Marijuana 101: Vaporizing Vs. Smoking
The smoking of marijuana has been around for years. Nowadays, there are so many different ways to consume cannabis that it is tough to decide the best method. Anywhere from smoking the classic joint to smoking live resin out a rig; the way cannabis is consumed is constantly changing. With the legalization of marijuana, people are starting to wonder what is the safest way to ingest cannabis. Is vaporizing your flower better than burning your flower?
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What is the Difference?
When you are comparing vaping vs. smoking, it is important to know the differences between the two. Vaping is when you are taking your flower and heating it up to the temperature below its combustion point. This process is activating the THC without burning the actual plant material.
The main reason for using this method of ingesting cannabis is due to the health risks associated with inhaling plant material. Although there are no diagnoses related to cannabis consumption, people are still worried about how smoking over time may affect your lungs. It is this worry that has caused people to look further into to vaporizing their flower.
Smoking or burning marijuana is the most common way of ingesting marijuana. This process is done in many different ways. Anywhere from smoking a joint to ripping a bong, the burning of marijuana has always been the typical method of consumption.
The smoking of cannabis is different from vaporizing because the whole flower is burned. This process activates the THC but it also combusts (burns) the rest of the plant material. While the plant is safe to consume, the excess plant material is the main health concern involved with smoking cannabis.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Vaping?
The method of vaporizing your flower is a very efficient and effective way to consume cannabis. It is a far cleaner hit and is better for your lungs and throat. Due to the process of heating the cannabis just up to its burning point, but not past, activates the THC without burning the plant.
It is for this reason that a lot of newer cannabis consumers are more attracted to the method of vaporizing. It allows them to limit their risk of ingesting cannabis to practically none. While we are still researching all of the effects of cannabis, it is safe to say that vaporizing is one of the healthiest methods of consumption.
Vaporizing is seen as less harmful than smoking and effective way of ingesting. However, there are a few cons to this method as well. While you are not burning the plant material with vaporization, you are losing a bit more of the THC content. This process leaves leftover plant material that you must trash after each use.
Plus, due to vaporization being so new to cannabis, there are a lot of vaping products that still combust the flower. This puts the responsibility in the hands of the consumer to make sure their vaping methods are not combusting the flower.
What Are the Pros and Cons of Smoking?
The entire plant is burned and only the ashes are left. This gives the consumer an easy and quick way to consume cannabis. The smoking of marijuana is also a different high than vaporizing. The burning of cannabis tends to be a bit more potent than vaporizing.
Even though smoking a joint is one of the most popular ways to use cannabis, it is one of the unhealthier ways of ingesting cannabis. Due to the full plant being smoked, some of the plant material can be inhaled into the lungs. While there have been no studies that show true health risks from the inhalation of plant material.
There is a “common sense” factor that having any smoke in the lungs adds health risks. This method of consumption is also one of the more noticeable ways of smoking. This process tends to have a stronger smell when smoked and is why newer smokers choose to vaporize over burning cannabis. Vaporizing is a lot more discreet.
What Are the Methods of Vaporizing?
There are many ways to vaporize your flower. With this becoming a very popular method of smoking amongst new users, there are a wide variety of ways to vape. For instance, there are a ton of different vape pens on the market today.
Anywhere from the Dope Boo Vaporizer to the Pax 3, vaporizing has become an on the go way of smoking cannabis. Vape pens allow the consumer to have a clean smoke without having the strong smell of smoking. This method is appealing to those who like to be discreet about their smoking habits. However, there are some pens on the market who call themselves vaporizers, but still, combust the flower. So, be careful and educated when purchasing a vape pen.
There is also an at-home way of vaporizing your cannabis. This method is called the Volcano Vaporizer. A Volcano is used when you pack your flower into a vaporizer that then filters the smoke into a big bag. Once the bag is full, you begin to inhale the smoke from the bag. This keeps any excess plant material from being inhaled. It is also a good way of ensuring a solid hit when vaporizing.
Overall, if you are a consumer who is worried about any health risks related to cannabis, then vaporizing is the best bet for you. Vaporizing takes all excess plant material out of the equation. Meaning the main health risk associated with ingesting cannabis is no longer an issue. Even though vaping is the most modern way of consuming cannabis, it is always necessary to roll yourself a nice joint every once in a while!
