CBD is becoming increasingly popular all around the world because of its proven medicinal and therapeutic benefits. From treating chronic pain and preventing seizures, to helping fight cancer and treating anxiety, CBD oil is making a name for itself as a true natural alternative to many pharmaceuticals- and is regarded by some to be a “miracle cure-all”.

What many people don’t realize, however, is that there are several forms of CBD and different methods on how it can be consumed. With the cannabis industry still being relatively new, there’s a lot of confusion out there, especially when it comes to the differences between CBD oil, CBD vape liquid, and tinctures. Let’s clear up this confusion and discuss the benefits of each.

Liquid CBD for Vaping

Liquid CBD is also referred to as CBD vape juice, CBD vape liquid, or vape-ready CBD, which typically comes in either a cartridge or a small bottle. This type of CBD is specially made to be vaporized and inhaled, usually with a device called a vape pen, which is similar to an e-cigarette. You can find vapable CBD in ready to go cartridges where the liquid CBD cartridge is screwed onto the vape pen, making it ready to be smoked. There are also bottles of vapable CBD liquid that are meant to refill vape tanks.

CBD vape liquid manufacturers will sometimes use the term “CBD oil”.

When vaping CBD you can feel its effects almost instantly. Effects generally last for anywhere between 1-3 hours, depending on your body’s metabolic rate.

Can You Vape CBD Oil?

Liquid CBD (CBD vape liquid, CBD vape juice, etc.) is specifically made for vaping, whereas most forms of CBD oil are not. This is because CBD “oil” is a catch-all term that refers to various forms of CBD. CBD “oil” can refer to tincture, or it can refer to CBD suspended in a carrier oil (which is then used as the base for several products). However, most businesses in the industry prefer to refer to CBD oil as an ingestible and reserve the term CBD vape juice/liquid/etc. for smokable CBD.

As it stands, the meaning of the word “CBD oil” is fairly loose in the industry. However- it should be noted that even though many forms of CBD are called “CBD oil”- not all of these have interchangeable methods on ingestion. The CBD oil in your tincture is not meant to be smoked, much like the CBD oil in your vape is not meant to be ingested or applied topically to your skin. Please make sure that you know what method of ingestion is right for the CBD “oil” that you have.  

What is a CBD Tincture?

The terms CBD tincture and CBD oil are mostly interchangeable as they both refer to CBD products which are supposed to be taken orally. As CBD oil is a term that used very loosely, even within the cannabis industry, a tincture is a more specific term used for the oral consumption of CBD.

Traditionally, a tincture is medicine in liquid form that has been dissolved in alcohol. CBD tinctures are taken by putting drops under the tongue and are not meant for vaping. This was originally the most popular method of taking cannabis-derived medicine to treat many health ailments.

Today, a CBD tincture is made by dissolving resin or whole flowers from cannabis plants in alcohol. This product usually contains a small amount of THC, as the cannabis flower has a high concentration of cannabinoids. Therefore, anyone who may be drug tested should use tinctures with caution. However, there are many CBD oils or CBD vape liquids which are THC-free, and are either (usually) made from an isolate or, in some instances, distillate. This is why it’s important to read labels carefully before buying or using any type of CBD product, especially if consuming THC, which has psychoactive effects, is a concern.

One advantage of using tinctures is that they are discrete and easy to use- it’s as simple as putting drops in your mouth. You can also place a few drops of the tincture in food or drinks and consume it that way. Tinctures also have a long shelf life when stored in a cool place with low light.

When using a CBD tincture, you’ll feel its effects quicker than ingesting CBD oil. Whereas tinctures provide relief in less than 30 minutes, other CBD products can take 45 minutes or longer to take effect.

Other Differences

It’s important to understand that all of these products - oils, tinctures, and vape liquids - are all made using some kind of oil as a carrier for the actual CBD. CBD in its pure, isolated form, which is extracted from the raw cannabis plant, is actually a solid which kind of looks like salt. But, for it to be consumed and absorbed into the body efficiently, it needs to be dissolved in a carrier oil that can be either burned (vaporized) and inhaled, or broken down by the body’s digestive system. This is where the real differences between CBD oil, tinctures and CBD vape liquid comes in.

The bottom line is this: do your research and read labels carefully before buying any type of CBD oil or liquid CBD, and it’s always best to buy from a brand that you can trust. (Pro tip: look for readily available lab reports when determining if a company is trustworthy or not. They should always be easily accessible and from an independent third party. Transparency is key!)