5 Benefits Of Vaping Over Smoking
Vaping has become one of the most popular methods of consuming marijuana in Canada and elsewhere worldwide. Weed vape pens are considered a safer option than joints, pipes, and bongs, whose smoke is said to contain tar and other potentially harmful substances.
By doing away with the element of burning, weed vaporizers allow users to partake in their toke without consuming such substances.
In this article, we’ll share a few tips to guide you as you shop for a vape pen. But before then, let’s go through the basics of vaporizing we think you should know.
How Does Vaping Work?
When cannabis is heated, decarboxylation occurs. This is the process by which tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) is converted into tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)- the psychoactive compound that gets you high.
When smoking a joint, the only way to achieve this is by burning it. Weed vape pens work differently. They contain battery-powered coils that heat buds, oils, and wax until they evaporate. The user then inhales this vapor.
That said, different manufacturers are coming out with vaporizers that work in unique ways, all geared towards improving the user’s experience.
As we’ve mentioned, weed vapes vaporize cannabis in three formats: herb, wax, and oil. Let’s take a look at how each of these works.
1. Herb Vaporizers
These are vapes with a designated chamber for dried marijuana flowers. The device heats the flower to a point where it vaporizes but doesn’t burn. This way, you get to inhale concentrated vapor without taking in tar and other potential carcinogens. You’re also likely to find weed vape pens that allow you to regulate temperature and the amount of vapor you inhale with each toke.
2. Oil Weed Vape Pens
These work similar to herb vaporizers, the only difference being that they use oil concentrate instead of dried flower. This oil is manufactured by mixing THC or CBD extracts with a carrier oil such as hemp oil. Because it is possible to extract large amounts of concentrated THC, oil vape pens tend to be stronger than weed vapes.
For example, Kootenay Fruit Live, one of our most popular vape products, contains 65%-80% of THC, beating many marijuana strains by far.
Oil pens are popular because they allow you to attach cartridges of different oil extracts. This makes it possible for you to switch flavors, strains, and potencies whenever need be. Depending on how much you vape, a single oil cartridge could last you a couple of weeks.
3. Wax Weed Vape Pens
Wax is a thick, viscous, and resin-like substance that’s extracted from the cannabis plant. Like oils, wax contains high concentrations of THC and other active compounds. However, since it doesn’t contain any carrier oils, it is often much more potent than oil or cannabis flower.
Although waxes tend to be more expensive to purchase than herbs and oils, it’s high potency implies you don’t need too much to keep you going. They also deliver stronger effects, making them ideal for people seeking therapeutic benefits.
Is Vaping Better Than Smoking?
Vaping weed is just one of the many ways of consuming the herb. For decades upon decades, people have been taking it in tea and other herbal drinks and smoking it in pipes. Although many people are still fans of the hand-rolled blunt, weed vapes are becoming a staple for many cannabis enthusiasts.
According to these statistics, 24% of Canadian adults reported that vape pens were their preferred means of consuming marijuana. They also believe that vapes for weed are the healthier alternative. If you’re still on the fence about whether you should join the movement, here are a few more perceived pros of using vape pens:
1. Convenient and Discreet
Vape pens, unlike a joint, offer some kind of discreteness. Most manufacturers pride themselves in creating vape pens that exude potentially odorless vapor, or at least with minimal scent. Unlike the smoke from a blunt, this vapor also dissipates rather quickly, making vapes better for indoor use.
Unlike bongs, vape pens are also quite portable, making it easy to place them in your pockets or carry bags and use them on the go. This makes them very convenient.
2. Weed Vapes Are Easy To Use
Vape pens do away with the need to roll blunts, which can sometimes be frustrating. The last thing you want to do after a long day at work, or an intense session at the gym, is to get home and start fumbling with your grinder. Vapes allow you to take a hit whenever you need to, so long as you keep it charged and loaded with your preferred material.
3. They Save Your Weed
Vape pens waste way less weed than bongs, joints, and pipes. The THC content in waxes and oils tends to be higher than many strains, thus delivering the desired effects after a few puffs. This implies that you use less weed to get just as high, if not more.
4. Effects Kick In Quicker
Many people enjoy using vapes for weed because of how fast the effects kick in. Unlike edibles which take 30 minutes to an hour to show effects, vaping gets you high almost immediately. This is because you inhale the vapor into your lungs and straight into your bloodstream. If you’re looking for a quick way of getting high, weed vapes are perfect for you.
5. Weed Vapes Provide A Cleaner Hit
As we’ve mentioned before, vapes do away with the element of smoke. They also keep you from using rolling papers; some rolling papers are paper-based, meaning they give off carbon when burnt. Vape pens for weed are, therefore, said to give off a cleaner hit.
That said, smoking joints will always be a part of marijuana culture. These premium king-size rolling papers from OCB are lightweight and ultra-thin. They are made using flax paper, thus burn with less smoke.
What Are The Parts Of A Vape Pen?
Vape pens are simple gadgets that combine different bits and parts to get a functional, often modifiable unit.
Vape pens typically have four parts: a mouthpiece, reservoir or cartridge, heating element (atomizer), and a power source.
The cartridge houses the material being vaporized while the atomizer, which is powered by a battery, heats the load. The user inhales the vapor through the mouthpiece.
Most vape pens are charged using USB chargers. USB chargers are quite common, making it easy to ensure your device is always charged.
What Should I Consider When Buying A Weed Vape?
Many different manufacturers and retailers are marketing and selling vape pens in the cannabis industry today. If you don’t know how to vape or have never used one of these handy little devices before, you’re likely to get a little confused when you go shopping for them online.
To help guide you through the process, here are a few things you should consider when buying vape pens:
1. What Do You Want To Vape?
Before you make any purchase, you’ll need to figure out the material you’d want to vape. What’s more accessible to you: wax, oils, or dried flowers? This will determine the kind of vaporizing device you should buy.
2. Do Vape Pens Need Maintenance?
Your vape pen will need regular cleaning and maintenance like any other ‘machine’ in your home. Vape pens have many different parts; some, like the heating coil, may wear down over time, prompting swaps and replacements. That said, when you buy a high-quality device, these elements tend to last much longer.
3. What’s Your Budget For A Weed Vape?
When it comes to vapes for weed, the price often goes hand-in-hand with quality. Although the upfront purchasing cost of a vaporizer may be quite high, you get your money’s worth in the quality and user experience. Be wary of insanely cheap vaporizers- these tend to break down easily and may even pose safety concerns.
4. What Are The Vaping Policies In Your Building?
Just because recreational marijuana is legal in Canada doesn’t mean you can take a hit off your vape pen wherever you feel like it.
Different buildings and hotels have unique policies on vaping: some may be all for it, some may designate a section on the rooftop for it, while some may not tolerate it at all. To ensure you don’t get into trouble with the building’s authorities, it would be safe to ask what the policies on vaping are.
Where Can I Find The Best Weed Vape Pens Near Me?
If you live on Kingston Rd and are looking for high-quality vape pens for weed, we’ve got you covered. Stok’d Cliffside Dispensary, our flagship store located on 2408 Kingston Rd, stocks a wide variety of premium vaping products. If you live around St. Clair Ave. and Pharmacy Ave., Stok’d Clairlea at 631 Pharmacy Ave. will meet all your cannabis and vaporizer needs.
Both our stores are accessible by wheelchair. We also offer curbside pick-up and delivery to your preferred location. However, if you’re still unsure what cartridge to go for, you could choose to shop in-store and consult one of our experienced budtenders. All in all, we’re always stok’d to help!