Dabbing Vs Vaping: Health, Efficiency, Price and Portability

The humble joint has served as the traditional way to smoke herb throughout the last few decades. Stuffing a paper full of cannabis, rolling it up and sitting back to ignite it is certainly a great feeling that almost borders on being a ritual. However, more modern alternatives now exist that outperform the joint on many fronts, including stealthiness, health and practicality.

Two of these leading choices are vapes and dab rigs. Vapes serve as an excellent way to get high without inhaling the byproducts that come along with smoking. Vapes are also very discreet - they don’t smell too much and they can easily resemble a normal vape pen or even a cigarette.

On the other hand, dabbing serves as an intriguing and powerful way to fire up cannabis concentrates and deliver a hard-hitting and shockingly clean high. Either one of these two technologies can prevail depending on the individual and their preferences. Let’s explore the benefits of each method and discover which one may work best for you.

VAPING VS. DABBING

Dabbing and vaping serve as different ways to get baked and each has their own distinct advantages. If you are the kind of smoker who likes to be out and about when getting high, or enjoys taking small tokes here and there throughout the day, vaping is probably for you.

If you prefer to stay at home and get monumentally high using cannabis extracts and the best dank you can get your hands on, then you are probably more of a dab person.

However, there are now some vapes existing on the market that will process cannabis extracts, forming a hybrid of the two technologies. Though, this may not cut it for those who love the rawness and heat of applying cannabis extracts to a dab rig.

CONSIDER THE HEALTH FACTORS

Vaping is a more developed technology than dabbing and uses electronic systems to heat up cannabis flower or extracts to a certain temperature. Vaping heats these materials to a temperature where THC is released, but not to the point where combustion takes place. This simply means that the material isn’t breaking down into harmful byproducts that are then inhaled by the smoker.

Therefore, vaping can provide consumers with similar effects as smoking, all the while eliminating the harmful elements of the activity. This is important, especially to those who are health-conscious and do what they can to avoid exposure to harmful substances. While cannabis on its own is largely safe, burning the substance can result in the release of several different toxins.

Cannabis smokers who experience lung troubles may want to consider making the switch over to vaporising to help eliminate any apparent symptoms. This isn’t just based on speculation and guesswork either. A 2010 study published in The International Journal on Drug Policy looked at how switching to vaping positively affected respiratory symptoms within cannabis smokers.

The results of the study displayed that 12 frequent cannabis smokers showed significant improvements in respiratory symptoms. The authors state that vaporizers have a great potential for administering medical cannabis and could even serve as a harm reduction technique.

Dabbing is believed to be healthier than smoking. This is due in part to extracts’ high level of purity and very few contaminants (when processed correctly). However, the nail on a dab rig is heated to an incredibly high temperature and therefore, combustion does take place.

CONVECTIVE VS. CONDUCTIVE HEATING

Good quality vapes use convective heating to release THC. This means that the plant matter isn’t directly burned onto a hot plate, as is the case with dabbing. Instead, the air surrounding the herb is heated, which then eventually releases the cannabinoids. This method of heating is responsible for a seemingly healthier form of inhalation, which avoids charring and burning the material.

This type of heating also leads to less benzene exposure. This carcinogen is released when cannabis is heated past 185 degrees Celsius. Some vapes may exceed this temperature if used on a high setting. However, keeping a device at a lower setting can help to limit vulnerability to this potentially harmful chemical.

Dab rigs use conductive heat to release the cannabinoids contained in extracts. This involves placing a dab directly onto a blistering hot nail that is heated using a blowtorch.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS

Further research has suggested that vaping ranks highest as the method of intake posing the least amount of side effects. Consumers claim that vaping might initiate a more clear-headed high due to the lack of smoke and other compounds inhaled.

Vaping may also serve as a more efficient and dose-specific way to get high. This is because many vapes can still be effectively used with very short and weak inhalations, meaning the consumer can carefully monitor how high they are getting and control it as such.

On the other hand, joints and bongs often require fairly large intakes of breaths to extract smoke, often ending in a large lungful that leads to coughing and a less controlled method of administration.

Although not ranked as well as vapes when it comes to adverse side effects, dabbing does serve as an excellent way to administer massive amounts of cannabinoids in a short period of time - and one that is still healthier than smoking.

For this reason, it can be seen as a good choice for those needing large amounts of medical cannabinoids each day, or for those looking to achieve the most monumental recreational high possible.

PRICE CAN BE AN ISSUE

Price is a factor many need to consider before choosing their smoking device of choice. Veterans out there may be willing to deal out some serious cash in order to add another beautiful artefact to their ever-growing collection; more casual smokers may simply be searching for efficiency at a cheap price. As is the case with every other market, price determines quality.

Regardless of your method, dab rigs and vapes can be purchased for around the same price when seeking standard models. Both devices range from more practical and cheaper models, all the way up to volcano vapes and gigantic dab rigs. Here are some examples of a few excellent choices to help you get started.

Dr. Dabber Aurora

The brilliant Dr. Dabber Aurora combines the best of both the dabbing and vaping worlds, forming an efficient and effective hybrid. This pen is capable of vaping concentrates and maintains the beautiful flavours of a dab. If you are a fan of dabbing, yet value the portability and stealthiness of a vape pen, this product was made for you.

Glass Oil Rig Blaze Splash Guard

This dab rig is slender, 35cm tall with 4mm thick glass. It’s quite portable, sturdy and looks majestic. The nail on the device is encircled by a vapour dome, which is great for oil inhaling attachments.

Glass Oil Rig Blaze Turbine Ice

This product is 30cm tall, 5mm thick and made of Pyrex. The nail is housed within a chamber from where vapour is drawn down into a water chamber and makes its way into a two-stage diffuser. This advanced device is great for quick and easy dab hits at home.

Flowermate Aura

The Flowermate Aura is a sturdy and stealthy vape with a beautiful black and red finish. This device can handle herbs, concentrates and resins. It’s easily to use, highly portable and very discreet.

ON THE GO

When roaming outdoors or commuting to work, vape pens are the obvious choice when it comes to keeping a low profile. For those who simply can’t get away from using concentrates, vape pens that can handle oils and resins are the perfect middle ground. These devices can be used to deliver strong hits of cannabinoids in public, without attracting any unwanted attention.

CONCLUSION

As you can see, both vaping and dabbing have their own advantages and can be used optimally on different occasions. Vapes are definitely the healthier option, with several studies determining their efficacy in protecting the body from ingesting toxins released during combustion.

Vapes are also far more portable and practical to use in many situations. They allow smokers to enjoy ingesting cannabinoids just about anywhere. What’s more? They are usually cheaper!

Dabbing is more suited to a fixed location due to the large and delicate nature of most dab rigs. Yet, dabbing serves as an intense and powerful way to deliver high concentrations of cannabinoids into the body almost immediately. When dabbing, combustion does occur, but it is believed that this method is still healthier than smoking.

Luke Sumpter

With a BSc (Hons) degree in Clinical Health Sciences and a passion for growing plants, Luke Sumpter has worked as a professional journalist and writer at the intersection of cannabis and science for the past 7 years.

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