Resource Center - Vaporizer Information

Vaporizer information
 
What is a vaporizer? Is it healthier than smoking?
A vaporizer or vapourizer is a device used to vaporize (transition from liquid to vapor) the active ingredients of plant material for the purpose of inhalation. The vapor produced by a vaporizer can be inhaled through a tube (hose, whip) or a bag (inhalation balloon, balloon). Vaporization is a significantly more efficient (time and quantity of herb used) of extracting the active ingredient from herbs than smoking and a far quicker way than with teas and tinctures. The harmful and irritating effects usually associated with smoking are significantly reduced when using a vaporizer.
 
 
Conduction vs. Convection
Time to go back to grade 10 science! Conduction is when your plant material is placed directly onto the heat source. Convection is when hot air passes over your plant material, your plant material and heating element do not make contact.

 
Can a vaporizer burn my herbs? What is the best temp for me to use?
Some vaporizers can be set hot enough to cause combustion.  It is up to the user to make sure they are using the units properly and following the correct temperature guidelines. Vaporizers with larger herb chambers can be set at the higher end of the scale (180C-185C) while vaporizers with smaller herb chambers should stay at the lower end (175C-180C). We would recommend always setting your heat lower than 195C or 383F to avoid combustion.

 
Is there still a smell when I vaporize?
If your plant material has a smell, so will the vapor from said plant material. It's a slight smell and dissipates rather quickly. Definitely a night an day difference over smoking! Vaporization doesn't smell as much as smoke but some vapors do have odor. If your blend has an odor, so will the vapor. When used properly a vaporizer will not produce any smoke, only tasty vapor.
 
Do I need a grinder?
A grinder is a vaporizing enthusiasts handy tool! When you grind your plant material you are increasing it's surface area allowing hot air to get into every nook and cranny. This means you will extract the most of the active ingredient from your plant material!
 
How do I know my plant material is done?
The best way to tell when you've extracted all the goodness from your plant material is by taste. If you can no longer taste your yummy blend it's time to take a look at the plant material. If it's a golden brown color you've finished extracting what you could from it. If it still has a green tint to it you may want to increase the temperature a little to give it an extra heat boost.
 
 
Is there a technique to inhaling?
Another great benefit to vaporizing is that it gives you the opportunity to sit back and enjoy life! For forced air vaporizers (A vaporizer with a fan ie. Extreme Q, VapirRise ..) there's not much work for you to do other than sit back and enjoy the vapor pouring out of the tube. Take deep slow breaths of vapor and enjoy! For vaporizers that do not have a fan we recommend slow and steady inhales. Keep in mind that vapor is much "lighter" than smoke, you will not feel how full your lungs are like you would with smoke.
We highly recommend taking smaller inhales until you get used to the feel of vapor.

 
How much ground up plant material should I put in my vaporizer?
Some people require very little vapor in one sitting, we recommend at least covering the bottom of your herb chamber with plant material.  For those who require more vapor you can fill your chamber making sure that the plant material is not packed down, but loose in your chamber. This allows the hot air full access to your plant material producing more vapor, and we all want more vapor!
 
 
I've seen a few different spellings of vapor and vaporizer
The most common spelling by far is vapor and vaporizer. There are certain parts of Canada and older English that do still sometimes spell it vapour and vapourizer. As long as you aren't smoking and are vaporizing or vapourizing, we're happy :)