Vaping is a great way to imbibe cannabis without inhaling burning vegetable matter (in case you don’t like that) but without the delayed effect and uncertainty of edibles (is it working yet? Should I take more?). Vaporizers work by heating the cannabis at a temperature far below its combustion point, creating vapor instead of smoke. The vapor produced is much smoother than smoke, and it contains fewer toxins and carcinogens. Vaporizing also preserves the flavor and potency of the plant’s components because they are activated at lower temperatures than burning them would require. There are several different types of vaporizers available today that use various methods to achieve this effect, including convection or conduction techniques.
Vaping weed is often considered a healthier alternative to smoking, as vaporizing avoids combustion and exposure to tar, carcinogens, and other toxins. Those who vaporize can take advantage of the plant’s psychoactive ingredients at lower temperatures than burning, preserving the flavor and potency because vaping weed activates the cannabinoids and terpenes without destroying them. A naked flame produced by a lighter is too hot to get the best out of your weed – it works, but activating at a lower temperature destroys less of the good stuff by burning it off before it can be inhaled.
Temperature is Everything
Also, it’s cool. Who wouldn’t want to carry around a little machine that produces tasty vapor at the push of a button? No fiddling with lighters or poorly rolled joints constantly going out here! And you can choose your temperature based on the experience you want. You want thin, tasty vapor that gives you a head high? Keep it below 390℉ or less – the lower the tastier, and the more subtle the effects! You want big, impressive lungfuls of vapor with every exhale and a strong, relaxed body high? Crank it up! Higher temperatures also reduce the taste, which depending on your weed might be preferable! More detail about the effect of temperature on the experience is available in this great article.
Review: Mighty+ Vaporizer
Spend some time with it and it quickly becomes clear that this is probably the only vaporizer you are ever going to need.
Flower or Concentrates?
Vaporizers can vape either cannabis flower or concentrates as you would use for dabbing. Well, depending on the vape. Check before you do this!
Vaping flower is when you vaporize the actual plant material, well ground to maximize the surface area exposed to the heat. This vaporizing process needs to be done at a certain temperature so that it does not get too hot and burn the plant material. Vaping concentrates instead uses concentrated liquids or oils from the plant instead of the actual flower. It also needs to be vaporized at a certain temperature, but it will produce more vapor than vaporizing flowers.
The best temperature for vaporizing flower is between 315-440°F (157-227°C). This will produce vapor that is smoother and tastes better. For vaporizing concentrates, the temperature needs to be a bit higher to make more vapor, but it should not be too hot, or else it can destroy some of the cannabinoids in the vaporizer.
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Beware of Oil!
Vaping concentrates is cool and all, but beware of cannabis oils in vape pens, particularly if they are not manufactured by a trusted provider. Oils can be dangerous and can lead to serious health complications. Vaping oils may contain chemicals and other compounds that are not approved for human consumption or vaporization, so they should not be vaporized. These potentially harmful chemicals, including propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, and polyethylene glycol, can be vaporized at higher temperatures and then inhaled by you, so it is important to vaporize these oils at the correct temperature for safety. Personally, I like to stick with flower. The natural way!
How to Choose
When choosing a vaporizer, it is important to know what you are looking for and what type of vaporizer best suits your needs. Portable vaporizers are great for those who want the convenience of vaping on the go, while desktop vaporizers are better suited for those who liked to stay locked to the couch. It is also important to consider the temperature range and efficiency of each vaporizer before making a purchase.
The temperature range of each vaporizer will determine how much vapor is produced and how many cannabinoids can be activated from the cannabis flower or concentrate being used. Convection vaporizers usually have a higher temperature range, ranging from 350-430°F (177-221°C), which allows more cannabinoids to be activated without burning off any essential oils or terpenes from the plant material. Conduction vaporizers typically have a lower temperature range, usually between 250-392°F (121-200°C), allowing users to inhale thinner vapor but with less potency.
Vaporizers can be either portable or for the desktop. Desktop vaporizers are great as they can be always ready and they never burn your hand, but you can’t put them in your pocket! Portable vapes are great to take with you on the town, but they do heat up and the batteries, oh, the batteries…
Check the Battery Life!
It’s important to look at the power source of a portable vaporizer when making your selection. Battery life is a big factor if you are taking your vape out and about – there is nothing worse than being not quite stoned enough and having a dead vape!
Additionally, some vaporizers offer adjustable airflow settings so that users can customize their experience by controlling how much vapor they inhale with each puff. This can be especially helpful if you are trying to find an optimal balance between taste and effects when using cannabis flower or concentrates in your vaporizer.
Some vapes come with (or you can buy) an attachment that allows you to use them with a gravity bong or a bubbler. If you like a gravity bong then you can use the vape instead of burning the marijuana in the bowl, and enjoy the best of all possible worlds!
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Got a bit of disposable income and a desire to upgrade your cannabis experience? Then read on, this might just be the luxury gravity bong you have been looking for! Introduction My first time smoking cannabis was a quickly assembled…
The only downside of vaping is the price – you’re going to be shelling out $100 for even the smallest portable vapes. But the experience and the convenience are well worth it. Give it a try!
