Legalization of Medical Marijuana has made the tremendous health benefits of this super plant accessible to MMJ card holders. Tinctures, special brownies, cannabis topical creams, are the roar of the town. Despite these slew of options, two methods of cannabis consumption take the lead: smoking and vaping.
The preferred method of our ancestors was smoking. Millennials are breaking these old traditions by opting for their shiny, new electronic devices, instead.
So, how do these two methods fare against each other? Which is safer? More discreet and potent?
In this article, we will pit the two against each other and see who comes out on top.
1. Safety and Healthiness: Smoking Vs. Vaping
Smoking medical marijuana releases toxic carcinogens that harm your lungs.
Unless you’ve gone completely off-the-grid, you know the injurious effects burning tobacco and other substances have to human health. We’ve all seen the horrifying images of soot-like, blackened lungs on our social media timelines.
Vaping isn’t actually a combustion process, unlike smoking. It gradually heats Marijuana, well below the point of combustion. This ensures the production of toxic compounds is kept to a bare minimum.
Combusting marijuana, on the other hand, according to a research releases more than 100 toxic inhalable compounds.
Moreover, some studies suggest that 95% less smoke is in inhaled through vaping than smoking. And to make things even better, vaping also releases a greater amount of anti-inflammatory terpenoids, which have a host of health benefits.
That being said, smoke of any kind, from any source, is bad for the lungs. Marijuana or tobacco isn’t the culprit. Smoke, in itself is, and can cause irritation and acute respiratory systems.
Vape Temperature is also a factor
Temperature is a significant factor when it comes to comparing the safety of vaping and smoking.
A research carried out in 2009, analyzed the cannabinoid to by by-product ratio at 392°F, 338°F, and 446°F.
The study inferred that the byproducts emitted at these temperatures were considerably lesser than those released during smoking.
Most vape pens and other devices heat cannabis below the point of combustion, somewhere around the 356 to 392°F mark. And many studies have established that toxic compounds increase with the increase in temperature.
These studies have also shed light on the specific temperatures at which certain compounds manifest themselves. For example, Cannabichromene is released at 451°F.
This also puts an end to the debate to the most optimal vape temperature.
If you’re using Marijuana for medicinal purposes, all you have to do is look up the temperature at which your desired compound is released, and set your vape pen accordingly.
2. Potency
The science votes in favor of vaporizers, when it comes to flavor. However, it all depends on how you calibrate your device.
Set it at a lower temperature, and you get a tenuous and lacking vapor that doesn’t hit you as hard. Set it on the high side, and a degraded high leaves you unfulfilled.
Many users have complained about the one-note, less robust effect that lacks the punch you receive from combusting Marijuana.
So, it’s increasingly important to get comfortable with your vapor. Tinker and experiment with it to get things right. In the end, it’s still worth than exposing your lungs to the far serious dangers of smoking.
3. Discreetness
While portable vapes still make a significant cloud of smoke, their modern appearance makes them more discreet than a papery joint or a one-hitter in the center of a busy bus stop.
Another reason why vaping is more discreet is because it doesn’t stink up your surroundings. And this is especially helpful if you’re living with a strict dad. A lot of potheads want to keep their marijuana habits a secret, and this is a great way for them to cover their tracks.
Vape pens that work on oil and wax are an even better choice if you can get your hands on them. They are the perfect stealth machines for staying under the radar.
4. Cost Comparison
In the long-term, vape pens are a more sound investment. Why? Because they require a small dosage of marijuana to get the same high.
A study carried out by California Maps concluded that vaporizers made 46 percent THC bioavailable, as compared to the 25 percent by smoking.
Another study published in the Journal of psychoactive drugs showed that patients regarded vaporizers as the most potent method of Marijuana intake, requiring less amount of Marijuana in teas, edibles etc.
5. Convenience and Appearance
Portable vape pens are USB rechargeable, which greatly increases their ease of convenience. This removes the need to beg for lighters from every random passerby. And with the introduction of power banks, you can charge these devices on-the-go.
However, there are some complications in their use as well. The flower vaporizer, for instance, takes time assembling and discharging the plant material, tasks that are completed in a manner of puffs in other devices.
In the end, it all depends on your preferred device and your mode of usage.
Casually burning a joint also makes you look “cooler”. It is a fashion statement. What could exalt that coolness to a whole new level is a great-looking vape pen. You have a host of options to choose from, color, shape the possibilities are endless.
The Verdict
Vaping wins all hands down. However, despite the obvious supremacy of vaping the research on this consumption method is still scarce.
More recent studies have found some concering problems. For example, a research published in the proceedings of the national Academy of Science (PNAS), indicated that vaping can cause DNA damage.
So, before you recklessly hop on the vaping bandwagon, I suggest you let more scientific research unveil the bigger, more conclusive picture. And then make your decision.