Steamed About Vaping

Steamed about vaping…. Do you see what I did there? Well if you’ve done some research you have. If you are like a good majority of the folks out there, you aren’t familiar enough about vaping to get the pun. That is ok. Hopefully by the end of this post you will be more informed and you can then make a proper decision that works best for you.

First of all lets talk about WHY people VAPE. There are many reasons. Some think its cool. Some find it quite a bit more affordable than cigarettes. Some enjoy the flavor options. Others vape for the medical benefits and then there are others that are trying to either quit smoking cigarettes or want to reduce the amount of toxins they are receiving from lighting a piece of paper full of tobacco and various unidentified chemicals known to cause all sorts of medical issues. Then there are still those who out of respect for their loved ones, want to avoid forcing them to smell the horrendous odor of cigarette smoke.

For me, I vape for the medical benefit. I have both Lyme disease which took almost 2 years to diagnose and therefor provided me with a host of issues… and I also have to manage stage 4 Endometriosis which for me causes unpredictable and often unbearable pain. Add to that I have also been diagnosed with anxiety and PTSD, thank you past trauma. For me, while eligible to benefit from medical marijuana (which is legal in my state) I choose not to risk having a THC laiden mind altering substance manage my health issues and instead go with a more homeopathic over the counter medicinal route. Since the high dose combination and long term use of ibuprofen and Tylenol  put me at risk for liver issues and the doc prescribed pain meds caused constipation (which just made the Endometriosis worse) and the anti-anxiety meds practically make me a zombie I take CBD oil derived from the hemp plant instead. There are several ways I can get the beneficial CBD into my system but the fastest and most effective method is VAPING. It’s practically instantaneous.

Wait…. isn’t hemp and marijuana pretty much the same thing?
Nope. The only thing they really have in common is the fact that they are both plants and both contain CBD. CBD is the healing element of both plants. TCH (which hemp has less than 0.3%) is the part of the cannabis plant that gets you high. Hemp is tall and thin… it can grow several feet over a mans head. Marijuana on the other hand is short and wide and contains high amounts of THC. They are both classified in the Canabis family. Just like there are different varieties of meat, you don’t say chicken is the same as beef. Canada defines hemp as products of Cannabis Sativa which contain less than 0.3 percent THC, whereas US law defines hemp as all parts of any Cannabis Sativa plant containing no psychoactive properties. Hemp is a high-growing plant, typically bred for industrial uses such as oils and topical ointments, as well as fiber for clothing, construction, and much more. Only products made from industrial hemp (less than 0.3% THC) are legal to sell, buy, consume, and ship.

Studies have shown consumption of raw hemp seeds can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol, accelerate weight loss, improve one’s immune system, control blood sugar levels, and even reduce inflammation. This makes hemp seeds extremely nutritious. They contain a bundle of essential amino acids and fatty-acids.

Hemp plants produce more CBD than THC, while marijuana produces more THC than CBD.  With all that being said, just to add to the confusion, there are strains of Canabid oil made from marijuana specifically designed to have low THC and high CBD.

Back to Vaping… 
How is vaping different from smoking a cigarette or using an electronic cigarette?
Vaping, unlike smoking, involves the inhalation of vaporized liquid consisting of some or all of the following: water, nicotine, a base of propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG) and flavoring and in my case, CBD oil. You can make your own E-liquid for vaping if you wish. This is often a more cost effective method for many people but also, more beneficial because you can be certain of what is in your juice. There are tons of recipes online.

E-cigs/Electronic cigarettes:
These are the all in one units that you do not need to add a liquid to and most likely have no clue what is in them and what is being inhaled. I strongly recommend you stay away from these. Products like TruBlu are considered E-Cigs.

Vaping requires you to add a liquid to your device, there is a coil that heats up your juice/e-liquid and when you inhale, it is the steam or vapor that you are breathing in and then exhaling. When you smoke traditional cigarettes, you are setting on fire paper, toxic chemicals and the tobacco. So you are actually inhaling smoke into your lungs… Your lungs do not like to be dry or attacked by toxic chemicals.

Here is an informative article to help better understand vaping
http://gizmodo.com/5-facts-that-everyone-gets-wrong-about-vaping-1659938937

Another informative article about the savings that vaping can provide
http://time.com/money/4005030/vaping-healthier-cigarettes-expensive/ 

There is a lot to learn about vaping and if it’s something you are interested in starting up for medical reasons or to help you kick the stinky smoking habit there are TONS of articles on the web to help you choose the right device for you.

Oh, I forgot to mention… my favorite benefit of vaping… NO STINKY SMOKE/CIGARETTE SMELL… My husband is a smoker and he now vapes as an alternative because I am allergic to something in cigarettes and just being able to smell him walking in the door would set me off. Now, he can vape in bed next to me and it doesn’t bother me at all. I actually enjoy the smell now.

If you are looking to get started vaping here are a few suggestions:
http://www.tasteyourjuice.com/wordpress/new-to-vaping
http://guidetovaping.com/vaping-guide/
As for which Vape to choose… well the right choice varies by person but in my opinion,
The KangerTechs and ELeafs are pretty safe bets! Spend some time on Youtube and watch some reviews.