benefits of CBD, many are curious about any potential side effects as well. This leads several people to wonder if smoking CBD cigarettes is as harmful as marijuana joints or tobacco cigarettes.
Smoking is innately harmful
The reality is that the act of smoking, irrespective of the substance, can have negative consequences for your lungs. This is especially so if it not done in moderation. It is wise to consult with your family physician before you begin using any kind of CBD or hemp product.
A CBD hemp cigarette’s smoke is quite similar to that of your regular THC containing cannabis. Therefore, any negative side effects of smoking cannabidiol, in general, will be the same. With chronic use, smoking cannabis has the potential to harm the lungs by damaging the cell lining.
But is smoking CBD as harmful as tobacco?
Some research suggests that cannabis smoke is less harmful than tobacco smoke. Despite cannabis smoke potentially causing cellular damage, a study titled, ‘Cannabis and tobacco smoke are not equally carcinogenic ‘, found no link with colorectal or lung cancer. Not only did this study conclude that cannabis smoke was not linked to lung cancer (as opposed to tobacco smoke), but it actually demonstrated that components of cannabis were in fact protective against certain forms of cancer.
4. Do CBD cigarettes have any health benefits?
Take a quick glance at any popular internet forums and you will find people raving about the various health benefits of smoking CBD cigarettes. According to anecdotal evidence by users, smoking CBD cigarettes confers a variety of psychological and physiological benefits. These include appetite enhancement, stress relief, mood enhancement as well as better sleep and insomnia relief among others.
Current research
Ever since CBD was legalised in the UK in 2018 and across many other countries worldwide, the research on its potential health benefits has accelerated. Till now there have been some studies that suggest that consuming cannabidiol could help with:
- Inflammatory pain
- Arthritis pain
- Muscle spasticity in multiple sclerosis
- Nausea and vomiting
- Nerve related pain
- Anxiety
- Sleeping disorders
5. Are CBD cigarettes difficult to purchase?
Luckily, CBD cigarettes are not difficult to purchase. They are becoming increasingly easier to find, with many online retailers as well as brick- and- mortar retail shops stocking them as well.
However, as they are still a relatively new product, their availability may be less than your standard CBD products such as tinctures or CBD edibles. It is always best to do a quick online search and check out your local shops for their availability.
6. Will smoking CBD cigarettes cause me to fail a drug test?
Several people would like to try CBD cigarettes but worry about their company’s drug policies and how consuming cannabidiol might impact their work. It is important to state that CBD does not show up in any standardised drug testing.
However, you should ensure that your cigarettes are created from hemp flowers that contain less than 0.2% THC. The final product, i.e., the pack of CBD cigarettes, should contain a THC content of less than 1 mg. If you are careful to purchase your CBD cigarettes from a reliable source, you have nothing to worry about.
7. Is smoking CBD Cigarettes useful for chronic pain relief?
Current research suggests that a claim of CBD users, that cannabidiol products help provide relief from chronic pain, is well-founded.
According to a recent study published in 2018, nearly 62% of people use CBD products to treat a medical condition. The majority of these people were using CBD to treat chronic pain conditions. Another recent study indicates that CBD products may be useful in the treatment of intractable cancer pain and ailments such as multiple sclerosis.
In short, the best CBD cigarettes, like any other CBD product can be somewhat useful in alleviating symptoms of chronic pain. However, for this particular condition, products with more concentrated amounts of cannabidiol might prove to be more appropriate and effective.
It is also important to remember that individual needs vary from person to person, and you should always consult your doctor before trying out new treatments.
8. Can smoking CBD cigarettes help me quit tobacco smoking?
This is a popular question many tobacco smokers usually have. Several consider switching to CBD cigarettes in a bid to kick their nicotine habits.
There is strong preliminary research that indicates that smokers could benefit from trying CBD cigarettes.
Smokers sometimes find that attaching the term ‘cigarette’ to something they inhale actually satisfies the psychological dependence linked with smoking tobacco. This might be the reason why the term ‘CBD cigarette’ is currently trending, even though CBD cigarettes inherently don’t contain any tobacco.
The best CBD cigarettes in the market are designed to resemble regular tobacco cigarettes as closely as possible. This has several benefits. Firstly, they smoke great.
Secondly, they can help tobacco smokers quit. Several studies have highlighted that the cessation of smoking is much easier and achievable when the cigarette is replaced by something else. This is known as using a nicotine replacement and it has been proven to double cessation rates.
If you do switch to smoking CBD cigarettes from regular tobacco cigarettes, then you can double your chances of quitting for good. You would also then be able to gain all the potential health benefits that CBD has to offer.
Conclusion
According to some scientific research as well as anecdotal evidence from CBD users, smoking CBD cigarettes can have potential health benefits. It could also help you in your endeavour to quit regular tobacco smoking. While there are many ways to take CBD, there is no one best method. It is important to try several different methods before deciding what works best for you.
Before trying CBD cigarettes, it is also important to talk to your doctor, especially if you’re on any medication. CBD may negatively interact with prescription medications such as antidepressants, blood thinners, antibiotics and more.
