CBD stands for cannabidiol and THC for tetrahydrocannabinol. Both are cannabinoids derived from hemp and cannabis plants. The main difference between CBD and THC is that CBD does not produce a high. As a result, CBD is legal in most countries, whereas THC is less so. Surprisingly, CBD has the potential to limit the psychotropic effects of THC by reducing its ability to bind to CB1 cannabinoid receptors.

Non-psychoactive CBD: does not give a high. No known side effects. Helps to avoid the psychoactive effects of THC. Legal in most countries.THC Psychoactive: gives a high. Has side effects such as paranoia or anxiety. Effects consistent with psychosis. Illegal in most countries.

Terpenes are aromatic molecules responsible for plant odours: Lavender, mint, eucalyptus and even cannabis owe their intense fragrance to a high concentration of terpenes.

Whether it's to repel predators or attract pollinating insects, plants have developed these aromatic molecules to play a wide range of roles.
Cannabis has different fragrances, depending on the combination of terpenes that make up its aromatic profile: sometimes lemony (dominated by Limonene), sometimes floral (Linalool)...

Terpenes also play a role in the effects produced by marijuana, modulating the effects of the different cannabinoids: Linalool is renowned for its relaxing effect, while limonene is more of a stimulant.

Older models also used a cotton wick to transport the e-liquid from the tank to the heating element. They were generally filled with a mixture of Propylene Glycol (PG) and Vegetable Glycerine (VG).

A wide variety of artificial flavours were added, and often nicotine too. In these early models, CBD isolate was added to a neutral base of PG and VG. Propylene glycol acts as a solvent and vegetable glycerine produces a cloud of vapour when heated. The reason why a solvent like PG was needed was that the liquid had to be transported from the tank to the heating chamber using a cotton wick. The only way to use such a device for CBD propagation was to use a solvent such as Propylene Glycol, and to mix isolated CBD crystals.

However, as vape technology continued to improve, new devices emerged that didn't need a Propylene Glycol base or other chemicals to vaporise CBD. This new generation of vape pens uses a ceramic chamber that doesn't use a wick to transport the liquid, but instead uses gravity to move the extract from the reservoir to the heating element. This type of device makes it possible to obtain full-spectrum extracts, without the use of chemical solvents such as Propylene Glycol. For this application, the unit must have a pre-heating function, so that the extract can be heated to be sufficiently liquid to be pulled by gravity over the ceramic resistor.

One method of consuming CBD that gained in popularity very quickly was vape.

Vaper is short for vapoter, and sometimes the word is used to specifically describe the use of an electronic cigarette (or biros). This is a small portable device consisting of a battery, a reservoir and a chamber with a heating element.

We first became interested in this technology when it was discovered that CBD isolate could be mixed with E-Liquid (normally a blend of 70% PG and 30% VG) and vaporised. This seemed to help a number of people kick the cigarette habit.