All About Cannabis Vapes : How to choose and use the best vape for you

Why You Should Care About Cannabis Vapes

Cannabis vapes – also called weed pens – are a fabulous way to dip your toes into the world of occasional cannabis use. 

They are especially useful when you’re trying to reduce your alcohol intake because they’re an easy swap for a drink. 

That’s why they’re one of the fastest-growing segments of the legal cannabis market.

Pop it in your purse, and it’s always there for you when you need it. 

BUT not all vapes are created equal. There are so many types to choose from, and a HUGE range of quality. 

It pays to be armed with the right information when you walk in to buy your first vape.

My Favorite Cannabis Vapes

What Are Cannabis Vapes?

“Vape” is short for “vaporizer.” Cannabis vaporizers are a way to inhale cannabis vapor instead of smoke. 

In this article I will be covering the most common type of cannabis vapes, which use heat to vaporize a concentrated cannabis oil.

There is also a second category of cannabis vapes, called “dry herb vaporizers,” which vaporize cannabis flower, not oil. But dry herb vapes are generally more expensive and difficult to use, and therefore less accessible to a beginner, so I will not cover them here. They’ll get their own article later. 🙂

How are Vapes different from Smoking?

Traditional weed smoking involves putting cannabis flower in a pipe or joint, lighting it with a flame that combusts the flower, and inhaling the smoke.

Cannabis vapes differ in that they use non-flame heat to vaporize the cannabis. Meaning the active compounds in cannabis float off of the cannabis and into the air inside the vape. 

What you inhale is vapor, not smoke. 

Theoretically it’s better for your lungs to inhale vapor vs. smoke, but as we’ll get into later in the article, there’s not a lot of data as to whether that benefit is real. 

Components of a cannabis vape

A cannabis vape comes as a small, pen-sized device consisting of a battery and heating element, and a separate piece that holds a concentrated cannabis extract. 

All cannabis vapes have the same basic battery/heating element/concentrate components.

From there, you can choose whether you want disposable or reusable, and what type of cannabis concentrate you want inside.

How to Choose the Right Cannabis Vape for You: Decision #1: Disposable vs. Reusable Vape 

The first decision to make when choosing the right vape for you is whether you want to go with a disposable vape or reusable vape.

With a disposable vape, once the vape oil is gone you throw the whole thing away. Reusable vapes have a cartridge with vape oil that’s thrown away, but a battery you use again.

Disposable vape pens

These are the most common type of cannabis vape, and what I recommend for beginners. All of the components come in one solid piece, you use the vape until the oil is gone, and throw it away. 

Reusable vape pens

Reusable vape pens consist of two parts; the battery and the cannabis-containing cartridge (often shortened to “cart”). The battery typically charges via USB.

The most common vape cart is called a “510 threaded,” “510 vape battery” or “510 vape cart.” (510 refers to the size of the screw thread that connects the battery with the cartridge).

510 is the most universal size, but it’s still a good idea to double-check that you have both a 510 battery and a 510 cart.  

Vape Pod Systems

An increasingly popular type of reusable vape pens is a pod system, in which the vape battery and vape cart have a proprietary shape that fits together. 

Pax is the most popular of these, and is shown in the picture above, but there are others on the market. 

How it works: You buy the Pax battery, and then when you go to the dispensary, you pick from among the “Pax Pods” to fit it. Pax works with local cannabis extract labs to fill their pods. 

I am personally a HUGE Pax fan. I’ve had the Pax Era pen for years and use it regularly. 

It’s easy to use, small and discreet, and there is a lot of variety in pod selection. If you can access Pax in your state, I highly recommend it. 

How to Choose the Right Cannabis Vape for You: Decision #2: Vape Oil Types

Now that you’ve chosen between disposable, reusable, or pod system, we have the most important decision when buying a cannabis vape: what’s on the inside. 

This is a rundown of each of the vape oil types (sometimes called “vape juice”). 

The type and quality of vape oil is critical because it’s the #1 factor in your experience. A low-quality vape cartridge will lead to a low-quality experience. A high-quality vape cartridge will lead to a high-quality experience. 

For that reason, I’ve listed the vape oil types from highest quality to lowest. As with everything, the highest quality is the highest price. 

But this is one case where I strongly recommend spending that extra money on the higher quality item. 

I made this handy graphic to help you relate the relative quality of each type of vape oil to its alcohol counterpart:

Rosin / Live Rosin

This is the fine red wine of cannabis concentrates – the highest quality extract, most flavorful, and most nuanced high. It lets the cannabis plant shine, with the Entourage Effect on full display.

Rosin is a “solventless extract,” which means it’s made by using cold and heat instead of chemical solvents to extract cannabis compounds. 

Solventless extracts are considered premier products because they are the most pure. 

“Live Rosin” as opposed to “Rosin” is essentially the same. Live Rosin uses cannabis plants that are harvested and then immediately flash frozen to preserve their compounds. 

Resin / Live Resin

Live Resin is the craft beer of cannabis concentrates – you start with the plant, mess around just a bit, and still end up with a beautiful product. It’s slightly adulterated compared to pure plant Rosin, but still a complete, high quality product. 

Live Resin is made by using a solvent like Butane to extract the cannabis compounds into a concentrated oil. The solvent is then evaporated off, leaving a flavorful end result.

Just like “Live Rosin,” “Live” Resin is so called because it uses flash-frozen flower that preserves all of the fresh goodness of the cannabis plant. 

Live Rosin provides a flavorful taste and nuanced high, it’s also great choice for beginners. 

Distillate

Distillate is the shot of rail vodka of cannabis concentrates – it packs a punch on the cheap, but is less complex and has less flavor than the higher quality concentrates.

Distillate is the lowest quality – but most affordable – vape oil.

It is the lowest quality because it is a THC-only extract, it doesn’t contain any of the other beneficial compounds of the cannabis plant. Using the analogy from the Entourage Effect block above, distillate is like taking a beta carotene pill instead of eating a carrot.

For that reason, the high is more direct, but less nuanced. To me, that’s the worst way to introduce a person to the wonders of cannabis. 

HTE

“HTE” stands for “High Terpene Extract,” an extract of the aromatic and flavor components of cannabis.

HTE vapes are made by combining a THC-only distillate extract with a separate HTE terpene extract. The benefit is a more flavorful taste and a more nuanced high than with a distillate.

It’s the shot of rail vodka, with a nice mixer added. 

CBD-only vapes

CBD-only vapes are a great choice when you need just a little relaxation and you are trying to avoid THC. 

They’re also convenient because they can be shipped right to your door.

CBD-only vapes come in the same range of options as THC cannabis vapes; disposable vs. reusable, rosin, live resin, distillate. 

Note: All of the THC vape oil types will need to be purchased at a state-licensed dispensary. CBD-only vapes can be ordered online and shipped to your door.

How to Use Cannabis Vapes

Step-by-step guide for beginners

Step 1: Locate the mouthpiece (don’t try inhaling from the USB-C end) 🙂

Step 2: Inhale while counting to three

Step 3: Hold for 1-2 seconds (there is really no need to hold for longer)

Step 4: Exhale. Smile.

Wait 1-5 minutes, see how you feel. Repeat until you feel great. 

Proper inhalation techniques

Inhale from the vape just as you would from a cigarette – inhale, hold for just a second or two, then exhale. There is no need to try to hold the vapor in, it will not make you more high, and it will irritate your lungs. 

Dosage recommendations

For a beginner, 1-2 puffs is probably a good place to start. 

Effects of Cannabis Vapes

Onset and duration of effects

Part of what makes cannabis vapes so great is their fast onset. That is, you feel the effects right away, within 1-5 minutes. 

That makes vapes really easy to dose; take a puff, wait a minute to see how you feel, take another puff if necessary, or not, and continue until you feel great. If you had too much, just wait about 45 minutes and it will wear off.

Compare this to cannabis edibles, in which you have to wait 45-90 minutes to feel the effects, which then can last 2-4 hours. This makes it waaaaay too easy to have too much THC when you’re using edibles. 

For lots of tips on avoiding beginner mistakes with edibles, check out my article, “THC Gummies for Beginners.“

Potency considerations

Cannabis vapes are more potent than cannabis flower, because they contain a concentrated cannabis extract. Cannabis flower may have 20-25% THC, but a cannabis vape can have 90% THC. But that doesn’t mean you’ll end up 4 times as high. It means you can use way less to get you to the same place. 

Differences from other consumption methods

For most people, vapes provide a relaxed body buzz, and a bit of mental focus or clarity.

Every cannabis consumption method leads to a slightly different effect. Over time as you experiment with different methods, you’ll find what feels best for you.

Safety Considerations for Cannabis Vapes

Quality control and third-party testing

Make sure your cannabis vape comes with proof of third-party lab testing, sometimes called a “Certificate of Analysis” or “COA.” This ensures the vape oil doesn’t contain harmful chemicals, and contains the same amount of THC as advertised on the label.  

Avoiding counterfeit products

Do NOT buy your cannabis vape in the illicit / illegal / legacy cannabis market. It has the potential to contain harmful chemicals. The vaping crisis of 2019 was caused by vapes from the illicit market that had been cut with Vitamin E Acetate, which caused acute lung injury (“EVALI”) and several deaths. Vapes from legal markets are not allowed to use that chemical.  

Proper storage and handling

Vapes have a battery component, so don’t let them overheat. Store them at room temperature whenever possible, and check the battery from time to time to make sure it’s intact. 

Potential risks and side effects

There is not a lot of data on the relative safety of cannabis vapes. Because vapes are somewhat new, we’re short on studies regarding their long term effect. Theoretically, inhaling vapor is less irritating to your lungs than inhaling smoke, but many people report more irritation when using vapes. 

My take: using a cannabis vape occasionally is not hazardous to your health, as long as you don’t have a pre-existing lung condition. They are great for new consumers because of their ease of use. I would not recommend using it all day every day, as your only consumption method. 

If you’re using cannabis daily to manage a chronic condition, you are better off using a tincture or gel cap, or making your own edibles from cannabis flower. Those options don’t involve inhalation, and are made with whole plant medicine. 

Maintenance and Care for Cannabis Vapes

Cleaning your device

Cannabis vapes are very low maintenance, but if you notice that your vape is not working as well as it did, it may be clogged. Cannabis vape oil is super sticky, and sometimes a little bit leaks out of the cartridge and can clog the threading. 

To clean it, use a Qtip dabbed in rubbing alcohol to scrub off the sticky oil. Easy as that!

Replacing cartridges or pods

Cannabis vape cartridges are clear, so you can see how much vape oil remains. You’ll know when it’s time to replace it because the vape pen will sort of stop working, you won’t see a cloud when you exhale. 

There may still be a little vape oil in the cartridge when it’s time to replace it.

To replace the cart or pod, just head to your local dispensary and choose your next adventure!

Conclusion

Cannabis vapes are a perfect entry into the world of cannabis. They are portable, discreet, easy to use, and come in a huge variety of price points. 

Have fun playing around with different types – buy a high-quality rosin vape and a lower-priced distillate vape, see how they each make you feel. Try an Indica and a Sativa. If you like vaping, buy a reusable system. Use this article as a buying guide as often as you need to. 

Cannabis is here to make you feel awesome, and vapes are a great way to start.