What is a Vaporizer?
Cannabis has always been used for its medicinal value, but it has become much more prevalent in recent years as morestates are legalizing cannabis both for medical and recreational use. While cannabis has traditionally been ingested by smoking, this can counter some of the health benefits. Cannabisvaporizers were invented back in the 90s but were bulky, desktop units that couldn’t be transported easily. They only really became mainstream in the last decade. With the introduction of vape pens, vaporizers are now compact, convenient and easy to use. This makes them popular among smokers and non-smokers alike. One of the main reasons many users prefer vaporizers are for their health benefits. If you have a true vaporizer, your dry herb, cannabis oil or wax is heated just enough to create a vapor without combustion. This means you don’t get all the toxic carcinogens present in smoke. We’ll get more into the health benefits of vaporizing later on. However, it is important to note that some vape pens labeled as vaporizers are not true vaporizers. These combustion vapes are usually designed forconcentrates and are popular among users looking for cheap and reliable vape pens that still pack a punch. Just be aware that if your wax or oil is burning (combusting), you won’t experience the health benefits associated with vaporizing.
As vaporizers become more popular, there are various options to choosewhich can be overwhelming to new vapers. First off, vaporizers are often designedto vaporize one particular substance. Dry herb vaporizers were the initial types to market and can be used for ground cannabis flowers. There are also wax pens designed for wax, and oil vapes designed for oils. In addition, there are 2-in-1 and 3-in-1 box mod vaporizersthat can be modified to vaporize different substances. Once you choose a type of vaporizer, there are various options and features depending on your budget. Nowadays, there is a vaporizer for everyone.
How do Cannabis Vaporizers, Wax Pens, and Oil Vapes Work?
These are the three types of vaporizers and each type works a little differently. Of course, there are individual differences among vaporizers, but we’ll go over the basic use of each type.
How to Use a Cannabis Vaporizer:
- Make sure your battery is fully charged (this sounds basic, but it’s a common problem).
- Grind your cannabis thoroughly before packing. Most dry herb vapes push hot air through the chamber and a fine grind will ensure you hit the most surface area and get a smooth pull.
- Next, pack the chamber lightly. It is crucial not to over-pack or under-pack the chamber. You should fill the chamber with ground herb to where it just slightly compacts. If you pack it down too hard, it will restrict airflow through the chamber, making it difficult to get a good hit.
- Hint: The chamber is usually attached to the mouthpiece, but some dry herb vapes have a bottom load system.
- Turn the vaporizer on.
- Set the temperature. All dry herb vaporizers have some temperature control, ranging from individual degree control to a few options (low, medium, high). We recommend setting your dry herb vape between 375°F and 430°F. Also, start at a lower setting, and work your way up until you get a visible, yet smooth vapor.
- Once your vaporizer is heated, take slow, long pulls, hold in the vapor and exhale when ready. Start with smaller hits. As you get more comfortable with your vaporizer, you can take bigger hits.
How to Use a Wax Pen
- Again, make sure your battery is charged. Some vapes will let you know when your battery is getting low, but many will just lose power.
- Locate the heating chamber which is often connected to the battery.
- Open the heating chamber to reveal the coils. These are either quartz or ceramic and could be single, double or quad coils.
- Place a dab of wax (about the size of a grain of rice) onto the coils using a dab tool. Make sure not to press down on the coils as this can damage them.
- Turn on your wax pen. Often, you can click the power button five times quickly to turn it on but if this doesn’t work, refer to your user manual.
- Wax pens heat up almost instantly so as soon as you turn it on, you can start vaping.
- Often, to use your wax pen, just hold down the power button and take a long, smooth inhale.
How to Use an Oil Vape Pen
- Many oil vapes use sealed, pre-filled oil cartridges. For these, just connect a new cartridge to your vape, turn it on and start vaping.
- If you have a refillable cartridge, fill it carefully by holding the cartridge at an angle as you fill. Use a dropper for the best results. Also, make sure not to fill past about 70-80%. Oil will expand as it heats and you don’t want your cartridge to leak oil everywhere.
- Once your cartridge is full, close it up and check to make sure it is completely sealed. Then just insert the cartridge, turn on your oil vape pen, and start vaping.
What are the Benefits of Vaping Cannabis?
#1 – Vaporizers are a Healthier Alternative to Smoking
While smoking cannabis is much healthier than smoking tobacco, there can still be negative consequences from smoking any substance. Toxic carcinogens and tars are created when burning cannabis and this can negatively affect your health. Vaporizers use convection to pull the cannabinoids like THC and CBD out of your flower, wax or oil without releasing the harmful substancespresent in smoke. This results in a healthier way to ingest cannabis.
#2 – Vaping Contains Substantially Fewer Toxins than Smoke
Smoke of any kind is filled with toxins due to the byproducts created during combustion. Because of this, vapor contains many less toxins than smoke. While scientists have found that e-cigs can still contain some toxic chemicals, there is no evidence that vaporizing cannabis has any negative effects.
#3 – Zero Risk of Secondhand Smoke
Vapor dissipates almost instantly eliminating any risk of secondhand smoke.
#4 – Vaping Results in Faster Pain Relief
For those concerned about their health, they typically ingest cannabis through edibles. This can lead to a long delay in pain relief. Now those users can vaporize without having to worry about the negative side effects of smoking and experience instant pain relief.
#5 – Vaping Cannabis Reduces Respiratory Issues
For those with respiratory issues or lung sensitivity, smoking can be difficult and even detrimental. Vaping is the perfect solution for these users.
#6 – You Can Taste MoreFlavor When Using a Vaporizer
Smoke is a flavor inhibitor. Once you switch over to vaping, you’ll notice all those wonderful flavors in each of your favorite varietiesis amplified. You may even discover a new favorite plant.
#7 – Vape Pens are Portable and Convenient
Vape pens have long-lasting batteries that typically last for at least a full day of vaping. They are usually compact and can easily fit in your pocket. It’s also easy to use them almost anywhere as they don’t create secondhand smoke.
#8 – Vaping is a DiscreetWay to Consume Cannabis
Again, as vape pens are small and don’t produce much odor, vaping is much more discreet than smoking. Even with legalized cannabis in many states, some people still judge and it’s best not to have to worry about it.
What is the Difference between Vaping and Smoking Cannabis?
Smoking cannabis is a form of combustion. The smoke caused by this reaction contains toxins that can harm your lungs and throat. Vaping uses convection to bake your cannabis which extracts the cannabinoids from your flower or concentrate without releasing the toxins found in smoke. Vapor also dissipates quickly so you can vape in more places without having to worry about bothering those around you.
Vaping is also much more efficient meaning your flower and concentrates will last longer. When you smoke, a good portion of the cannabinoids is often burned off or tossed out with a charred bowl. Vaporizing carefully pulls all those wonderful cannabinoids off your flower or out of a concentrate with almost zero waste. Vaping is really the best way to ingest any cannabis product.
What is the Difference Between Convection,Conduction, and Combustion Vaporizers?
There are two main types of vaporizers: convection and conduction. Convection vaporizers use indirect heating to decarboxylatecannabis. This means they have a heating element outside the chamber and then produced hot air is passed through the chamber. These are common among dry herb vaporizers. Conduction vapes use direct contact between the heating element and your flower or concentrate. Conduction vapes are more common for use with concentrates like wax and oil. However, there are combustion vapes that use direct contact to burn or combust a cannabis product. These are popular among for those wanting a more traditional smoking sensation. However, combustion vaporizers don’t provide the health benefits that true vaporizers provide.
What are the Best Temperatures for Vaping Flower, Wax, and Oil?
Below are our recommended temperatures for vaping flower, wax and oil. If you are new to vaporizing, start at the lower end of the range and work your way up until you get a visible vapor that still hits smooth and has a nice taste. If it gets too hot, you run the risk of burning your flower, wax or oil.
- Dry Cannabis: 375°F and 430°F
- Wax: 420°F and 550°F
- Oil: 340°F and 445°F
A Look to the Future
There is a plethora of medical applications for cannabis, but opponents have claimed that smoking isn’t healthy and therefore cannabis isn’t a great solution for those with health problems. Vaporizing nullifies these claims, making cannabis an ideal healthcare solution for many and replacing the need for prescription pills with harmful side effects. Vaping is also great for those recreational users who don’t want to ingest toxins while enjoying the benefits of cannabis. With the immense popularity of vaporizing today, vaporizer technology will continue to evolve so keep an eye out for what comes next in the world of vaping!
