With the growing catalogue of evidence surrounding the potential adverse health risks to smoking, many tokers choose to opt for smoke-free alternatives, such as vaping THC, as a safer and cleaner way to enjoy their bud.
One of the best features of cannabis is its sheer versatility in terms of the many forms it can take and the many products currently available on the market.
In other words, we’ve come a long way from sketchy dime bags where you weren’t sure what was actually in it!
Today, blazers have more variety and safer choices than ever before to find the perfect products to consume to suit their particular weed needs.
After all, variety is the spice of life!
Vaping THC has become one of the most popular, risk-averse options for users to get down with some righteous icky sticky without worrying about the negative health repercussions, particularly on the lungs, of more conventional habits, like smoking.
However, there is still quite a bit of misinformation surrounding vaping marijuana and vaping products that may deter people from trying it out for themselves.
Today, we’re here to demystify some of the supposed dangers surrounding vaping THC, outline its benefits and explain how to do it properly.
Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Debunking Myths Surrounding Vaping Cannabis
While more research is coming to light regarding the promising nature of vaping and vaping products as safer alternatives to smoking, like anything else that some people may find controversial, vaping is not without its neigh-sayers.
Below, we’ll outline two of the most common arguments against vaping and outline why they shouldn’t be high – get it? – cause for concern.
Myth 1: Vitamin E Scandal
One of the most common examples in the argument arsenal of vaping doubters is the supposed “Vitamin E Scandal” of 2019.
This “scandal” comprised the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigating hundreds of vaping-related lung injury cases across the country.
According to the FDA, these examinations yielded “more than 1,000 reports of lung injuries – including some resulting in deaths – following the use of vaping products.”
As such, it issued a statement “strengthening its warning for consumers to stop using vaping products containing THC.”
These cases left health officials shocked because most of those admitted with these lung injuries were young people with symptoms mimicking severe lung illnesses like pneumonia.
Later, a report from the New York Department of Health explained that lab test results displayed extremely high levels of vitamin E acetate in nearly all of the analyzed samples of products containing cannabis.
Vitamin E acetate is an oil derived from Vitamin E most commonly found in supplements and skin creams. Independently, it is not known to be harmful.
However, if inhaled, these oils can cause a rare condition known as lipoid pneumonitis, resulting from fat particles being ingested via the lungs.
Symptoms of this condition include coughing, chest pain and difficulty breathing, many of which were reported by those patients admitted to the hospital due to lung injury after using THC vaping cartridges.
The most curious question surrounding this “scandal,” however, was how the vitamin E oil ended up in these THC-containing cartridges in the first place.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Peter Hackett, president of the northern California company, Air Vapor, which sells vape hardware and plant-derived terpenes, stated, “a lot of these carts would be cut 20 to 30 percent with a diluent.”
However, as demand started to grow and the cannabis market expanded, Hackett explained that this ratio flipped to “30 percent cannabis oil, 70 percent thickening agent” for some brands.
So, as long as users are acquiring their vaping products from safe, trustworthy MOMs and dispensaries, they can easily avoid these dangerous situations.
Not sure what’s safe? Read our guide on 3 ways to identify high-quality vape oil to find out how you can save yourself the trouble of cheaper alternatives.
Myth 2: Vaping is just as Harmful as Smoking
While the vitamin E acetate debacle surely didn’t do the vaping community or greater cannabis industry any favours, another prevalent argument presented from those opposed to vaping is that it is just as bad or as harmful to your lungs as smoking.
However, this simply isn’t true.
Vaporization and combustion are two entirely different acts.
Vaporization involves using high temperatures to decarboxylate the cannabinoids and terpenes in cannabis. This process produces a vapour that users then inhale.
On the other hand, smoking cannabis uses fire or an external heat source to combust weed, which simultaneously decarboxylates it.
While both vaping and smoking involve inhalation, what you’re actually inhaling is very different.
While vaporizers heat weed to the optimal temperature to release the cannabinoids and terpenes, the temperature is still low enough to avoid the harmful components of smoke, such as tar, excess plant matter, and carcinogens produced by combustion.
So, vaping actually serves to promote safer health effects than smoking through reducing lung agitation and respiratory symptoms produced by smoking cannabis, including coughing, wheezing, and the increased production of phlegm.
Research dictates that vaping THC is actually a safer alternative for those with pre-existing conditions who are prone to respiratory issues and weed users in general.
The Benefits of Vaping THC Over Smoking
Now that we’ve debunked the primary concerns surrounding vaping THC, we can take things in a more positive direction by outlining the benefits it can provide consumers.
With this in mind, let’s go over some of the advantages of vaping over smoking.
Vaping Produces Fewer Toxins
As we outlined above, objectively, vaporizers are better and less harsh on your lungs and your overall health compared to smoking.
Users can drastically cut the risk of inhaling tar, excess plant matter, carcinogens, and other harmful irritants when vaping rather than smoking their cannabis.
This difference is because, instead of combusting the plant material, vaporizers heat it up to a lower temperature, allowing the generation of vapour instead of smoke. This vapour provides this same magnitude of effects – or even more if you’re vaping a cannabis concentrate – as you would experience from smoking.
Actually, according to a 2010 study with 20 daily cannabis users suffering from respiratory issues, switching to vaping THC minimized respiratory damage. This evidence supports the idea that vaping cannabis instead of smoking has more positive long-term health implications.
Even further still, according to research from the Department of Health and Social Care in England, vaping is 95% less toxic than smoking.
Vapour Doesn’t Have a Smell
Burning anything is likely to produce smoke and a distinctive scent, and weed is no exception.
We’re all likely familiar with the discernible dank smell of cannabis. In this way, regardless of whether you’re toking up at home or in public, it won’t take long for others to catch on to what you’re doing.
So, if you’re looking to avoid any judgement or dirty looks, or just want to hide your high, vaping is a practical alternative. Since vapour is typically odourless, you won’t run the risk of facing the same issues you’d face when smoking joints, pipes or blunts.
So, if discreetness is something that’s important, switching to vaping your THC is a plausible solution.
Vaping THC is More Convenient
Carrying around your entire stash box should the inspiration to roll a joint strike isn’t the most practical thing.
THC vape pens pose an all-in-one solution by having everything you need to puff in one convenient device!
The batteries on some models are rechargeable, you can change out the cartridges to suit whatever mood you’re in, and, as we said before, you don’t have to worry about the smell produced by more traditional joints.
Additionally, vape pens are also a more practical size. You can simply pop them into your pocket, purse, backpack or whatever to toke on the go whenever you want! Switching to a THC vape pen is a great idea and if you’re not convinced, click here to find out more about vape pens and whether or not they’re right for you.
Stronger Flavour Profile
Another positive in favour of vaporizing over combustion is that the risk of potentially burning your weed is exponentially lower when using a vape pen, which can significantly change its flavour and scent.
Since vaping doesn’t burn the bud, it doesn’t have the potential for potentially ruining the unique terpene profile of the particular strain, allowing you to enjoy the natural flavours and aroma of your weed.
Vaping is Easier to Dose
While there is a humble nostalgia in rolling a joint, this act makes it far more difficult to gauge just how potent your experience will be.
A vape pen is a viable option for reliably ingesting THC without going too hard or risking a green out.
Both reusable and disposable vape cartridges containing cannabis concentrates come pre-filled with THC vape juice that provides controlled doses, allowing users to have more control over how much they choose to ingest at any given time.
In the instance of dry-herb vaporizers, it can be a bit more complex in terms of learning how much ground flower to put in the small chamber. There’s typically a particular sweet spot, depending on the vape, in terms of volume to get it right.
Packing too much may restrict airflow while packing less runs the risk of burning the flower.
However, this ultimately comes down to experimentation, and it won’t take long to get the gist of it after a couple of tries.
Vaping THC – Smoking the Competition
Research continues to grow in support of vaping over smoking as a safer, cleaner and healthier alternative to promote long-term health.
On top of these factors, vaping also poses a more versatile, portable, scent-free and accurate ingestion method where users can reliably toke on the go without overindulging.
We hope this article served to clear up any misconceptions or misinformation surrounding the world of vaping THC and shifted the focus to its many benefits instead.
For those curious about giving vaping a try, Pyro Extracts’ Ceramic Vaporizer Starter Kit is a fantastic option to supply everything you need. These kits are reintroduced with strain-specific terpenes, providing a high-quality taste and experience without the adverse health effects of smoking cannabis.
Not only that, but the full-ceramic tanks have no traces of cotton, heavy metal, or glue.
So, all you need to do is sit back, relax and let all the joyous effects wash over you.
Happy vaping!
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