Anxiety affects millions of people around the world. In the U.S. alone, it's estimated that a little over 30% of people will suffer from anxiety at some point in their lives, with around 18% of the populace affected by it at any given time.
That makes anxiety the most common mental health issue by far, and one of the reasons why vapes for anxiety are so popular. In general, anti-anxiety vapes can be broken down into two categories — those that contain CBD, and those that don't.
See our discussion on CBD below for details on why, but the TL/DR version is that CBD is considered one of the more potent and effective compounds for alleviating anxiety. So a vape that contains nothing but CBD should induce the desired relaxation effect.
But it's not the only way to get the job done! Far from it. Other vapes use herbs and other natural ingredients to instill calm, and contain no CBD at all. Which route you choose is up to you.
Here are some of the best vapes dedicated to helping people find relief and relaxation.
At a glance:
Non-CBD Vapes for Anxiety
MELO Air & MELO Plus
MELO is a vape that's purpose-built to help tackle anxiety, thanks to the inclusion of relaxing melatonin in its formula. (Read why melatonin may help tame anxiety here, and our pros and cons of melatonin primer as well. And if you've never heard of this before, read why vaping melatonin is generally considered safe.)
One of the original melatonin diffusers, MELO is known not only for its relaxation effects and ability to help tame anxiety, but also for its mouthwatering flavors, like Cotton Candy, Cosmic Berry, Gummy Bear, Peach Cream, Midnight Mint and Lavender Dream.
MELO is available in two formats — Air and Plus. The only difference between the two is the number of inhales you get from each device. Each MELO Air should last for around 400 inhales, with each Plus offering double that amount, or 800. In terms of how long a disposable vape should last, this is about average.
MELO Air's short list of all-natural ingredients is one of the reasons why it's first on our list of best melatonin vapes for 2024. The list includes only vegetable glycerin, deionized water, organic fruit flavor extracts and, of course, melatonin.
Just as important as what MELO Air/Plus does include is what they don't — namely harmful ingredients like diacetyl, nicotine and Vitamin E Acetate. Each MELO is also CBD- and THC-free, if those ingredients are a concern for you. And if you're curious about how melatonin compares to CBD when it comes to anxiety relief, check out our CBD vs. melatonin for sleep article.
Shop MELO Air/Plus melatonin vapes here.
Ripple+ Relax & Ripple+ Happy
Ripple+ is one of the more highly respected suppliers of vape juice in the industry. They feature a solid lineup of nicotine-free vapes all focused on putting you in one of several "mental states," thanks to the inclusion of herbal and supplement combinations.
For example, there are vapes called Power (with ginseng and ginkgo biloba) and Dream (with lavender, valerian and jujube seed), and others. But the two we'll focus on here are their Relax and Happy formulations.
Relax pods come in jasmine flavor and feature the active ingredients chamomile and lemon balm, both very popular herbs for inducing a sense of relaxation. Each package of Relax comes with 2 pods, with each one good for around 400 puffs.
The Happy formulation comes in passion fruit flavor, and uses schisandra and limeflower to boost your mood. While certainly not as common as chamomile and lemon balm, these two ingredients can potentially have a powerful effect. Schisandra is a widely used adaptogen, which means it helps your body adapt to stressors.
Limeflower, meanwhile, has been used for centuries as a sedative and for treating insomnia. Some stories even claim that it was used by soldiers in World War II to help them remain calm, and by military doctors as a tranquilizer.
Like the Relax variety, each Happy package contains 2 pods, though Ripple claims each pod is good for around 500 puffs, versus 400 for Relax.
Note: To use Ripple+ pods, you'll first need the Ripple+ device. Each device is (theoretically anyway) infinitely rechargeable via the included USB-C charging cable. When charged fully, you should be able to get up to 10 hours of use per charge.
Also, as we've mentioned in other articles, Ripple includes a free recycling kit with each device. If you should ever want to get rid of the device, you can send it back free of charge to get recycled. You'll also get 10% off any future Ripple orders when you do that.
HealthVape CHILL
HealthVape features 12 nicotine-free and vitamin-infused blends, each with a different purpose or goal in mind — delivering a mental boost or a quick jolt of physical energy, for example. But for our purposes, we're going to focus on CHILL, a blend that promises to help you relax and calm anxiety.
CHILL contains a proprietary formula of chamomile and lavender, both well-known for their calming properties. They contain no diacetyl or Vitamin E acetate, and no sugar, no nicotine, no CBD, no THC and have no calories. In addition to chamomile and lavender, CHILL also contains valerian root, L-Theanine and passionflower. It’s ranked as one of the safest vapes for health-conscious users.
CHILL is available as a disposal vape pen or pods. Each pod contains 1 ml of vape juice, which should be good for around 200 inhales, while each pen should be good for around 450-500 inhales. In addition to the lavender flavor, CHILL is also available in lychee.
CBD Vapes for Anxiety
CBDfx
CBDfx is a well-known and well-respected company that's been in the CBD business since 2014. Their products are produced from organic hemp grown in the U.S., and use CO2 extraction to derive CBD oil from their hemp, which is the cleanest method of CBD extraction available.
In addition to CBD gummies, capsules, tinctures, CBD oils, and topicals, they also offer a full line of some of the best CBD vape pens and vape pods, some of which also add in Delta-9 THC for even more "calming power." (Important: See below for a special note about THC and its effects on anxiety.)
CBDfx's CBD vape pens and pods are available in a variety of flavors, including Strawberry Lemonade, Tropic Breeze, Fresh Mint, Blue Raspberry and more. Each pen should deliver around 800 inhales, while the pods are available in three sizes — 30 ml, 60 ml and 120 ml.
Secret Nature
Secret Nature caters specifically to people looking for CBD vapes for anxiety relief. In fact, they even recommend the particular strain of CBD you should be looking for (sativa), as it's supposed to make users feel "more at peace and focused."
Secret Nature's CBD vape pens and CBD oil are made from "premium, small-batch … fresh-frozen live resin," and deliver a dose of full-spectrum CBD. Available as both disposables and pods or cartridges, Secret Nature's flavors/varieties include Orange Royale, Forbidden Fruit, Grape Ape, Gelato and more.
According to the company, each cartridge/pen should be good for around 100-200 puffs.
Try the CBD
Based out of Colorado, Try the CBD offers CBD products in the form of edibles, topicals, tinctures and, of course, CBD vape pens and CBD vape oil tanks. Their pens include 300 mg total of broad spectrum CBD distillate and terpenes derived from hemp grown on Colorado farms.
Because it's broad spectrum, Try the CBD's CBD products include multiple cannabinoids — CBG, CBN, CBC and CBDV, in addition to their more famous cousin, CBD.
Try the CBD offers several strain-specific CBD vape pens, with each one designed to produce a specific benefit. Some are intended to supply energy, while others are designed to induce calm. It's this latter category that we're after for our purposes.
Their most relaxing formulation, called Gorilla Glue #4, is formulated specifically to be a vape for anxiety and produces an effect that is "euphoric, relaxing, heavy, full body relaxing and extreme couch lock." Next on the calmness scale is their Indica variety, followed by Grand Daddy Purple. Their other flavors/formulations aren't designed for relaxation.
Avida CBD
Avida is serious about their CBD. They offer three different versions of their CBD vape pens and vape juice — CBD Isolate, broad spectrum CBD and full spectrum CBD. (See below for an explanation of what these descriptions mean.)
You can choose from 15 different variations of vape pens containing both broad and full spectrum CBD. Each pen contains 2 ml of vape juice, which equates to 300 mg of their Avida Core Broad Spectrum formulation. They also offer a selection of full spectrum vape pens that contain 400 mg of Avida Core Full Spectrum distillate and THC. Avida's vape juices contain 250 mg-1500 mg of Avida Core CBD Isolate per bottle, depending on the size you order.
Avida is known for its flavors, which they say are "Artisanally Crafted by an Award Winning Flavorist." Juice flavors include Mint, Banana Cream Pie, Epic Apple and Pineapple Fusion, while pen flavors include Blue Razz, Berry Grape, Cinnamon Custard, and more.
What's the Difference Between CBD Isolate, Broad Spectrum and Full Spectrum?
When shopping for CBD, you can think of it as existing in a sort of tiered system. At the bottom is CBD Isolate, which contains CBD and CBD alone, meaning that everything else is stripped out — all of the terpenes, other cannabinoids, and THC.
This can be appealing to someone who wants absolutely no risk of being exposed to THC, but it also means that you're not getting other natural compounds in the hemp plant that can work with CBD to make it more effective.
The next option is broad spectrum CBD, which contains CBD, but does not strip out all other cannabinoids or plant compounds, except for THC, which is stripped out. Finally there's full spectrum CBD, which can contain all of the compounds, including THC.
Why CBD?
It's no coincidence that CBD is a component in many vapes that claim to be able to help with anxiety. CBD has been shown to have anti-anxiety effects in both large and small doses, while THC has been shown to help alleviate anxiety at low doses, but increase it at higher doses. So do your research and use with caution if you choose to go the THC route.
A study by the University of Washington corroborated the facts mentioned above, but also pointed out that, among marijuana users, tolerance developed pretty quickly. Meaning they had to continue using more to get the same effects. This was, however, a study of marijuana users, not people who took THC in other forms.
Anxiety Relief Could Be Just a Puff Away
Even mild anxiety can interfere with your daily routine. Severe anxiety can be debilitating. While it's always a good idea to get professional advice and help, studies have shown that the ingredients contained in the vapes mentioned here may help anxiety sufferers find some relief and get you back to feeling like your best self.
But remember — we're not doctors! And none of this is medical advice. However, judging by reviews and feedback from customers, the vapes listed here might help you find at least temporary relief. Good luck!
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