‘IT’S NOT SAFE – VAPING IS TROUBLE FOR YOUR LUNGS’

DR CRAIG WRIGHT, HOMEOPATH AND PHYTOTHERAPIST

Whenever you inhale anything into your lungs you’re asking for trouble, Cape Town-based Dr Wright says.

It’s not a question of whether

CBD itself is harmful or not. It’s the liquid used in a vape that’s the danger.

The CDC has said that vitamin E acetate – synthetic vitamin E in the form of an oily chemical often used as a thickening agent in CBD vaping products – was found in lung fluid samples of 60 patients who died because of vaping.

“When you’re vaping CBD, it’s contained in a liquid which is vaporised and inhaled into your lungs – that liquid can damage the lining of your lungs,” Dr Wright says.

“Vaping is just looking for trouble for the health of your lungs.”

Yes, there are health benefits to CBD, he adds, but he suspects CBD vapers are experiencing a placebo effect because they’re not actually getting a proper dose.

“If you look at the research, you need 100-plus mgs of CBD to have a real solid effect on treating things like anxiety and insomnia. Vaping is certainly not an easy way to get that amount into your body.”

The only circumstance in which someone should vape, he says, is if a patient is unable to swallow CBD in capsule or oil form.

While there is only a small amount of evidence of potential harm, people who are going to vape CBD should only do so for a short period of time because of the risk of long-term lung damage, he cautions.

“The evidence is only starting to come through, but we’re probably going to start seeing the effects of this in about five years or so because of the increase in vaping.”