While smoking has been the preferred method for consuming THC for hundreds of years, vaporizing cannabis is quickly becoming a more popular option for users chasing a high or using medical marijuana. Vaporizers heat the vape product more evenly without combustion, preserving the cannabinoids and terpenes.
There are different kinds of vape product, including the vaporizer itself as well as different vape juice or dry herb products and paraphernalia. But is there a difference in the high you get between smoking or vaporizing cannabis? Are there risks to either smoking or vaping you should worry about? Keep reading to learn more, and visit Cannabis and Glass near you in Eastern Oregon.
Types of Vapes and Cannabis Forms
Many vapes are electronic and come in a variety of styles and sizes. Users can choose between liquid or dry herb vaporizer models. Liquid vapes often use vape juice cartridges that contain a blend of concentrated THC oil, carrier oils, and flavorings. These can contain up to 99% THC in the most potent blends.
A dry herb vaporizer allows users to use the dried flower of the plant, which usually contains between 20-30% THC. One downside is that users must grind the dried herb extremely fine for use with most vaporizers. However, if you still want to use the natural product with a vape, a dry herb vaporizer will help you extract the most benefit from the flower over traditional smoking.
Most vapes are conduction vapes, which use conduction heating to vaporize the vape product. Others are convection vapes, which use either a fan or inhalation to move and heat the air that comes into contact with the vape product.
Vaporizing Cannabis Risks Compared to Smoking Risks
Studies indicate that smoking cannabis exposes users to similar carcinogens as smoking tobacco, including toluene, ammonia, benzene, cyanide, naphthalene, and nitrogen oxides. Additionally, marijuana smoke contains more of some of these chemicals than tobacco smoke.
However, rather than increasing the risk of lung cancer, some studies indicate that cannabis smoking might increase lung function. Other studies suggest that cannabis can increase the risk of other lung diseases and chronic bronchitis. Both studies cite the need for additional research to find a causal link in their initial conclusions.
The few studies on vaporizing cannabis compare its side effects to smoking tobacco, smoking cannabis, and vaping tobacco. Most results come from users self-reporting their use of certain products, and due to a high rate of cross-use between products, researchers cannot attribute most negative effects to a single cause.
Paper Vs. Glass for Smoking
Your exposure to other chemicals could come from the rolling papers or lighters used to light the cannabis for combustion, including pesticides and heavy metals. Bongs, water pipes, and glass pipes can reduce your exposure to these chemicals, but you need to clean your glass regularly to avoid tar buildup.
Vaping Vs. Smoking: Which Gives a Better High?
Vaping allows users to control the temperature, extracting more cannabinoids, THC, and terpenes from a similar quantity of recreational or medical marijuana. This temperature control allows them to reuse the product when smoking the dried bud in edibles, tea, or in an emergency if running low on fresh product.
However, vaping is often a single-person event compared to the social aspect of smoking with friends. If you prefer the social experience of smoking together with friends, family, or romantic partners, rolling a joint or lighting a bowl will give you a better overall experience of enjoyment and fulfillment rather than simply chasing the best high.
Other Ways to Consume Cannabis
Cannabis products come in a range of choices, including edibles, vape juice, and dried marijuana buds. You can also choose between several strains. Other products contain only CBD oil or blends of THC and CBD, and are available in tinctures, lotions, edibles, and other forms.
Whether you prefer inhaling or getting your high from baked goods or gummies, there are several ways to enjoy the effects of cannabis and its derivatives.
Visit a Cannabis and Glass Near You!
At Cannabis and Glass, we proudly stock our Eastern Oregon dispesary with hundreds of cannabis products including flower, concentrates, vapes, pipes, edibles, and more. View our menu online or contact us to learn more about smoking or vaping marijuana.
