What are the benefits of using a vaporizer for cannabis?

The government of Canada seems to be behind using vapes as a means of intake for recently legalized casual marijuana products, and with good reason. There are many benefits to using vaporizers for cannabis.

With the May 23, 2018, passage of The Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TPVA), vaping products are now fully accessible to adults for cannabis intake. Let’s take a look at what the government agrees are great reasons to use vape tech to smoke it.

The Canadian government admits that vaping is less harmful than smoking.

Tobacco has been known to contain carcinogens and many other toxic chemicals. The vast majority of these chemicals actually appear when the tobacco is burned, especially when it is burned alongside the preservatives and other ingredients that the average cigarette product contains. If you are using cigarettes as rolling papers, you may be unknowingly intaking some of these chemicals.

By definition, vapes do not contain any tobacco. Vaping also completely eliminates the process of burning that tobacco products require for intake. The only overlap between vapes and traditional smoking products is nicotine. The other 7,000 chemicals that are found in tobacco are exponentially reduced in vaping products. As such, vaping immediately reduces the smoker’s exposure to carcinogens and other toxins.

Marijuana combustion produces, among other things, tar that can lead to chronic bronchitis. At the very least, it is an irritant to the lungs. Vaping heats cannabis at a much lower initial temperature than the traditional process of combustion. However, you do not lose out on any of the active ingredients, aka cannabinoids, that are giving you the high that you are looking for.

As you vape your cannabis, you are also removing the vast majority of the smoke that would otherwise be inhaled. This protects your lungs from carcinogens and also improves the yield of terpenoids that act as an anti-inflammatory and reduce lung irritation.

You may also improve your short term health.

Although the Canadian government advocates cold turkey as the preferred method of quitting smoking, it does admit that vaping can provide some short term health effects.

Many people smoke because it gives them a feeling of relaxation. Smoking may help to relieve anxiety, and using a vape can bring the same effect. Vapes do this without creating the insanely hot temperatures that a traditional joint can create (2,012 degrees in some cases) with the harmful gases that somehow survive in that environment.

Many smokers believe that they have to hold the smoke in the lungs in order to achieve the desired effect. With traditional smoking, the high temperatures can lead to lung irritation and burning. The levels of active chemicals in traditional smoke are lower as well. The final effect is actually less healthy lungs and a less powerful high. When compared to vaporized cannabis, researchers actually found that traditional smoking and traditional smoking technique does not raise the amount of cannabis that is actually absorbed. 95 percent of the cannabis from a vape is absorbed within the first few seconds of inhaling. This means that users do not have to hold the cannabis in their lungs nearly as long. They also experience a higher incidence of active chemicals, which creates a more intense effect.

You can be more discreet with your cannabis intake.

Although cannabis is now legal, it may still be a bit untoward in the court of public opinion. A good vape allows you to indulge your preferred chemical without taking on any unnecessary social pressure or committing a professional faux pas.

Each Canadian province has slightly different rules about your public smoking rights when it comes to cannabis. Some allow cannabis intake wherever tobacco can be consumed, but others do not. Most jurisdictions still prohibit cannabis intake in locations that are known to have a densely populated with children, such as around a school or near public parks. Having a level of discretion with a vape may save you from an unnecessary run-in with the law.

Stay fully informed of your rights – keep up with the current state of cannabis intake law in Canada on this site.

Most vapes are made to look innocuous, so you cannot be immediately called out or noticed for what you are smoking unless someone takes a real interest in it. The look of most vapes is streamlined, with the best of them imitating a traditional cigarette rather than rolling papers.

You actually get more flavor with a vape than with smoking.

The upsides to vaping do not end with health. By most expert accounts, you actually get a better tasting experience when you vape. This is a completely subjective metric, but it is worth trying. Remember that many vapes have different processes, so you may experience different flavor notes depending on the brand that you are using.

You may also experience a different taste based on your vaping technique. As any experienced vaper can tell you, mastering the process of working your vape is an art form that takes more than a little bit of trial and error. If your vaporized weed tastes more like burning popcorn than a cannabis high, then the fault may lie in your technique, not in the idea of vaping cannabis itself.

You can save money over the long term when you vape rather than smoke your cannabis.

Many vaping systems have a substantial initial investment, with some of the best kits being quite expensive. No matter how expensive the kit may be, however, vaping over the long term is a cost saving measure when compared to the traditional ways of cannabis intake.

First of all, vapes convert more THC into vapor than the average joint (46 percent to 25 percent, respectively) according to a study by MAPS and California NORML. Those surveyed within the study overwhelmingly agreed that vapes were a more efficient way to take in the cannabis product. As a result, less of it was required to initiate the same effect. The Journal of Psychoactive Drugs reported that vapes used less of a dose than tea, edibles or smoking.

Vaping can actually get you higher than smoking.

Although you use a lower dose, the higher incidence of THC in each pull gives you a better high when using vapes. Depending on the quality of the kit that you buy, you can expand this effect even further. Although beginners may feel as though they need to take a higher number of puffs with a smaller vape pen, the effects tend to compound more quickly.

Keep in mind that even your most discreet vapes will emit a smell that is recognizable to hardcore cannabis smokers. If they are hardcore, however, they are probably less likely to judge you for your indulgence. There is also much less visible evidence with a vape, because you are not creating clouds of smoke. For best results, use a vape system that makes use of wax or oil.

You do not have to worry about the effects of secondhand smoking in your environment.

In the interest of public safety, many territories in Canada prohibit vaping or smoking cannabis in any area that tobacco is prohibited. The government still assumes, for some reason, that vaping creates the same kind of secondhand vapor that traditional smoking does. This is simply not true. Regardless, the government has some catching up to do in this regard.

Research shows that the lower levels of chemicals in vapor drastically reduce the risk of negative secondhand smoke when compared to smoking tobacco or cannabis. The government also admits that the evidence is limited to prove that vapes increase the nicotine levels of indoor surfaces. Overall, we can definitely assume that vaping is healthier for the people around us.

The health risks of the known chemicals in vaping products are proven to be lower.

The two main liquids in vaping products – propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine – that are used in a large amount of consumer products. These products include sweeteners and cosmetics. The Canadian government assumes them to be safe in other products, but continues to hold back its opinion for those same products when used in vapes.

According to the government, the difference between cosmetics and vaping in terms of propylene glycol and vegetable glycerine is the heating process. Heating these two chemicals has the ability to create new chemicals and cause reactions that do not occur in other consumer products. For instance, forms of aldehydes may come from the heating of glycol based chemicals. There is also a risk of contaminants that may interfere with the natural chemical reactions during vaping. Heavy metals from the immediate environment may get into the products and end up in the vapor.

The levels of contaminants and chemicals may also vary because of the vaping device and if the kit is properly used. If a kit has a higher total power output or max temperature, more chemicals may be produced. Many of the chemicals that are produced during the heating process have been associated with health problems. Regardless, vapor has been shown to produce these chemicals in lower amounts than traditional smoking across the board. The government also admits that the level of harmful metals in vaping products is not significant enough to cause a health concern.

As vapes become more popular, you have more choices for flavors and accessories.

One of the reasons that vaping became so popular so quickly was because of the level of flavor choices that popped up. As vaping becomes more mainstream, first and third party producers continue to create more innovative flavors that can be mixed with the natural flavor of cannabis.

The production of “flavors” in the traditional market for cannabis is somewhat limited. This effect will become more pronounced as time goes on. The fact is that most producers believe vaping to be the future. This virtually guarantees that the widest variety of experiences will be in the vaping community in the future.

The legalization of cannabis also gives it room to become a fashion statement. Vapes come in all shapes and sizes, and some are even used as fashion accessories. Many vapers feel like aficionados when they find the newest vape pen that matches their outerwear. It does not hurt that vapes are fully integrated into the world of smartphones and other tech hardware. You charge your vape in the same way that you charge your laptop, so you never have to worry about carrying an extra lighter that may or may not become a nuisance.

Vapes are easier to use.

Instead of learning complex stuffing and drawing techniques with a manual cannabis intake methodology, you can simply follow the easy directions for your vape. Simply fill the chamber, draw, and let the technology do the rest. Many vapes for beginners protect the smoker against the learning curve with safety mechanisms that reduce dry hits and overindulgent pulls.

Rolling a joint takes quite some time as well. Vapes are certainly less time consuming. If you are looking for a hit on the go, then vapes are definitely the preferred choice for you.

Vapes are customizable.

With the right vaping kit, you can modify your intake experience depending on your needs that day. With a manual joint, what you see is what you get. Your vape allows you to change the power settings and the temperature that affects your flavor. You can set the vape to help you achieve higher or lower intake as well. The amount of flavor and the total amount of vapor is much more easily controlled.

As you become more familiar with your vape, you may even be able to create some unique experiences for yourself and for others. You can set your range to intake cannabis at a “functional” level for daytime consumption and heavier effects for casual smoking later in the day.

Although the government officially states that cold turkey is the healthiest way to quit smoking, it seems to recognize that vaping is a realistic and viable alternative for many people. Canada admits that vaping has many advantages. This is great progress for a government that previously grouped vaping in the same category as unnatural and destructive smoking products. Vapers should take the findings to heart!

 

Sources:

http://www.truthonpot.com/2013/11/10/the-benefits-of-vaporizing-medical-cannabis/

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/laws-regulations.html

http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/Second-Study-Shows-Vaporizers-Drastically-Reduce-Toxins-in-Marijuana-Smoke

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