What Is a CBD Inhaler? How-to-Use Guide

No, we aren’t talking about vapes here — CBD inhalers are a different technology entirely. Since both product types utilize the pulmonary route, we’ll certainly touch on vapes as we go, but CBD inhalers are the subject of this piece: what they are, what they do, if they’re safe, and how to use them.

Are there CBD inhalers?

Yes, believe it or not, CBD inhalers may be available in certain areas where medical cannabis is sold. We aren’t aware of any CBD inhalers sold on the internet at present, but the prevalence of interest in inhaled cannabinoids within the medical science community leads us to suspect these devices may, in fact, exist even if they aren’t widely distributed.

CBD inhalers vs. CBD vapes

Before we get into what CBD inhalers do, there’s a very important distinction we must first make: CBD inhalers are not CBD vapes. Anyone saying differently is confused — plain and simple.

CBD inhalers are just like the asthma inhalers you may have used or seen used as a child. You put them in your mouth, depress the administrator mechanism on the top, and inhale the cloud of aerosolized liquid that enters your mouth.

Vapes, on the other hand, heat hemp extract until it becomes a vapor. This administration method is inherently different from aerosol inhalation, and each may be more useful depending on the situation.

CBD inhalers vs. oral sprays

There’s another product category we need to compare and contrast here — CBD oral sprays. Usually designed to be sprayed under the tongue, these hemp products resemble breath spray and deliver cannabinoids directly to your sublingual artery, not your lungs. Don’t try to inhale an oral CBD spray — lipoid pneumonia is no joke.

What is a CBD inhaler good for?

We don’t know enough about CBD to be certain how, exactly, CBD inhalers might be useful for medical conditions. All we know for certain is that people with asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory conditions sometimes use CBD inhalers or similar devices in the hopes of finding relief.

Recently, people around the world have become desperate to find any natural substances that help with COVID. We aren’t aware, though, of any research linking the use of CBD inhalers with either the prevention or treatment of COVID-19.

Is CBD oil good for respiratory infections?

Definitely not if you vape it — vaping CBD tinctures, commonly referred to as “CBD oil” could lead to a very dangerous form of pneumonia, which is exactly the type of thing you aren’t looking for when combatting a respiratory infection.

Some preliminary research has been done into the potential usefulness of CBD for COVID and other forms of respiratory infections, but the evidence is still too limited to draw any firm conclusions. What appears certain, though, is that CBD poses very little potential to harm as long as it’s used the right way.

Are CBD inhalers safe?

As far as we are aware, CBD inhalers are still very rare and only available with a doctor's recommendation. Therefore, we aren’t able to make any comment regarding the potential safety or danger of using CBD inhaler devices.

The general safety of CBD, though, is relatively well-established at this point. It’s certainly possible to use this cannabinoid the wrong way, but CBD has proven to be remarkably non-toxic in clinical trial after clinical trial.

How do you inhale a CBD vape?

Whether it’s in the form of an aerosol mist or a vaporized oil, vapor is vapor, and it enters your body in the same way. Take the end that dispenses vapor, put it in your mouth, and activate the mechanism that causes the device to emit vapor. The only thing left to do then is inhale.

It may be necessary to use special methods to activate CBD inhalers, but everything we’ve seen indicates that these devices operate just like inhalers you may have used for asthma. There isn’t any heat involved, so all you need to do is depress the button on the top of the inhaler, and breathe in the cloud of mist that enters your mouth.

One thing we can say almost for certain is that your CBD inhaler will probably taste a lot better than an asthma inhaler. As a natural substance, CBD tastes relatively benign even in its most purified forms.

Is it better to vape CBD or take it orally?

That depends on what you’re using CBD for. Let’s quickly compare and contrast the benefits and detractors of the oral and inhaled route when it comes to CBD:

Taking CBD orally:

• Often one of the simplest and most convenient options
• Edibles, tinctures, capsules, etc.
• Activates in around 30 minutes
• Lasts 2-3 hours
• Mild effects

Vaping CBD:

• Allows you to experience the full flavors and effects of hemp
• Activates instantly, delivering potent effects
• Lasts around 1 hour
• Terpenes change the entire game

Most experienced CBD users end up turning to both vapes and oral CBD products for different purposes. There are some things that vaping CBD just can’t do, but eating CBD products all the time can become a pain while also not delivering the most potent effects.

CBD inhalers — summing it up

The world of CBD is evolving all the time, and it’s moving more and more toward the medical side of things. While THC might end up being viewed as more of a recreational than therapeutic drug, CBD is strong medicine — plain and simple.

Given this climate, it’s no surprise that interest in CBD inhalers is rising. This cannabinoid has been widely researched for its anti-inflammatory potential, and there’s also speculation that CBD may one day be accepted as a mainline anti-anxiety drug.

Anxiety and panic attacks are acute conditions that can be appropriately treated with fast-acting delivery mechanisms like vapes and inhalers. CBD’s anti-inflammatory potential may end up relevant to immunological research, and inhalers could one day be used to disperse therapeutics for respiratory infections.

Perhaps most intriguing is interest in CBD inhalers for epilepsy. Forms of epilepsy vary considerably, but episodes are usually characterized by the unexpected onset of convulsive symptoms. If a CBD inhaler could be administered during the critical window of symptom onset, great therapeutic potential could be achieved.

We’ll need to put these questions on hold. They might exist, but we aren’t aware of any CBD inhalers currently available on the consumer market right now, and the technology is still considered to be experimental. Expect big things over the next few years, though.