The Advantages of Vaping: Why It's The Smarter Choice

The image of cannabis is transforming rapidly. Just a few years ago, consuming cannabis was considered a pastime of students, freaks, and the unemployed. But as times are changing, more awareness about the health benefits of cannabis are sinking in: even small kids are now benefiting from the non-psychoactive constituents of the plant. And with increased awareness, habits of consumption are also changing.

The joint is threatened to become a relic of a time gone by, overtaken by modern technology. Vaporizers are slowly but steadily becoming the first choice for medicating—or simply getting high. This comes as no surprise, as vaporizers offer a number of distinct advantages over smoking.

MALOUFF'S RESEARCH

In the study entitled "Experiences of Marijuana—Vaporizer Users"¹, Australian researcher John Malouff set out to assess the perceived advantages and disadvantages of using a vaporizer. By following 96 individuals who began using vaporizers on their own accord, Malouff was able to consistently identify reported advantages and disadvantages.

VAPING: ADVANTAGES VS. DISADVANTAGES

The advantages he found are as follows:

• Users feel it is healthier for them, resulting in less coughing and less harshness on the lungs

• It tastes better, with a much more “clean” flavour

• No smoke or lingering smells

• Stronger effect using less weed

The disadvantages he found were as follows:

• A lot of vaporizers require maintenance and cleaning

• A delay in use due to having to set it up

Of the 96 participants, 84 said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their vaporizing experience, and an astounding 97.9% said they would continue to vaporizing from now on. Malouff also found that of the 96, only 15 reportedly used tobacco normally when they normally smoke weed. When vaporizing, this number dropped to 2. This difference shows the lack of need for tobacco when vaporizing, and has vast health implications all of its own.

Malouff concluded, “If vaporizers become more commonly used and competition among manufacturers increases, the vaporizer may become cheaper to buy and more convenient to use, leading to greater use. The results indicate that vaporizers are worthy of experimental research”.

THE ADVANTAGES OF VAPING IN MORE DETAIL

To the experienced vaper, these results will come as no surprise, and when you weigh up the advantages against the disadvantages, the advantages clearly come out on top:

 It's Simply Better For Your Health

Probably the biggest advantage of using a vaporizer over smoking a joint is that it is by far better for your health in every way. When you vaporize cannabis, the cannabinoids evaporate instead of burn, which means that you breathe in a clean vapor laden with potent cannabinoids, instead of toxin and tar-filled smoke.

When you burn cannabis, like you do in a joint, the smoke is made up of roughly 88% non-cannabinoid particles, all of which are toxic; this means only a small fraction of the THC and CBD make it into the smoke. Burning cannabis actually destroys many of the cannabinoids, creating harmful toxins in the process.

Conversely, when you vaporize, nothing gets destroyed, leading to vapor with a 95% cannabinoid content—with the other 5% made up of a single PAH and caryophyllene, a non-toxic oil. This makes vaporizing not only better for your lungs, but your entire body and wellbeing as a whole.

 It has a stronger effect

This goes hand-in-hand with the above point. Vaporizing cannabis produces a much purer experience than smoking it. Burning cannabis destroys much of its content, whereas vaporizing doesn’t. This means when you vaporize, the vapor has a much higher concentration of cannabinoids and other compounds than an equivalent smoke, making it much stronger. That’s why…

 It saves you money in the long-run

Because vapor is much stronger, and much more efficient, you need to use a lot less marijuana to get to the same place you would when smoking. Some reports actually suggest that vaporizers are between 30—40% more efficient than smoking.

This efficiency isn’t just down to a higher cannabinoid content. Unlike smoking cannabis, which can be a very uneven process, vaporizing will evenly utilise the entire surface area of your weed, ensuring it is all used to its fullest.

If you think about it, a heavy smoker can save quite a bit of money this way. A vaporizer can very quickly pay for itself. Actually, we made a post about this, and found that it takes between 6 and 12 months for a vaporizer to pay for itself, depending on the model and the amount of weed used, of course.

 A cleaner taste

It is not just the cannabinoid content that is saved from destruction when you vaporize. The flavonoids and other components within cannabis are also maintained and released into the vapor, creating a much purer, clean, and more realistic representation of taste—as it should be.

 Discretion and stealth

As there is no sticky, tar-filled smoke, smells do not linger or stick to your clothing and personal possessions. Vapor dissipates within seconds, and only those in your immediate vicinity will smell it briefly. This means vaporizers are much more hygienic and discreet, allowing portable vaporizers to be used on-the-go.

 No more ashtrays lying around

Further expanding upon the previous point, vaporizers do not create an abundance of hot, smelly ash. When you are done vaporizing, you are left with dried-out, odourless plant matter that can be put straight into the bin (or reused in shrewd ways)—so no more stinking up the house.

Some smokers are put-off by the idea of having to set up a vaporizer. But when you compare some of the modern, portable vaporizers like the DaVinci Ascent or the Firefly with the time it takes to roll a joint, there isn’t much difference. Vaporizing has some very major and distinct advantages over other methods of use, so whether you use cannabis for recreational or medicinal purposes, a vaporizer is well worth your time and consideration. Happy vaping!

View Vaporizers

Steven Voser

Steven Voser is an independent cannabis journalist with over 6 years of experience writing about all things weed; how to grow it, how best to enjoy it, and the booming industry and murky legal landscape surrounding it.

Read full bio