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What you need to know about weed vaporizers, vape pens and vaping

"Omer Mcmanus" (2020-08-28)


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Just like beach bodies, weed vapes come in all different shapes and sizes.

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Warning: This story discusses mild-altering substances and technology used to consume them. These substances are legal in some places but not in others. You shouldn't do things that are illegal -- nothing here endorses illegal drug use.

In the three years since "vape" was voted , it's turned into a synonym for , as well as . That's thanks to a of portable devices that make consuming marijuana as easily accessible and fashionably demure as checking the time on a phone. 

Cannabis laws are nuanced and complicated, so more on that later. But if you are in a state where it's legal to buy and consume marijuana, reefer, , the devil's lettuce -- whatever you call it -- then read on. Like diesel cars and standard gasoline cars, e-cigarettes and vape pens are far from the same. What's a marijuana vaporizer?A Volcano is a popular type of desktop vaporizer.
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A vaporizer is a device that heats up marijuana (either in dry herb or ) enough to transmit its active ingredients (THC) without any burning. High-quality devices deliver vapor that accentuates the flower's natural aroma. Though they come in all shapes and sizes, there are : desktop vapes and portable vapes. Desktop vaporizerA desktop vaporizer is a device that's meant to stay in one place (not for travel). They're on a wall outlet, and most allow you to precisely adjust the temperature -- an important factor to the vaping equation (more on that later). Some models use a "whip," a hose-like mouthpiece, or "balloon," a bag that fills with vapor which you then inhale from -- like a Volcano.Portable vaporizerIf a desktop vape is like a desktop PC, portable vaporizers are like laptops. Many are essentially e-cigarettes that are modified to vaporize marijuana instead of e-juice (eww). Portable vapes (which are battery-operated) can be like or as   as a or .How is vaping different from smoking?Cleaning a bong, scraping resin out of a pipe, or vacuuming ashes is disgusting. With vaporizers, clean-up is minimal and usually limited to the tank/chamber and mouthpiece. However, with oil pens that can get a little messy, too. (More on that in a bit as well.)Portable vapes are also a hell of a lot more discreet to use and carry around. The vapor they emit often isn't as smelly or visible in comparison to the smoke from a joint or pipe. Storage and travel also tends to be easy, thanks to compact designs. And you never have to worry about finding, forgetting or losing your lighter.vape-3-2Vape pens vary in design and function.
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Does it smell?The vapor from a vaporizer typically doesn't smell, but that doesn't mean that the vaporizer itself won't reek of weed. Marijuana has a very, um, aromatic scent. (There's a reason ) The stench is unavoidable when smoking -- no matter how many -- but not when vaping. You'd maybe catch a whiff of weed if someone right next to you was vaping, or if someone near you has a vape with the heat setting on too high, but it's generally not something with an obvious smell.vape-3-3, stand up!
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What kind of vape pens are there?A vape pen is a popular style of portable vaporizer that is totally . Most require frequent charging, unless it's of , and some, like the , can vaporize both concentrates (oils and waxes) and flowers -- though their larger dimensions stretch the definition of "vape pen."Cartridge pensStreamlined, low-maintenance and affordable.
Compatible with universal cartridges prefilled with hash oil.
Cartridges are made of plastic, metal or glass and can be disposed when empty.
The battery simply screws onto a cartridge for pen-like design.
Concentrate pensFunctions and designs similar to cartridge pens, except you fill the tank/chamber with extracts.
If the concentrate is too thick, you have to buy "juice" (eww) to thin it out.
More removable parts than cartridge pens.
Atomizer coils commonly clog or break down.
Herb vaporizers Can only vaporize dry flower.
Larger than the .
Tend to be more expensive.How do they work?The main components of a vape pen are a battery, a power button, an atomizer, a tank (also referred to as a chamber), and a mouthpiece -- just like an e-cigarette. vape-3-1How a simple vape pen works
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When activated (usually by pressing a button or inhaling or both at the same time), the battery heats up the atomizer component, which in turn heats up the flower or concentrates inside of the tank to a high enough temp for vaporization to occur -- but not high enough for it to combust. is an important factor. Heat affects the harshness of what you inhale; the lower the heat, the less the vapor, and vice versa. This is a weak spot for portable vapes. Some high-end models allow you to control the exact temp, but most only offer a handful of heat settings to choose from, if that.Vape pens that use pre-filled cartridges are popular due to ease of use. 
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Is it legal?
In the US, the legality of cannabis can be a little confusing since marijuana (and therefore vaping marijuana) is federally illegal, , and subject to local restrictions or immunity in some places. For more information on marijuana laws, visit . 

What are the health concerns?Any substance that changes your body chemistry should be considered carefully. Cannabis isn't new, but the many ways of consuming it  -- including vaporizing -- are. We don't yet know about its long- and short-term effects. If a desktop vape looks intimidating, try a vape pen instead.
Aaron Robinson/CNET
There isn't a lot of research either way that suggests vaping is definitively better than smoking, especially since cannabis (extracts, flowers and devices) is an unregulated industry. Until more research is done and regulation can back the claims of unregulated cannabis, the health concerns remain unclear. With federal legalization of marijuana still  for the US, here's hoping that critical information about the health effects of weed vapes, positive or negative, is available before they reach the mainstream saturation of fidget spinners.