Vaporizing Cannabis

To vaporize cannabis, you will need to heat the flower or concentrate between 250ºF (121ºC) and 400ºF (204ºC). Heating cannabis too much will result in combustion. Once cannabis is ignited, it releases compounds like benzene that have been linked to cancer and tar deposits in the throat and lungs.

By vaporizing cannabis, you are reducing the harms associated with smoke while still receiving many of the medical benefits. Despite this, only 8% out of 30,000+ who were surveyed reported using vaporizers. Vaporizing is currently the best way to prevent harms from cannabis use.

The study made several observations that may shed light on how vaporizing cannabis is leading to a decrease in nicotine dependency.

The Spliff

When you roll a marijuana join but add tobacco to the mix. Regular cannabis smokers are more susceptible to nicotine dependency because of how common it is to mix cannabis with tobacco. In Europe, for example, the spliff is the most common way cannabis is consumed.

Daily Pot Use Linked to Nicotine Dependence

According to a different study, published in the same journal in 2005, regular cannabis use increased the likeliness of people 24 or older to become dependent on tobacco more than threefold.

The study concluded that: “Weekly or more cannabis use during the teens and young adulthood is associated with an increased risk of late initiation of tobacco use and progression to nicotine dependence.”

It’s worth nothing that vaporization was not an option for cannabis user when this study was conducted.

Vaporize Tobacco?

The 2015 study found that out of 96 people only two reported ever having combined tobacco and cannabis in their vaporizers. The researchers believe that the use of vaporizers may lead to a disconnection between marijuana and tobacco use.

Conclusion

Once tobacco dependence sets it, it’s a whole mission to overcome it. The best way to battle that addiction is by never allowing it to arise. If cannabis vaporization leads to a decrease in tobacco dependency, it would be a better choice. Cigarette smoking is currently the second largest killer in the United States.

Many doctors don’t recommend marijuana to their patients. This may be due to the fact that they know it could lead to a higher risk of nicotine or tobacco dependency. Medical marijuana use is spreading across the United States. Additionally, vaping could reduce the possibility of nicotine and tobacco dependence. Some of the dangers of combustion smoking would also be mitigated.

Nations that had the highest rate of vaporizer usage were found to be least likely to combine tobacco and marijuana. This combination seems to make individuals more likely to develop a dependency to tobacco. Therefore, anything that will lead to a disconnect between pot and cigarettes is worth looking into. The researchers from the study are calling for more research on vaping.

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Is there a perfect temperature?

This is probably one of the questions you’d like to ask, so here are the key findings:

There’s a temperature range in which different compounds of cannabis are released, each showing unique qualities in effect. While only experimentation will show you the high that suits you best, an ideal temperature to extract a wide range of psychoactive compounds is 365ºF. The optimal temperature range for cannabis is between 347ºF – 392ºF (175ºC – 200ºC). Temperatures below 374ºF (190ºC) tend to produce a more cerebral high while temperatures above that tend to induce a body high.

Cannabinoid Temperatures

The range of temperature is in which all cannabinoids evaporate lies between 314ºF (157ºC) and 428ºF (220ºC) . As all Cannabinoids have different boiling points, vaporizing the same load of herb at different temperatures will generate different results. In general, there’s two main effects, which is a cerebral high and a body high. As mentioned above, lower temperatures will have a heady effect, whilst higher temperatures will have a more body load effect.

Please note: Although some of the cannabinoids in these lists require temperatures about 392ºF (200ºC) to evaporate, vaping at that temperature runs the risk of causing combustion, which should be avoided.

Combustion: Dry weed can begin to combust at around 392ºF (200ºC). The maximum heat weed can take before starting to burn is around 446ºF (230 °C), depending on how dry your weed is.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids, like terpenoids, are not that well known compared to cannabinoids. They are are a large class of plant pigments that are sometimes referred to as Vitamin P. Terpenoids and Flavonoids are partly responsible for the looks, taste and smell of a particular strain. they are the reason why cannabis enthusiasts take a whiff of a strain because their smell reveals a lot about the character of the plant.

They are also thought to have secondary health benefits, which will be explained in the following table:

Terpenoids

Terpenoids are structurally related to terpenes and are naturally occurring in a wide range of plants. They play a role in what gives plants their unique aromatic quality. The scent of cinnamon and menthol are examples of well known terpenoids.

The following table outlines the effects and vaporization temperature of terpenoids:

Toxins

Toxins are chemicals that can be harmful to your body. The advantage of a vaporizer lies in its unique ability to extract the active ingredients of cannabis, but without the toxins of combustion, such as tar and carbon monoxide. In short, vaping does not expose your lungs to as much harmful chemicals as smoking does.

Vapor can still contain trace amounts of toxins. Compared to the over 100 different PAHs found in smoke, the one single PAH discovered in vapor is obviously a massive improvement. On the other hand, toxins that come from pesticides, herbicides and other chemical agents will also concentrate in vapor – making organic cannabis a smart choice.

The following is a small selection of some of the toxins that are released through combustion:

Cannabis Moisture and Vaporizer Temperature

When you use a bong or smoke a joint, extremely dry cannabis ruins your whole smoking experience. Vaping it is still a delightful experience. The dryness, however, will cause it too vaporize much faster. If it is too hot, you run the risk of flash boiling the active ingredients, eliminating the taste and flavor of your bud. As it is largely dependent on the situation and strain you are using, there is no definitive guide on how you can vaporize particularly dry weed.

Note: Set your temperature lower judging by how dry your weed is. It might take a bit of practice at first but once you get the hang of it, you won’t have to worry about flash boiling it.

Conversely, if your bud is fresh, it may be very high in moisture. As a result, it can sometimes be hard to vaporize it efficiently. To deal with this, you can set your vape between 280ºF (138ºC) to 298ºF (148ºC). You’ll gain a load of flavonoid vapor whilst slowly drying out your cannabis. After you did this, your pot should be dry enough to vaporize efficiently at the cannabinoid temperatures.

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Proper cannabis use has noticeable benefits. In fact, all of the health issues and problems associated with potentially harmful smoke can be avoided. If the herb is slowly heated below its combustion temperature, you get all the desired cannabinoids without igniting the material. This is what a vaporizer does.

Accordingly, a variety of devices have flooded the market, especially within the past 2 years. In fact, today there are numerous products to help facilitate this process including pen vaporizers, portable vaporizers, and stationary vaporizers. Despite the wide selection, all vaporizers consists of two things: a heating source and a delivery system. Here we will look at the different types of vaporizers, heating sources, delivery systems and which patients prefer from a wellness perspective.

Types of Vaporizers

Pen Vaporizers

Pen vaporizers are essentially small vaporizers shaped like a pen or e-cig. They are typically discreet, easy to use, and a lot cheaper than the more robust portable or stationary vaporizers. Vape pens almost always use conduction heating, making it important that you understand how to operate it to ensure your product doesn’t get overheated or even burned. There are a large number of vape pens out there.

Portable Vaporizers

Portable vaporizers are growing in popularity as vape technology continues to advance. It is a slightly larger than a vape pen, but it can be used on the go. If you travel a lot or want to medicate wherever you are, a portable vaporizer might just be the thing. Most of them uses convection heating but there are a few others. The majority of them are rechargeable but there are the occasional butane one lying around somewhere.

Stationary Vaporizers

Stationary vaporizers are the “stay at home” vaporizers that typically needs to be plugged for it to work. Although they aren’t portable, desktop vapes generally deliver much higher quality vapor through a convection heating source and offer many more features. For instance, you get balloon attachments that are exclusive to stationary vapes. Also, stationary vaporizers sometimes allow for group vape sessions, as opposed to vaping solo all the time. They typically come fitted with larger bowls and more robust heating systems that make vaporizing herbs a trouble-free and fulfilling experience.

Delivery Systems

Whip / Tubing Vaporizers

Whips are generally made of silicone piping and are around three feet long. One end of the whip is a mouthpiece, while the other is a glass connection that holds your herbs and slides over or into the heating element. The end that holds the herb is typically referred to as a “wand” and contains a screen to ensure no material is drawn through the hose and into your mouth.

Balloon Style Vaporizers

Bag style vaporizers make use of food grade plastic. The bags can attach and detach from the unit using a valve that prevents vapor loss. A mouthpiece is inserted into the valve when the bag is detached from the unit, allowing the bag to pass between two or more users.

Direct Draw Vaporizers

Direct draw is most commonly found with portable/pen vapes. These vaporizers offer mouthpieces which are found attached directly to the unit and allow the vapor to flow directly from the heating element to the user. Some direct draw vaporizers offer a removable stem or extended mouthpieces, while others have a permanently attached mouthpiece.

Heating Sources

Conduction Heating

Conduction heating works by utilizing direct contact of the herb with an electrically heated surface, often times solid metal or a screen. A common problem with vaporizers like this is burning of the herb due to poor heat distribution. It is very difficult to regulate the temperature with vaporizers that use conduction. Included in this category are e-cigarettes, vaporizer pens, and a majority of portable vaporizers currently on the market.

Convection Heating

Convection heating, on the other hand, works by passing precisely heated air over the dried herb, vaporizing the material more evenly and efficiently. This makes convection heating the preferred choice for many patients looking to get the most of their vaporization experience. The herb never comes in touch with the heating element, instead air is either forced by a fan, or through inhalation, over the herbs and through the delivery system. Heating elements for convection vaporizers are typically made out of ceramic, though some are made out of stainless steel or other types of metal. Ceramic heating elements retain heat extremely well and are unaffected by cool air drawn through the system.

Infrared Heating

Radiation vaporizers use radiant energy either produced by electricity or a light source to provide heat. The herb absorbs the radiant energy, increasing in temperature until its components vaporize. These types of vaporizers are more rare, and are on par with convection vaporizers in terms of the quality of vapor produced.

Forms of Marijuana Used

Dry Herbs

Vaporizers designed to heat cannabis in its raw form are known as dry herb vaporizers. Dry herbs of all sorts have been used for centuries for meditation, relaxation and medicinal purposes. Certain flowers and herbs can be dried, crushed and then inserted into a dry herb vaporizer. The vaporizer’s oven chamber will heat up the dry herbs to a selected temperature,releasing vapor for you to inhale. To get the most out of your vaping experience, use a herb grinder to grind your material quite finely to create more surface area for the heat to reach.

Concentrates

Waxes, shatters, crumbles, and oils are all concentrated forms of cannabinoids and terpenes referred to as cannabis concentrates. Due to these products being a concentrated mix, you have the benefit of only needed a very small amount to get the same effect as you would with larger amounts of dry herb. If you are looking to vape concentrates you will need a vaporizer that is compatible of doing so as not all vaporizers have this functionality. Many vaporizer manufacturers now offer special attachments to convert standard ovens to be compatible with concentrates but it often costs a bit extra.

Temperatures

Studies have found that the sweet spot fir vaporizing cannabis is around 338ºF, even though cannabinoids begin to vaporize at 285ºF. At this temperature, the active cannabinoids in cannabis are converted to a vapor that can be inhaled as opposed to a joint burning at 2000ºF or higher.

While the exact amount of components released depends on the compounds present and the temperature, it doesn’t contain any of the toxic bi-products of smoking plant matter in the vapor. The vapor you inhale will have a higher percentage of desired cannabinoid/terpenoid content when compared to smoke.

Many vaporizers typically feature a digital temperature control that allows you to alter the ratio of active components you’re vaping. When you ignite cannabis with a lighter, you are releasing all the cannabinoids at once, often destroying desirable cannabinoids and terpenes that give cannabis its unique flavor, smell, and effects. Since terpenoids have the lowest boiling pint, around 132ºF, they are typically the first compounds to be released. If you are looking for a tasty, aromatic hit, start with the lowest available temperature setting and slowly work your way up to 350ºF to finish off your material. As you approach the boiling points of other compounds, you are increasing the quantity of the compounds that are vaporized.

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