Dry herb vaporizers are a relatively new technology, which might make you wonder if you actually need one. Is it really worth switching to vaporizing from smoking marijuana from a joint, pipe, or bong?
In a nutshell, a dry herb vape is a device that heats up cannabis and releases cannabinoids like THC and CBD into vapor. Inhale the vapor, and you get the fun effects of whatever weed strain you've chosen.
But are vaporizers worth the cost? Or are they all just hype?
Vaporizing Benefits: Are Dry Herb Vapes Good?
Vaporizing is better than smoking in every way. It's more efficient with your herb, it's better for lung health compared with smoking marijuana or cigarettes, and it smells less and is more discreet. It even has a better taste.
Vaping cannabis will give you stronger effects than smoking the same amount of herb. A study in 2018 compared the THC blood concentration levels between smokers and people vaping dry herbs. The people that vaped had over 40% more THC absorbed into their bloodstream.
Vaporization: the most efficient way to consume cannabis
When you smoke using a "combustion method" like a joint, bong, or pipe, lots of the cannabinoids in the plant are destroyed before you get the chance to inhale them. Vaporizers have precise temperature control and never burn your herb, so you can get every last drop of THC and CBD out of the plant material.
Vaporized weed can even be used after you're done vaping. You can use already vaped bud (AVB or ABV) to make edibles, AVB capsules, or even special herbal tea. You can smoke it too, but it doesn't taste great and it's pretty weak.
Health Benefits of Using a Dry Herb Vaporizer
A dry herb vaporizer gives you more control over your dosage, because you can set the exact temperature in the chamber. Medical marijuana users might be especially interested in an alternative to smoking that lets them customize their sessions for lighter or heavier effects, as needed.
Recreational users can also benefit from being able to choose their ideal vibe, of course. A higher heat will give you greater effects. But vapes can taste worse at the highest heat setting.
You can also vape dry herb that isn't cannabis. Herbs and flowers like peppermint, lavender, and even a plant like green tea are popular choices, and produce delicious vapors.
Vaping dry herbs is healthier for your lungs
Smoking marijuana might not be quite as harmful as the side effects of smoking cigarettes, but it still releases harmful toxins and carcinogens that you might not want to be inhaling. Burning tobacco isn't the only issue here: combustion itself releases toxic chemicals.
Dry herb vaporizers have temperature control, heating the herbs to an exact heat to release their active ingredients. This avoids burning, and no toxins will be released, making the vapor healthier than smoke.
When vaporizing at higher temperatures, there will begin to be some toxins, but nowhere near the amount released in combustion. At higher temperatures, you may find your throat getting irritated.
Finally, don't get confused and accidentally buy an oil vape pen. These devices are not dry herb vaporizers at all. Also, in unlicensed markets, the lack of standards led to rare cases of lung problems. Using an oil vape pen can be perfectly safe, but buying a pen in a legal market from a licensed provider is advised.
Dry Herb Vape Benefits (Health Aside)
Vaporization is definitely a better choice than smoking if you're prioritizing a healthy body. But there are plenty of other reasons to switch.
The quality of the flavor you get from vaping is amazing. This is because smoke isn't getting in the way of the plant's natural flavor, you're just inhaling pure herbs.
Difference in smell compared with smoking weed
The odor of a dry herb vaporizer is subtle, compared with the distinct smell of smoking cannabis. Cannabis smoke might dissipate faster than cigarette smoke, but it still lingers in rooms and on clothes.
Vaping produces only a slightly noticeable odor, and goes away very quickly. It's much easier to vaporize dry herbs discreetly compared with smoking.
Which Dry Herb Vaporizer Gets You the Highest?
The most powerful device is probably the Volcano by Storz & Bickel, but it's expensive and needs to be plugged into a wall to work. Desktop convection vaporizers like the Volcano also tend to have larger bowl sizes, making it easier to have massive sessions.
Although their vapor isn't as powerful as a desktop vape, most people go with a portable conduction vaporizer. The benefits of portability and faster heat up times outweigh other factors. Plus, they're cheaper. And you can use them while walking around at home, instead of being stuck in a single room in your house.
The best dry herb vaporizers
There's a few dry herb vapes that rise above the pack. Consistently among the top reviewed are the Mighty by Storz & Bickel, the Furna, and the DaVinci IQ2. The PAX 3 is also a very popular model.
The Furna has an extra edge in portability and convenience with its oven-swapping technology. Reloading a vape can be awkward, especially when you're not in the comfort of your own home. With Furna, you can load up several ovens in advance, then swap one for another instantly whenever you want a fresh one.
There's even a concentrate oven and an oven for 510 oil cartridges available. It's rare for a dry herb vaporizer to be able to handle cannabis concentrates, at least not without awkward inserts and potential messiness. Check out Furna, and learn more about why swappable ovens are such a game-changer.
