Vaping and smoking a cigarette aren’t much different. Vape machines or electronic cigarettes are devices that heat a liquid inside the body by a coil that produces smoke. The heating of the coil serves the same purpose as lighting a cigarette or lighting the coal in a hookah. These devices vary in shape and size. But mostly, they are made to fit in the pocket of a trouser. The tobacco inside a cigarette contains nicotine, while the liquid in an e-cigarette contains nicotine. Thus, vaping is equally dangerous as cigarettes, if not more. The fluids come in various flavors and variants, among which Delta-8 vaping is a new concept. Delta-8 vape Pen is available in online and offline marketplaces across the globe.
A General Overview Of Delta-8 Vaping
Delta-8-THC, more commonly known as Delta-8, is a psychoactive cannabinoid found in the Cannabis sativa plant. It is a hemp-driven extract from the narrow leaves of the Hemp plant. Delta-8 is typically used to improve anxiety, depression, and sleeping disorders and relax the mind. But other than these, people believe there are more health benefits in using Delta-8. There are ongoing studies to prove its efficacy.
An estimated 55 Million e-cigarette users are present worldwide as of 2021. Projections show that vaping sales will reach $40 Billion by 2023, and the three largest markets are the USA, the UK, and Japan. With this amount of growth in the industry, the Delta-8 sector had to dive into it.
Delta-8 vaping is known to manage pain very well and relax the mind. Due to their low level of intoxication, Delta-8 vape pens are gaining popularity. One can find them in various flavors.
How Can Vaping Delta-8 Relieve Pain?
The use of Delta-8-THC became profound in late 2020 in the USA. It became a significant source of revenue for the companies that process Hemp. The number of clinical trials and shreds of evidence shows that the extract is scarce, but people globally and mostly in the US believe that Delta-8 can help with pain management. The “extract” causes mild intoxication that relaxes the mind and provides a euphoric feeling. Let’s learn how Delta-8 can help manage pain.
- Origin And Types Of Pain
When a damaging stimulus produces a feeling of distress, pain is said to originate. In medical terms, pain is of four types – Nociceptive, Neuropathic, Nociplastic, and psychogenic.
The cause of nociceptive pain results from sensory nerve fibers responding to a stimulus. It is the most common type of pain because it includes thermal, mechanical, and chemical pain. Sprains and burns also fall under this category.
When a part of the nervous system is subject to damage or disease, neuropathic pain occurs. Neuropathic pain may be peripheral, central, or mixed. Some examples of neuropathic pain include – postherpetic neuralgia and diabetic neuropathy.
Stimulating pain due to mental and emotional factors is known as psychogenic pain. Psychogenic pain has both short-term and long-term effects. For example, headache and back pain are the short-term ones, while depression, anxiety, and insomnia are the ones that occur in the long run.
- Delta-8 And The Endocannabinoid System
The endocannabinoid system is a complex cell-signaling system known as the ECS. There is a lack of clarity in understanding exactly how the ECS functions, but studies have shown that it has a range of tasks in sleep, mood, memory, and reproduction. The system has three components, namely endocannabinoids, receptors, and enzymes.
Similar to cannabinoids found in the Cannabis Sativa plant, the production of endocannabinoids takes place in the human body. They help in keeping the internal functions running smoothly. To date, researchers have discovered two endocannabinoids – anandamide and 2-arachidonoylglycerol
Receptors are required to bind endocannabinoids. CB1 and CB2 receptors are the primary receptors where CB1 is found mainly in the central nervous system, and the CB2 ones are in the peripheral nervous system. Ingestion of Delta-8 through a Delta-8 vape pen stimulates the CB1 receptor. Enzymes are required to break down the endocannabinoids after they do their functions. The two enzymes in the ECS are Fatty acid amide hydrolase and monoacylglycerol acid lipase.
Ingestion of Delta-8 using a Delta-8 vape pen interacts with the ECS by binding to the receptor and allows the EC to have a pool of effects on the body and mind. ECS functions include better appetite and digestion, better metabolism, chronic pain management, help with inflammation, mood changes, sleep, stress management, formation of muscle, etc. The pain-relieving and mind relaxing features of Delta-8-THC may generate due to the said process.
- Risks Associated With Delta-8
Although many people know that Delta-8 may help with chronic pain and inflammation, many clinical trials are scarce. In addition, multiple side effects relate to the Delta-8 vaping. Some of these are reddening of eyes, drying the mouth, increased heart rate, slowed reaction times, increased anxiety, and a tendency toward short-term memory loss. Other risks involved are addiction and overdose. Although Delta-8 is less intoxicating, the extract is cannabis-driven, and overuse of any cannabis-driven “extract” may lead to severe addiction and abuse. Before vaping it using a vape pen, always check whether the extract suits oneself or not.
Is It Legal?
With the legalization of hemp cultivation through the 2018 Farm Bill, Delta-8-Thc is legal at a Federal level in the USA. However, the FDA says that the products made using this extract have not been evaluated or approved. Thus, buying and using any Delta-8 product is a risk to the consumer. Additionally, there are many states where the extract’s “products” aren’t legal. So, the consumer must check the state laws before transacting through any online or offline marketplace for buying these products.
