Don’t feel embarrassed if you’re new to vaping cannabis – we were novices once too! We’re here to address any questions you might have about vaping cannabis but might have been too intimidated to ask.

Let’s jump right in: 

Q: Does holding a hit actually do anything?

You might see people holding their breath after they take a hit of their vape because they think it allows more THC to enter their bloodstream. The truth is THC only takes a few seconds to get into your system. 

Holding the hit will just make you cough more and make breathing more difficult, so it’s a lot of discomfort with no payoff. Plus, it allows the vapor to sit in your lungs longer, making it harsher on the tissue.

Q: What’s the difference between dry herb vapes and cannabis concentrate vapes? 

People use dry herb vapes and concentrate vapes for different forms of cannabis. You use dry herb vapes for flower and concentrate vapes for – you guessed it – concentrates! Dry herb vapes heat the flower in a chamber like an oven, extracting the cannabinoids.

Concentrate vapes work the same, and focus more on changing the composition of the concentrate from a solid to a liquid and finally gas.  Generally, concentrate vapes produce stronger hits, but that’s because concentrates are more potent than flower to begin with.  

Q: What’s the difference between cannabis concentrate vapes and cannabis oil vapes?

The main differences between a concentrate vape and an oil vape have to do with the texture of the cannabis. Concentrate vapes heat concentrates like wax, shatter, budder, or crumble, which have a solid or semi-solid consistency. 

Therefore, concentrate vapes have a chamber (like dry herb vapes), and you often have to use a dabbing tool to place the concentrates inside. On the other hand, oil vapes use a wick to draw the oil up to the coil.

Q: Why is it called a 510 vape?

The term “510 vape” refers to the style of battery and cartridge connection, specifically the size of the threading design. If you’re curious where the number came from, there are ten threads at 0.5 mm each. 

This helps users know what size cannabis cartridge to get to fit their vapes. The invention of the 510 vape standardized the size of vape cartridges, making it much more convenient due to the universal accessibility of this technology.

Q: How is oil vaporized? 

The oil aspect of a cannabis oil vape might seem intimidating – how can one safely inhale a liquid?

But, you’re not actually breathing in the liquid. When you heat the cannabis oil, it evaporates, releasing compounds like cannabinoids and terpenes to form a vapor. That’s what you’re inhaling. 

Q: At what temperature do common terpenes boil off?

Temperature control is a huge part of curating your cannabis experience. Of course, you have to heat your cannabis oil to create a vapor and release terpenes. But if you don’t have a vape that accounts for heat control, the terpenes that bring you the flavor you love will boil off too quickly and alter the concentration of the oil. 

Here are the most common terpenes and their boiling points to help keep your heat in check:

• Myrcene: 334°F (166°C)
• Limonene: 349°F (176°C)
• Beta-Caryophyllene: 266°F (130°C)
• Linalool: 390°F (198°C)
• Pinene: 311°F (155°C)

Q: Why don’t cannabis vapes have as big of a plume as e-liquid?

When you think of vaping, you might think of big, thick clouds. But why doesn’t that happen with cannabis vapes? It’s because nicotine vapes use e-liquid, which is generally thinner than cannabis oil. 

This allows more liquid to vaporize simultaneously, resulting in a larger plume upon exhaling. Additionally, the thinning agents in e-liquid, propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG), are known to create a larger plume. These materials can also withstand a higher temperature than cannabis oil, contributing to a larger vapor plume.

Q: What’s the difference between live terpenes and not live terpenes?

Live terpenes and non-live terpenes differ due to the cultivation methods of the cannabis. Typically, producers create cannabis products from dried or processed plants.

However, cannabis concentrates like live resin are flash-frozen before processing the plants, which maintains the live terpenes and creates more flavorful products. If you’re chasing taste in your cannabis experience, products with live terpenes are the way to go.

Q: What’s the difference between cannabis and botanical terpenes?

Almost all plants, including cannabis, contain terpenes. Technically, all terpenes are identical – in fact, once isolated, cannabis terpenes mirror botanical terpenes in their effectivity.

Because botanical terpenes are cheaper and more abundant than cannabis terpenes, some companies use botanical terpenes in their terpene concentrates. However, more and more customers are demanding “complete cannabis products” and terpenes that are cannabis derived.

Did we miss any questions? Shoot us a message here, and we’d be glad to answer! And stay tuned for the next installment to see if any new questions arise.

*The contents of this blog are intended for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.*