The Pros and Cons of Vaping Cannabis

Vaping is enjoying a resurgence. Vaping has grown in popularity as an alternative to old-fashioned smoking, but what is it about vaping that attracts so many green-thumbed individuals? Let’s take a look at some of the benefits and drawbacks of vaping versus just burning your cannabis.

First and foremost, if you’re unfamiliar with the topic, you might be asking why someone would want to vape cannabis. Simply put, vaping is a type of cannabis consumption that employs a different technique of heating the plant. Cannabis is heated to low temperatures below its combustion point using this method.

There are a plethora of vape pens, cartridges, and accessories on the market to help you use cannabis. Vape pens are simply a refinement of cigarette-style vape pens that smokers utilize instead of smoking cigarettes.

Here are the top advantages and disadvantages of vaping marijuana so you can make an informed decision about which method of cannabis use is ideal for you.

Pros of Vaping Marijuana:

Convenience and Discretion

Vaping has grown increasingly popular in recent years due to its advantages as a simple and discreet way to consume cannabis. A prefilled cartridge with cannabis oil is included with a disposable vape pen, for example. Some are draw-activated, requiring you to inhale on them before they activate, while others require you to press a button that heats the atomizer (heating element) within the vape pen.

Isn’t it fantastic? It eliminates the hassles of acquiring marijuana and then sitting down to roll a spliff. Another benefit is that it’s a much more discrete way to get your cannabis, particularly when you’re on the move. A vape pen may be kept in an inside pocket or bag without raising suspicion. Furthermore, because you are e-vaporizing rather than combusting the contents, you are not producing smoke, so you can be less noticeable while doing so.

Vaping, Unlike Combusting Weed, Doesn’t Produce Any Smoke

Vaping is not only less expensive, but it also eliminates the risk of secondhand smoke and gives a cleaner, healthier experience than smoking. Vaping does not burn cannabis, so there is no smoke produced. The harmful effects of breathing in any sort of smoke, particularly from cigarettes or marijuana, are well known. That’s because smoking cannabis puts you at risk for several negative health consequences, including respiratory problems.

Aside from being dangerous to your health, marijuana smoke is extremely harsh and tends to linger on your clothes and anywhere else you smoked it as well. This obviously does not happen when you vape. As a result of avoiding the potential health hazards of smoking while still removing the unpleasant odor that marijuana smoke leaves behind,

With Vaping, You Experience Stronger Flavors

When cannabis is combusted or burned, it loses much of its flavor. Some smoking creates thick and harsh smoke that masks the taste of the cannabis strain you are using. When you vape, on the other hand, you merely heat the cannabis without burning it, allowing you to fully enjoy all of the fragrance components in their complete deliciousness. However, one thing to bear in mind is that as your vaping session draws to a close, the flavor strength tends to drop significantly.

Control Over Temperature and More Bang for Your Buck

Most high-quality vape pens have adjustable temperature controls, allowing you to select the optimum temperature for your own preferences. You may also adjust the settings on your vape pen so that you have more control over how much cannabis is extracted with each use.

After you’ve vaped dried bud, this already-vaped-bud (ABV) can be reused to make tea or edibles; some individuals keep it as an “emergency” smoke or vape.

Cons of Vaping Marijuana:

Steep Learning Curve

Vaping has a rather steep learning curve, which is one of the major drawbacks when compared to cigarettes. You’ll have to put in some study time in order to find a reputable vape pen or vaporizer and do your research. After that, you must learn how to utilize your vaping equipment so that you can enjoy the greatest possible vaping experience from it.

Initial Cost

Another disadvantage is the initial expenditure when you begin your vaping journey. You’ll need a vaporizer or vape pen, as well as any refillable ones, which will set you back additional money on e-liquid canisters. Even a decent, inexpensive vaporizer may cost more than $100, making it an important limitation when it comes to vaping. Most vaporizers aren’t very effective if the cannabis isn’t crushed into a fine powder, so you’ll almost certainly have to buy a grinder as well.

Having to Charge the Battery Regularly

When you’re out and about, the last thing you want to happen is for your vaping device’s battery to run out. You will have to charge your vaping equipment on a regular basis, but the good news is that once you do, it will hold a few sessions of use. Simply remember to recharge it if the battery runs dry!

General Maintenance

The more you use your vaporizer, the more germs accumulate on it. This is due to the fact that heat and moisture are required to keep a vape device functioning efficiently. To get the best vaping experience imaginable, clean your vape device on a regular basis. You may not need to clean it every time, but you will undoubtedly need to clean it at some point.

The Effects are Arguably Not as Potent

Vaping has been called a “cleaner high,” but some people would disagree. In comparison to smoking, vaping has been reported as being a “less potent high.”

Health Risks Associated with Vaping

Last but not least, there is a lot of concern that vaping isn’t as healthy as people believe. The chemicals used during extraction and thinning are among the most significant concerns with cannabis concentrate oil utilized in vape cartridges. Cannabis oil in its natural state is far too thick and sticky to be consumed. To make it thinner and more liquid,

The two most popular thinning agents are propylene glycol and polyethylene glycol, both of which can be deconstructed into potentially carcinogenic chemicals like formaldehyde and acetaldehyde when sublimated in high-temperature vape pen cartridges.

Propylene glycol, according to a 2010 research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, can cause asthma, allergy responses, and other respiratory issues when inhaled in low doses.

The consensus is that the temperature of a vape pen’s heating coil, if not the most critical, is at least one of the most essential components in avoiding the harmful hazard of thinning agents being broken down into carcinogenic chemicals like formaldehyde during sublimation.

The majority of the more affordable vape pens on the market today have coils that sublimate cannabis oil at a much higher temperature than required, posing additional health risks for consumers. It’s suggested that you get a high-quality vaping device from a reputable manufacturer rather than choosing the cheapest one.

The inhalation of cannabis oil’s cuticle wax is a potential health concern with vape pens, particularly low-cost versions. Cannabis plants, like hemp, have an oily, fatty surface layer known as cuticle wax that covers their surface. When cannabis is smoked, the cuticle wax is combusted and burned away; however, it does not happen when you vape at lower temperatures.

Is it possible that inhaling cannabis oil with cuticle wax poses any health risks? Because there has been no clinical study done on this subject yet, the jury is still out. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in October 2017, experts at Steep Hill Laboratories, a cannabis testing laboratory in Vancouver, British Columbia, claimed that vaporizing cannabis oil containing cuticle wax might lead to solidified granulomas forming in the lungs over time.

If consumers are unsure about the quality of CBD oil, they can purchase it as a liquid and “winterize” it themselves. The “winterization” process involves using a solvent and low temperatures to remove the cuticle wax, lipids, and other oil components from the cannabis plant.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to smoking cannabis, there are several advantages and disadvantages to doing so. Vaping is seen by some as a more convenient and inconspicuous mode of consumption. You may also notice that I didn’t say you get “higher” off vaping than burning your cannabis.

There are, however, some disadvantages to vaping. The initial investment in purchasing your vaping device may be high, as can the learning curve needed to learn about the equipment and vaping in general. There are also several safety issues surrounding the use of hazardous chemicals as thinning agents to convert raw cannabis oil into a more liquid form that is suitable for vaping, particularly when it comes to using toxic substances such as pesticides.

Before you can determine whether vaping is right for you, you’ll need to consider all of the benefits and drawbacks.