Vape pens are incredibly popular, attracting users of all demographics. Here are the basics you should know about buying, choosing and using them.
Seemingly overnight, vape pens appeared in most cannabis users’ households, while also attracting non-users with their convenience and discreetness. Vape pens make for useful tools, providing you with different strains and flavors while eliminating the need to sit down and roll a joint. They are discreet in both odor and appearance, making it easy to smoke weed without setting off any alarms.
Since the vaping industry blew up so quickly it can be tough to know what these devices can do and which product works best for you. For the most part, vaporizers are intuitive and easy to use, with two main types of pens: herb and extract.
Herb vaporizers use cannabis flower and contain what is basically a small oven inside that heats up the cannabis and turns it into vape. These devices are generally reusable, bigger and more expensive. On the other hand, there’s extract vaporizers, which run on cannabis extracts. They’re very popular and can be reused, containing batteries, cartridges, and ports for charging.
Here are some of the basics you should know about vape pens:
Less smell and smoke
RELATED: Experts Predict A Boom In Vaping Market Through Remainder Of 2020
When smoking weed, the paper goes through a combustion process that creates smoke and toxins associated with cancer and other illnesses. Vape pens heat the marijuana and create a vapor, which can still have an odor, but is much less thick and invasive than smoke. Vape pen vapor usually doesn’t cling to clothes and fabrics, and can be quickly dispersed in a room within minutes.
There’s some issues with buying them online
While you can still purchase vape pens from online sources, you won’t find them in places like Amazon, which screens against all sorts of drug/tobacco paraphernalia. While some products might appear here and there, they’ll most likely be taken down quickly.
Your best bet when purchasing these types of products is to order directly from a company’s website. If you prefer to do your research in-person, visit your nearest dispensary and ask your budtender about the different options that they offer.
Vaping is healthier than smoking flower
RELATED: A Field Guide To Picking The Best Vaporizer For You
A lot of people argue that vaping is healthier than smoking flower, primarily because you eliminate the combustion and smoke, which are the most harmful aspects associated with marijuana.
Still, there are some risks associated with vape pens, particularly with the chemicals that are in the devices — the side effects of which remain unknown and largely unresearched. It’s also important to purchase products from trusted sources, especially due to the strange vaping illness that appeared last year that affected hundreds of people.
Vape highs are different
While vaping marijuana is still vaping marijuana, the highs that vape pens produce are slightly different than the ones you’d get from a joint. If you’re not used to vaping, be sure to start off slow and to expect a stronger reaction. Vape pens usually pack a stronger hit than joints, especially if the cannabis comes from a concentrate.
