by Ed Rosenthal
Other studies confirm decreased bronchial irritation from vaping, and irritation is one of the leading side effects of medical marijuana smoking. It can cause bronchitis, which cannabis smokers appear to suffer more of. There’s never been a better time to ditch that chronic cough.
The modern vaporizer concept has actually been around for some time. The first known device that worked by vaporizing marijuana was introduced in 1979 under the name the “Tilt Pipe.” This short-lived device was doomed to obscurity by the passage of anti-paraphernalia laws in the early 1980s.
In 1994, BC Vaporizers manufactured prototype models of a device and named it the “Vaporizer.” The name stuck, and it is now used generically to refer to all of the various vapor devices. Many inventor-types in Europe, Canada, and the United States have emerged since the mid-1990s, flooding the market with choices. This chapter explains how they work and reviews the different types of vaporizers currently available.
HOW VAPORIZERS WORK
Vaporizers capitalize on the fact that THC transforms into a vapor at a lower temperature than the temperature at which plant material burns. Just like water can be turned into vapor, THC resin can be turned from a liquid to a gas without actually combusting the plant material.
Some vaporizers are designed to resemble familiar paraphernalia. There are bong-like models and a few portable types that are similar to pipes. Favorite bongs can even be adapted for vaporization techniques. Other models look like alien gadgetry. All vaporizers involve a heating element, a bowl-like part that holds the marijuana or concentrate, and a way of catching and drawing the vapor.
With the rollback of marijuana prohibition, we’re witnessing an explosion in species of desktop, portable, and pocket/pen vaporizers. These devices vaporize raw herb and/or waxy concentrates, oils, and bubble hash and kief.
Small-sized pens such as those offered from minivapes.co help you enjoy the stickiest concentrates. The atomizer is easily cleaned for reuse.
Photo: David Downs
Patents on the technology have existed since the ’60s, but the products began to seep into the consumer consciousness in the mid-2000s, after the Chinese began mass production, which brought costs down dramatically. Amplifying consumer adoption was the war on tobacco as well as the rise of medical marijuana. E-cigarettes suddenly became a viable alternative to tobacco smoking, and marijuana-adapted devices became a significant global market.
The Vaporizer High
The first time you use a vaporizer, it may seem odd. You inhale air that has the faintly suggestive odor of cannabis, but there is no smoke. It doesn’t quite feel the same. The harshness and flavor of the smoke is noticeably absent. It may even feel like nothing is happening. And then, suddenly, it dawns on you that you’re high.
The high may also feel different than when smoking. Some people report that they get stoned quickly when using a vaporizer. Others note that the high seems to be lighter or more head-oriented.
Many people prefer vaporization because its delivery is as rapid as smoking, but without the unwanted tars. Vaporizers and their nicotine counterparts are also not clearly illegal the way using tobacco products are. People are clandestinely vaping everywhere, from City Hall to airports and workplaces. Consequently, laws banning vaporizers in places where smoking is prohibited are in place all over the country. Critics of such laws are pushing back, noting that there is plenty of scientific evidence that vaping is far safer than smoking, and little evidence that secondhand exposure to exhaled vapor is harmful.
Cloud Penz was the first to offer a portable micropen with a micro USB charger. The pens use a lithium ion battery, and the company’s atomizers are made with titanium.
Photos: Cloud Penz
Some smokers adjust easily to vaporization, but others report that the high produced from vaporizing lacks something more than just the smoke. It’s important to keep in mind the notion that psychological effects are a function of the drug, the user’s mindset, and the overall setting.
Smokers are conditioned to anticipate the high when they taste and feel the smoke. Vaporizing and smoking are both complex chemical exchanges of marijuana’s constituents. It seems completely reasonable that they produce subtly different experiences.
Vaporizer Mechanics
A little knowledge helps to ensure an enjoyable and healthy vaporizing experience. There are a few key mechanics that determine a good vaporizer.
The first is heat. Vaporizers are designed to maintain a temperature that is safely within a specific range. THC’s boiling point is 392°F (200°C), but noncannabinoid terpenes vaporize starting at 80°F (27°C). The ideal temperature for vaporization is subject to debate, but is usually suggested in the range 330°F–375°F (165°C–190°C). Smoke begins to form at temperatures over 360°F (182°C). When the temperature goes over the 400°F (204°C) mark, tars and other undesirable compounds such as benzene and dioxins are released. When ignited, the temperature soars to 600°F (316°C) or higher.
Vaporizer heating elements must maintain a stable temperature to produce vapor without burning the plant material. Many vaporizer models are designed to reach the desired temperature range quickly. THC and the other cannabinoids vaporize at slightly different temperatures. Rapid heating delivers the full cannabinoid spectrum simultaneously.
Some vaporizers have temperature control, while others are designed to reach the correct temperature without any adjustable settings. The latter models are convenient because they avoid the learning curve, but they lose flexibility. An adjustable model adds complexity to the process, but contributes to the design. It may take a little experimentation to learn about adjusting the temperature controls.
There are two types of temperature controls: binary (on/off) and analog. The heating element may have settings, allowing the user to monitor the exact temperature. Once the right setting is determined, it only needs occasional, minute adjustments.
Many vaporizer inventors recommend slow, even, meditative breaths for inhaling vapor. Most desktop vapes feature a reservoir or kettle where herb is exposed to heat. When vaporizing, the bowl should expose the greatest possible surface area of the material to the heat source. Greater surface area means more available resin to evaporate. In some units you occasionally redistribute the herb. You can also save the brown, toasted herb waste for use in baking. It still contains some cannabinoids.
With box and whip–style desktop units, moving the reservoir to control the temperature is more intuitive, and involves some coordination while drawing a hit. This may seem like a downside, but it has one advantage: the temperature is determined not only by the heating element, but also by the strength of a person’s draw. A strong inhale causes the temperature to fall. After adjusting the heat for such a user, be sure to readjust it for the next person to take a hit.
The bowl should also keep the bud at an even distance from the heat source. Uneven application of heat causes the hotter area to burn or toast, which may produce smoke and alter the taste. The cooler parts will rest in the bowl with the resin intact. Well-designed models have a small vapor collection area. By the time the vapor is inhaled, its temperature has begun to drop. This is better for the lungs, since hot, dry air is unhealthy, even when it doesn’t contain smoke. However, as the cannabinoids cool, they condense into liquid dew. Large collection areas provide more surfaces to which the dew can cling, making it irretrievable.
Keep portable and pen vaporizers charged and clean. When purchasing a unit, battery life and ease of loading and cleaning should be chief concerns. Durability and a great warranty are two more key features. On the other hand, some devices are disposable.
Because high temperatures are involved, all materials used to build a vaporizer should be safe when heated. Copper, plastics, aluminum foil, and some other metals release toxic fumes at vaporization temperatures. Models containing these metals create a health hazard and should not be used. Glass, stainless steel, titanium, low-heat-proof formulations of nickel, ceramic, and brass
are all safe.
PREPARING HERB FOR VAPORIZING
Bud is sometimes used for vaporizing, but the trend is toward using concentrates. Some devices are designed solely for them. Others require an adapter.
For raw flower–based units, salvaged bud bits work well because the material is ground before it is used. All raw flower–based vaporizers also work with other medicinal herbs.
Grinder with Strawberry Cough bud.
Photo: Steep Hill Halent
Grinding the bud improves the flow of air and maximizes the surface area that is exposed to heat. A coarse grind is best. In chamber-type models, kief is easily used by itself. In other models, fine material is layered on top of coarsely ground material to avoid clogging up the works.
Grinders make quick work of preparing the bud. These pocket-sized disks are filled and twisted to reduce the material. The consistency is determined by the amount of time the material is ground.
Just place the herb inside, join the pieces together, and then twist until the herb is the consistency you want. The pins do the work. These hand-powered grinders let you determine the grind: coarser for pipe smoking, or finer for vaporizing. They work with a variety of herbs, and can also be used to prepare material for other processes, such as kief making.
It is better to use freshly ground buds. Place extra material in an airtight container and store it in a dark, cool place so it doesn’t dry out.
One important factor in choosing a grinder is how it feels in your hand. Pick a size that easily enables you to twist it. Size depends on use. Feel free to get a bigger grinder for parties.
Grinders come in a variety of materials that affect how they work. The cheapest are hard plastic grinders, which seize up frequently, feel the chintziest, and make this awful screech. There’s also a question of plastic chipping or wearing away in your herb. Wooden grinders with metal pegs work well enough, but the best devices are milled out of solid blocks of superhard aircraft aluminum. Their teeth are precision designed for shredding and they’ll outlast the apocalypse. Models with screens on the bottom and a kief-catching chamber are quite popular.
The Vaporizers
All vaporizer models work from the same set of scientific principles. The following descriptions and reviews are intended to give a basic overview of the main types of vaporizers currently available.
The review process has been a group effort. Some vaporizer inventors and designers offered information and review units. We purchased others. We tested each model ourselves for ease of use and quality of results. Then we cross-referenced our findings with public information and reviews from other connoisseurs and experts. Thanks to all who contributed to the development of this chapter.
All prices listed are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
VaporBrothers Vapor Box
MSRP: $216.00
Type: desktop, draw
For use in: the home
Use with: flowers
Heating element: ceramic
VaporBrothers Vapor Box Description
VaporBrothers launched the iconic Vapor Box in 1999 and it remains a go-to box and whip–style unit. You load finely ground flowers in the end of the whip, touch it to the hot heating element in the box, and inhale cool vapor. Because this model consists of glass and ceramic heating parts encased in a wood box, you don’t have to worry about the parts fuming under heat. Accessories include the VaporBrothers’ AromaBulb Oil Diffuser, for use with essential oils. VaporBrothers has also branched out into vape pens with the Dabbler, exclusively for extracts and oils.
VaporBrothers Vapor Box Review
The Vapor Box is about the size of a small brick. It plugs into the wall and has a knob to adjust temperature on it. The whip is Class IV medical-grade plastic tubing that is BPA- and DEHP-free. The Box heats up in under a minute while you grind up some herb in a grinder, and can be left on for long periods of time. It takes a little practice to load the end of the whip with the right amount of bud at the right density. You want a fluffy little pinch that fills up about 30% of the end and totally covers the screen.
The Box seems too easy to use. You just hold the herb end of the whip to the heating element on the box and slowly draw on the mouthpiece. Hot air from the element heats up the herb, sending vapor down the tube. You don’t want to pull too hard, because all the air will decrease the temperature near the herb and make vaping less effective. The standard whip will give you about four big inhales before the material dries and browns. You’ll also need to resituate the herb with the included bamboo pick to fully vape it all. You blow through the tube to expel the spent material into a container. The vapor is thin and white, yet potent, and the effects are subtle. They sneak up on you, compared to a big, hacking bongload. It takes repeated uses with the Vapor Box to fully feel in control of it.
The Vapor Box is a very popular, iconic, desktop whip-style vape.
Photo: VaporBrothers
Da Buddha Herbal Vaporizer
MSRP: $190.00
Type: desktop, draw
For use in: the home
Use with: flowers; or oil and waxes, with attachment
Heating element: ceramic
Da Buddha Herbal Vaporizer Description
There are cheaper desktop, whip-style vaporizers out there, but there’s no point in buying cheap if you’ll never use the thing. Da Buddha’s Herbal Vaporizer comes in under $200, and the quality and durability of it ensures it’ll be a device you actually use. The base model comes in silver and black, and it looks like a wide cylindrical vase with a broad, flat-foot pad and an open top where the heating element hooks up to the whip. You load grass in the glass tip of the whip and slot it into the connector on the Da Buddha. A knob below, near the bottom, adjusts the temperature of a ceramic heating element which heats up the surrounding air inside the device. When you suck on the whip, the suction pulls the hot air through the cannabis, vaping the THC and sending the vapor down the straw and into your body. Super simple to operate, the Da Buddha represents the entry-level of quality desktop vapes.
Da Buddha Herbal Vaporizer Review
Weighing in at 3.1 pounds, the Da Buddha feels sturdy and comes with a glass kit featuring a heater cover, wand, and mouthpiece, and three feet of tubing. You also get a free padded travel bag, handmade glass marble pick, and free screens for the wand.
The Da Buddha is a high-quality, entry-level desktop vape.
Photo: Da Buddha
Using this thing is as basic as it gets. Finely grind up some herb and use your finger to load a quarter-inch layer into the base of the wand. You want to cover the screen in the base completely with herb, so hot air is forced to flow through the pot, and cannot take the easier way around it. Unless you have some seriously dry, sandy, old herb, you should be able to lightly pack the herb layer and it’ll stay caked against the screen, even when it’s on its side in the heater cover.
The Da Buddha takes under a minute to heat up and is silent. Just twist the knob to turn it on and set the temp, though you will need to experiment with the temperature gauge to get the desired vapor thickness. (It takes ten minutes at full heat to season the unit on first use, so read the manual while you wait. You can leave the Da Buddha on for extended lengths of time as long as you supervise it. While the outside is harmless, the internal heater and attached glass heater cover do get very hot and you don’t want a child or a pet to reach in and touch any of those hot components.)
After the unit is hot and seasoned, it’s very simple to use—just attach the wand to the heater cover and draw on the mouthpiece. Cannabinoid vapor will be invisible at first as it travels down the whip to the mouthpiece, but we also saw the telltale white, thin vapor in the hose. Vapor thickness is a function of temperature, how finely ground the material is, how well it’s packed, and how hard you suck on the whip. At low temperature and with hard sips you won’t see anything at all, though you may get just as stoned as someone blowing fat, milky-white bongloads. At high temperature, wit
h soft little sips, the vapor can get quite thick.
The “Flavor Oil Vapor Kit” is a titanium nail and globe setup custom modified to sit on top of the Da Buddha heating element. Make sure the nail is contacting the Da Buddha heater, turn it up to high, and dab away with high-grade butane hash oil (bubble hash will leave a residue and can burn). It’s perfect for folks averse to dabbing with butane torches, or who need a hot nail on standby.
VapirRise
MSRP: $249.99
Type: desktop; forced air
For use in: the home
Use with: flowers; or oils and waxes, with oil cup
Heating element: ceramic, stainless steel
VapirRise Description
Basically the poor man’s Volcano, the American-made VapirRise offers all the luxury of a desktop, forced-air vaporizer at about a third of the cost. VapirRise distinguishes itself with a four-way party valve, solvent hash compatibility, and either whip or bag vapor delivery. The downside to all this versatility is that there are about 27 parts in the box, and beginners are going to need an in-person or web tutorial, or to follow the manual to the letter.
VapirRise looks like a pretty, plastic, and futuristic vase, with blue LEDs reminiscent of the SpaceX Dragon orbiter. Where the Germans went wide and bulky with the Volcano, VapirRise went narrow and light, focusing on the central vapor path. On the base, digital touchpads control the temperature and fan, and the unit plugs into the wall, so don’t absentmindedly trip over it. It’s tempting to get overwhelmed by the companion box of hoses, HEPA filters, valves, clamps, and bags—but don’t. Like all vaporizers, it’s essentially a glorified hairdryer. Remind yourself of that while you dig for the main pieces.