What’s in Vape Juice? – CBD and Other Ingredients

Cannabis is not something that must be smoked to gain any sort of benefit from it. As we have mentioned in various different articles it can be eaten within different foods or drinks, vaporized, applied to the skin via a cream or oil and also ingested via an oil. Everyone knows that smoking can lead to various conditions such as cancers, heart disease, respiratory difficulties and other horrible diseases. Therefore it makes sense that when trying to take medical cannabis, smoking it should not be considered.

Vaporizing your cannabis is a better way of doing it but there are still some health risks associated with regular vaping – you are still inhaling vaporized chemicals, after all. All this medical doom and gloom has influenced a lot of people away from smoking or vaporizing cannabis and towards things like smoothies. You can consider it your five a day with some potential added cannabis benefits.

Cannabis Juice – Why Juice?

Juicing cannabis sounds like it is almost too good to be true. A cannabis treatment that combines the health and medical benefits of a nice juice drink or smoothie with the medicinal properties of cannabis but without the worry of getting high.

Cannabis is a drug that has a number of reported therapeutic applications such as using it to help you sleep better, but some people do not like the high, do not want to get high all the time, or cannot work and take THC-heavy cannabis. THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol) is the part of cannabis that gets people high and while that may be what some people want, most of the time, regular use is not compatible with working life or responsibilities. Although some states in the us allow the use of medical cannabis some employers still require drug testing.

People have been eating cannabis for a long time, even the ancient Sanskrit speakers of India prepared cannabis in their food. As far as evidence suggests it is a relatively safe and controlled way of ingesting cannabis, providing slower release of its effects and a less immediate high. However, traditional methods of cannabis preparation are designed for maximizing the psychoactive properties of cannabis-infused foods, so for people who may want cannabinoids but do not want to get high, there weren’t many options available. Although studies are providing evidence that cannabis may hold weight loss properties which could lead to further development of cannabis based smoothies that more people can try.

Cannabis Extracts and Cannabis Without the High

Since the 60’s, cannabis has been explored quite extensively. Currently, there are 113 phytocannabinoids known to be produced by the cannabis plant, only one of which is significantly psychoactive (THC). CBD (Cannabidiol) is considered to have the most potential for it’s inclusion within smoothies due to its following recorded benefits.

• Anti-inflammatory
• Anti-emetic (Could help with Nausea/Vomiting)
• Immune system
• Analgesic (Pain Relief)

Cannabidiol, the second most abundant cannabinoid in cannabis, is relatively well known, however further study is needed to determine how effective it can be for various ailments and when considering using it people should always consult with a doctor or registered medical professional before doing so.

How Does Cannabis Juice Avoid Getting You High?

In fresh cannabis, there is a high concentration of THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), a non-psychoactive precursor to THC. When you dry cannabis out, a decarboxylation reaction happens, where the tetrahydrocannabinolic acid forms THC. Decarboxylation can take some time if you leave it to dry, or you can dry it out in an oven or whatever heat source you find works and is safe to do so. However, most of the other cannabinoids that have been shown to have beneficial effects do not require heat treatment.

It looks like CBD might even be more effective if it is not heat treated but added to a juice. Dr William Courtney has been a strong advocate of cannabis juice for a long time. When talking about his work with treating his patients with cannabis juice it seems encouraging. He sees that many of his patients do not want the high but definitely want the benefits of cannabinoids, as well as preferring their positive safety profile for many chronic conditions.

Can You Juice Cannabis?

According to Dr Courtney, 1 part juiced cannabis leaves to 10 parts carrot juice or other vegetable juice is ideal. Fresh cannabis does not taste amazing, so the vegetable juice helps mask the flavor. Smoothies and juices are not just for hipsters, they are a genuinely helpful and delicious way of getting your fibre, vitamins, and minerals in a tasty way. You can find many different guides for making fruit smoothies and healthy juices, but in general if you blend tasty fresh leafy greens and fruit together, maybe with a bit of non-dairy milk substitute and some ice, you can get something that is not only enjoyable to eat but convenient and very good for you too. Could cannabis make the smoothies and juices even more popular?

The evidence behind cannabis juice is largely scientifically untested. Nobody has studied using cannabis juice on a large scale for medicinal benefits, but there is enough data from other studies to show that it could possibly be successful. The future of this may be better targeted towards recreational use like many “health drinks” which are said to be good for you. Potentially good for your lifestyle but not necessarily a cure for any ailment.

As mentioned before if you are considering the use of cannabidiol from cannabis or even hemp (the more legal option) please make sure you consult with your doctor before doing so as its effects have not been fully tested in all circumstances.