If you’re a smoker, you’re probably well aware of all the nasty side effects and health issues associated with nicotine. Having nicotine in your body every day could lead to countless diseases, including heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. Luckily, there might be a way out of the addiction, and it’s with the help of CBD. So let’s take a look at how CBD and nicotine interact, and why you should consider dropping the bad nicotine habit.
What Is CBD?
Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a type of cannabinoid found in the Cannabis Sativa plant. It has been used for many years to treat various medical conditions. Unlike nicotine, CBD is non-addictive and has a ton of health benefits. Also, cannabidiol is not psychoactive, which means that it can’t get us high, no matter how much we take.
Benefits of Taking CBD
People all over the world take CBD for numerous conditions and ailments, some of which include:
- PTSD
- Anxiety and depression
- Chronic pain
- Epilepsy
- Crohn’s disease
- ADHD
- Migraines and many others
Since CBD is so safe and won’t cause a high, many people also use it on their pets. It can help alleviate pain for animals who are going through cancer treatment, anxiety, and much more.
Why You Should Replace Nicotine With CBD
Well, for one, CBD has a long list of health benefits that could improve our lives tremendously. That being said, there are literally no upsides to having nicotine in our bodies.
But more importantly, CBD has little to no side effects. If we took too much, we would feel fatigued or nauseated for a few hours, but then the effects would wear off.
On the other hand, nicotine poisoning is a real and scary side effect. Way back in the day, it would be almost impossible to poison ourselves by just smoking a pack or two of cigarettes a day. However, with vape pens and liquid nicotine, accidental poisoning is not that difficult.
Some of the most common symptoms of nicotine poisoning include:
- Headaches
- Vomiting and nausea
- Fatigue
- Arrhythmia
- Increased blood pressure
- Dizziness
- Anxiety
Another huge difference between CBD and nicotine is that the former is non-addictive. If we were to switch to CBD, we wouldn’t feel the need to take it every hour, on the hour. We would take it on occasion when we wanted to feel better or relieve pain.
The Risks of Taking CBD and Nicotine Together
In theory, we could take CBD and nicotine together, but whether or not that’s a good idea is a totally different matter. Those who are addicted to nicotine usually first consider e-liquids, which almost always have nicotine in them. That way, they could slowly transition from nicotine to CBD, without feeling the effects of withdrawal.
However, there are countless e-liquids on the market that contain some questionable substances. They include propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which are synthetic food additives. Also, e-liquids can have certain byproducts and untested flavor additives, which are potentially dangerous.
What’s more, another problem with using CBD and nicotine together is that there are no long-term studies that show the dangers (or benefits). Luckily, all these possibly harmful chemicals and additives can be avoided by just sticking to CBD oil and other CBD products.
Using CBD to Stop Smoking
Let us say this right away — currently, there aren’t enough studies that show that CBD could be a good replacement for nicotine. But if we were to break down the reasons people smoke, we could realize why CBD is a good alternative.
Most people say that they smoke or take nicotine in an effort to combat stress and deal with difficult emotions. But that relief wears off pretty quickly, and it’s just substituted by a craving for more nicotine.
On the other hand, the main reason people take CBD is to treat anxiety and depression. So in theory, replacing nicotine with CBD would be a much smarter, and healthier choice.
Related article: How Old Do You Have to Be to Buy CBD?
Final Thoughts
CBD and nicotine have historically had a complex relationship, and we’re just now starting to learn more about it. But one thing’s for certain, those who are battling a nicotine addiction could really benefit a lot from taking CBD. So if you feel like trying CBD for your health, we definitely recommend going for it. At the end of the day, there are a ton of benefits and almost no downsides.