How To Pack And Prepare A Cannabis Vaporizer For Best Results

Maybe you’ve heard a lot about vaporizers, or you’ve always been curious about how they work. Either way, a vaporizer is a handy way to enjoy your cannabis without some of the drawbacks of smoking a joint or bong.

ADVANTAGES OF USING A VAPORIZER

The major benefits of vaping are that it gives you a smoother, cleaner inhale, and can save you money in the long run. Sounds good, right?

This is because a vaporizer heats your cannabis to a lower temperature than a flame, and some models even allow you to customise the temperature within single-degree increments. As a vape operates using convection or conduction heating, the herb doesn’t burn. This stops the release of unpleasant toxins while increasing the potency of your smoke.

Another benefit of vaping is efficiency. When you light a joint or bowl, the scorching temperatures of the flame reduces the amount of available cannabinoids. By comparison, vaping makes much better use of the product, allowing significantly more cannabinoids to reach the alveoli in the lungs to be absorbed. Moreover, the lack of combustion associated with vaping means fewer toxic byproducts when all is said and done.

All that being said, to make the most of this purity and potency, it’s important to know how to prepare and pack a vape for the best experience.

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HOW TO PREPARE A VAPORIZER

When you first use your brand new vape, it’s important to ensure there are no existing oils or chemicals on or in the device.

To be sure, burn off your vape. This is where you let the device run for 2–3 complete heating cycles with nothing in the weed chamber. This will get rid of any residues, as well as any strange smells or tastes that could seriously affect your vaping pleasure.

Some believe it’s worth burning off your vape every time you use it to improve the quality of the vapor.

BEFORE VAPING

Once your vape is clean and ready to go, you’ll want to make sure that it is fully charged (if it’s portable), or plugged into a reliable source.

The next step is to make sure that you have your cannabis prepared.

If you’re using a dry herb vape, you should aim for a medium-fine grind. Place it into your oven or herb chamber and pack it in. You want it to be packed well, but not too tight—air needs to be able to make its way through.

If you are using wax, concentrates, or oil, load a small amount on the end of your dab tool and gently apply to the top of the coil.

Turn on your vape, and select the desired temperature.

DURING VAPING

Depending on your vape, it will take between 30 seconds and a minute or so to reach temperature. Wait until this moment before you take your first puff.

First prime your vape by taking a couple of gentle puffs. These puffs act as a catalyst for your vaping session and will ensure that the evaporation process has started properly. Ideally, you want to take a 2 or 3-second inhalation. Then, take a longer drag on the mouthpiece until you feel like your lungs are comfortably full (about five seconds); exhale.

To improve your vaping experience, you might want to practise some of your breathing techniques. A slow, steady inhale will improve the quality of your hit while using the smallest amount of cannabis, and thus can save you money in the long run. The best cost-to-experience ratio is to take short hits of about 5 seconds, but with slow inhales.

Bear in mind that your vape may cut off after a period of use, as vapes are typically designed to be used in a session, rather than indefinitely. Don’t worry, you can reheat it after the first session, and charging is usually very simple. Some devices can even be used while charging, making it so you never have to go without.

Also, because vaporization activates the cannabinoids in cannabis but doesn’t burn them, your bud will still be viable after use. Although it won’t be as potent, it can still be made into cannabutter or other edibles and extracts. This is known as AVB or already vaped bud.

AFTER VAPING

Once you’ve enjoyed your vaping session, it’s important to clean and sanitise your device. This will ensure the smooth running of your vaporizer and will improve the overall experience.

Sanitising your vape is an essential step whether it’s your first session or your thousandth. This involves cleaning the different parts of your device to make sure that you’re not inhaling any unpleasant residues.

Start by cleaning the vapor path with a pipe cleaner or cotton swab. The vapor path runs the length of your vape and is, unsurprisingly, what takes the vapor clouds from the chamber to your mouth.

Then clean the mouthpiece, especially if it’s something you’ve been sharing with friends. The best way to do this is to remove it and then soak it in rubbing alcohol before rinsing and drying it. Any other removable parts of your vape can also be cleaned this way.

Finally, if you’re using a desktop vape, remove and replace the bag when it gets sticky from resin or shows any discolouration.

FINDING THE PERFECT VAPORIZER

One important thing to note about the clouds of vapor you’ll experience from a cannabis vaporizer is that they won’t be thick, and will quickly dissipate. So don’t expect to get huge, thick clouds like those from e-juice vapes.

However, the final step to ensuring you have the best cannabis vaporizer experience is to use a quality vape that suits your preferences. This means considering portable vs. desktop options, dry herb vs. concentrates, and more. Luckily, to help make the decision easier, we’ve compiled a helpful guide to picking the ideal vape for you.

However you hope to enjoy your cannabis vaporizer, we’re confident you’ll be able to find the one that suits your lifestyle. So go forth, and enjoy.

Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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