When we think of getting high, we think of smoking cannabis. It’s traditional, and the method used for over a millennia, it’s also the social aspect of sharing a joint that makes it so appealing. However now we have modern and more safe methods for the inhalation of cannabis. It’s time to reconsider lighting your cannabis on fire and baking it instead, using a dry herb vaporizer.
Dry herb vaporizing is using a device that bakes the cannabis, releasing vapor instead of smoke that you inhale. Dry herb vaporizing never goes over the point of combustion which is 450F/232C so you’re never inhaling smoke. The other method of vaporizing is for concentrates, think vape pens however in this article I’m only going to be discussing dry herb vaporizing.
There’s good reasons why it’s superior to smoking cannabis, let’s look at the top 5 reasons why you need to switch from smoking cannabis to dry herb vaporizing:
1- Dry herb vaporizing is less toxic
Because dry herb vaporizers never go over 450F/232C (the point of combustion), you aren’t getting as many carcinogens as smoking. Inhaling smoke is bad for your lungs and overall health. It contains harmful carcinogens, these carcinogens are drastically reduced when using a dry herb vaporizer.
Cannabis vaporizer use can reduce the emission of carbon monoxide, chronic respiratory symptoms, and exposure to several toxins while producing similar subjective effects and blood THC concentration compared with smoking cannabis, holding potential for harm reduction among habitual cannabis smokers. PubMed
While smoking cannabis is not linked to cancer, smoking cannabis can put you at higher risk of heart attack and stroke as you’re inhaling smoke. It also can put you at higher risk for intense coughing, chronic bronchitis and increases the risk of lung infections.
We don’t know the long term effects of dry herb vaporizing however doctors tend to recommend dry herb vaporizing over smoking for medical patients, as there’s far less toxins when vaporizing.
2- Vaporizing has greater bioavailability
When you light your cannabis on fire, your burning off some of the cannabinoids and terpenes, therefore reducing the overall bioavailability. When you’re looking at whole plant therapy (where none of the plant properties are removed), dry herb vaporizing is superior as it maintains more cannabinoids and terpenes over smoking.
The bioavailability of cannabinoids is the highest with all inhalation methods at around 10 to 35% overall with vaporizing being the highest, as less cannabinoids are burned off. For comparison, ingested cannabis is approximately 5 to 12%.
Vaporized cannabis resulted in qualitatively stronger drug effects for most pharmacodynamic outcomes and higher peak concentrations of THC in blood, compared with equal doses of smoked cannabis (25-mg dose: smoked, 10.2 ng/mL; vaporized, 14.4 ng/mL). National Library of Medicine
This can also make vaporizing feel stronger than smoking for some people. However this also depends on what temperature you’re using, and the strength of the THC in the cannabis flower. Using a 10% THC cultivar will feel lighter than 25%, especially when vaporized at a lower temperature.
Related article: Customize your high with dry herb vaporizing
Dry herb vaporizing releases various cannabinoids and terpenes, depending on what temperature you’re using. For example the boiling point of CBD is 180C/350F and the boiling point of CBN 185C/365F. You can essentially customize your high with dry herb vaporing. You don’t have that level of control when smoking cannabis.
3- Better flavour
Because you’re preserving more of the terpenes using a dry herb vaporizer, you also get the true flavour of the terpenes. Terpenes have a boiling point, they’re delicate and combusting your flower destroys many of the terpenes.
Dry herb vaporizers allow you to reduce the temperature, and lower temperatures gives you greater flavour. If you really want to experience the true taste of the terpenes, turn your dry herb vaporizer down to about 180c/356f to experience all of the notes from the cultivar in your vaporizer.
Related article: Tips & tricks for getting the best flavour from your dry herb vaporizer
4- Dry herb vaporizing saves you money
While the upfront cost of a dry herb vaporizer can run you hundreds of dollars, long term you save money as you use less cannabis overall. Not only do you use less cannabis in a vaporizer, you can reheat the bowl several times, getting up to three or more sessions from one packed bowl.
After vaped bud (AVB)
You can stretch a small amount of cannabis a long way including after you finish with it. You can use the AVB in some milk or with tea and create a cannabis hot toddy of sorts. As it will be higher in CBN, a cannabinoid that can make you feel sleepy, some people like to use AVB tea in the evening to help them sleep. With Dry herb vaporizing you get more use from your cannabis, even turning it into an edible when you’re done. You simply can’t do that when you light cannabis on fire.
5- Reduced smell and more discrete
The odor from cannabis that’s been smoked can be smelled from quite a distance however vapor dissipates in the air, making it far more discreet. You can still smell cannabis from a dry herb vaporizer but it’s much less than smoke.
Smoke can also seep into fabrics like your clothes and furniture, making it stink. That doesn’t happen with vapor. When you vaporize outside it dissipates quickly making it difficult for anyone to know what you’re doing.
Overall vaporizing cannabis has far less smell and it’s more discreet than smoking cannabis.
Advice for making the switch from smoking cannabis to dry herb vaporizing
Vaporizing can feel like you’re inhaling air, it’s quite different than smoking. You can also feel a little light headed at first until you get used to it. The high is different as well, so when you’re making the switch, use a higher setting on your vaporizer. Over 400F/204C will feel closer to smoking, 420F is a great temperature for smokers!
I recommend you lower the temperature as well, so you can get the great flavour from the terpenes. Once you get to higher temperatures, you lose some of the flavour.
Dry Herb Vaporizers I recommend:
I written a couple of thorough articles on vaporizers I recommend and why, I’ve also written a detailed article on how to shop for a dry herb vaporizer to suite your lifestyle needs. Visit the articles below for my top picks!
Top 5 Dry Herb Vaporizers of 2023: Budget Friendly to High End
How to buy the best dry herb vaporizer for your lifestyle needs
FAQ:
Can I use any type of cannabis in a vaporizer?
Dry herb vaporizers are designed for cannabis flower. However, You can buy some models that allow you to use concentrates or oils.
Will I get the same effects as smoking?
Vaporizing actually enhances the effects of cannabis because of it’s greater bioavailability. You get more absorption of the cannabinoids in your body because you’re not burning the plant material.
How long does a vaporizing session last compared to smoking?
Vaporizing cannabis may last longer than smoking because the cannabis heats gradually, and you can take multiple draws from a single session. You can also reheat the cannabis multiple times in a vaporizer.
Can vaporizing reduce coughing?
Yes, while it doesn’t eliminate coughing all together, it does reduce coughing as you’re inhaling steam and not smoke.
Is a vaporizer easy to clean?
If you clean the vaporizer regularly by giving it a quick wipe with some rubbing alcohol, it will reduce how often you have to deep clean the vaporizer. Mostly you’re cleaning inside the bowl, vapor path and the mouthpiece with a dry herb vaporizer. They often come with brushes, wipes and other tools to help maintain the unit.
Does vaporizing affect tolerance differently than smoking?
Since vaporizing has better bioavailability, you may find your tolerance doesn’t increase as quickly as smoking it does. However this can vary depending on many factors like how much you’re using and how often.