While it still hasn’t received universal acknowledgment, using marijuana has nonetheless become much more established and widely accepted. This is due, in part, to the continued discoveries and innovations when it comes to medical cannabis. Now, most of the discussion is centered on safety and the health implications of casual consumption through various means.
One hot topic in debates is smoking versus vaporizing or vaping marijuana. The latter is considered to be healthier than smoking, as vaporizing doesn’t produce as many carcinogenic substances. It also doesn’t produce tar. Moreover, the vapors are less likely to cause nasal and lung irritations. While you will still be exposed to some harmful byproducts, it’s estimated that vaping (weed or not) is 95% safer than smoking.
For this reason alone, it’s definitely worth considering vaping weed. To further convince skeptics, here are a few more advantages of vaporizing over smoking marijuana.
Discreetness
Weed vape pens and most e-cigarettes in general are naturally designed to be non-conspicuous. Some even look like literal colorful pens! But other than their actual physical structure, weed vaporizers also produce smaller puffs of smoke. In addition, the vapor also has a more discreet scent. You’ll still experience the full flavor of the herbs, but those around you will only detect a faint aroma.
Fuller, Richer Flavor
Vaping weed still involves heat, but it doesn’t burn the herbs and flowers as smoking does. As such, you’ll experience a fuller, richer flavor. You’ll also be able to more distinctly distinguish the secondary notes of your chosen variety. You may even describe the taste as “cleaner” compared to the one you get when smoking. In addition, because you’re using lower and more stable temperatures, you’ll get a higher concentration of cannabinoids. This is especially beneficial if you’re after the medical effects of marijuana, as well. What can be considered as a downside is that the longer you extend your vaping session, the more flavor you will lose.
Efficiency and Value for Money
Obviously, you’re going to have to shell out some money before you can start vaping. However, after that initial investment of about $45 to $60 dollars for a vaporizer (more if you have a top-tier model), you’ll actually save more money. Why? Vaping doesn’t allow too much of the vapor to escape, if at all. Lighting up a joint, meanwhile, means a whole lot of wasted cannabinoids and smoke. Simply put, you’ll get more out of even just a small clump of dry herbs. You’ll also be able to extract much more cannabinoids like THC by as much as 46%. In addition, medical marijuana users also reported that vaping required a lower dosage to produce the desired effects compared to other consumption methods like edibles and smoking.
Another perk is that the buds and herbs you’ve already vaped can be used for other purposes. You can brew them for tea, for example, or use them in cooking. You can’t do this with smoking, since you’ll be burning the weed down to ash. In summary, when you vape, a little goes a long way. This translates to more savings, especially if you’re a heavy user.
No Second- or Third-Hand Smoke
Much like smoking cigarettes, smoking weed produces a lot of smoke that you can pass on to unsuspecting people. At the very least, they’ll get annoyed. At worst, they’ll develop health problems. When you vape, however, there’s a dramatic reduction of second-hand smoke. In the rare cases that the vapor escapes, it dissipates a lot faster. This means that you also won’t be worrying about third-hand smoke, which is smoke that lingers and clings to clothes and furniture.
Of course, vaping is not perfect. There are safety concerns like substandard products being prone to malfunctioning, causing burns and other injuries when they explode. There’s also the argument that vaping results in a much stronger high, which may not be ideal for some users. Still, considering all the other benefits, there’s a case to be made that vaping is indeed better. Whichever way you consume marijuana, however, it all boils down to being responsible and knowing your limits.