Smoking vs. Vaping: What’s the Difference?
Whether you’re new to smoking cannabis or a connoisseur, understanding the differences between smoking vs. vaping can be crucial for unlocking the full potential of the marijuana you purchase from a Green Dragon Florida Dispensary.
Smoking vs. Vaping: Temperature
Smoking and vaping share a common process of applying high temperatures to a cannabis substance. However, the distinction between the two lies in the temperature level.
Vaping operates at a lower temperature, causing molecules to vaporize. Whereas smoking involves higher temperatures that lead to combustion. As a result, the molecules not only vaporize but also undergo transformations, like THCA converting into THC. When cannabis is smoked, the inhalation includes a mixture of desired components like vaporized cannabinoids and terpenes.
The temperature required for vaporization is contingent on the specific molecule and the physical substrate involved. Here’s an example:
The vape temperature of THC differs between flower and concentrated oil, and it may even vary among various types of concentrates. Typically, the temperature needed to vaporize THC and other cannabinoids in cannabis is relatively lower, approximately 200 Celsius (392 Fahrenheit).
On the other hand, vapes often utilize temperatures ranging from approximately 220 Celsius on the lower end up to 400 Celsius or even higher (752 Fahrenheit).
Flavor:
The flavor between vaping vs. smoking cannabis also differs. Terpenes, which are small aromatic compounds found in cannabis, play a large role. Terpenes vaporize at lower temperatures than cannabinoids, causing the terpene-to-cannabinoid ratio to fluctuate across a range of vaporization temperatures. Lower temperatures result in a higher terpene-to-cannabinoid ratio, leading to more pronounced “terp flavor.”
Smoking vs. Vaping: Additives & Diluents
In comparison to nicotine brands and products, cannabis oil has a highly beneficial property: it can be inhaled without the need for diluents or synthetic flavor additives. Most nicotine smoking products contain approximately 1-5% nicotine, with the bulk of the product comprising a diluent used to reduce the nicotine concentration to these levels. The dilution is eseential to prevent nicotine vapor from becoming highly irritating and producing undesirable effects when the nicotine concentration is too high.
Cannabis concentrates, on the other hand, typically contain high THC levels, frequently surpassing 75% and even reaching 95-99% THC (e.g., distillate). Cannabis oil doesn’t require the same kind of dilution as nicotine does, to avoid intense physical irritation, adverse effects, or to achieve the desired psychoactive effects. Diluents are sometimes used in cannabis oil, but their purpose is typically to maintain consistent THC levels across batches of product.
Hardware for Smoking vs. Vaping:
Hardware considerations for vaping also play an important role. An essential design feature is the air-path of the cannabis vapor, which should never intersect with the internal electronic components of the device. These electronic components might contain heavy metals or residual solvents utilized in the manufacturing process. If the cannabis vapor comes into contact with these internal components, it can pick up these undesirable substances.
Most reusable cannabis vape brands available at Green Dragon Florida Dispensary are engineered to prevent the air-path from passing over the internal device components. This being said, it’s important to carefully examine the design specifications to ensure this protection.
