Vaping has drawn a lot of attention over the last few years, especially with the explosion of popularity of discreet vaping devices.
While the consumer research done on vaping cannabis is nowhere near conclusive, many cannabis users are quick to share personal experiences on vaping versus smoking weed.
Does vaping really give you a different type of high?
To answer this question, it’s important to understand that there are different views and insights about this conversation.
While some people will say that it feels better on the lungs if they use a vaporizer instead of smoking, most users agree that vaping is a more mild experience with different levels of high based on the quality of vaporizer used and other factors.
Read on for a review on vaping weed and the difference in getting high.
The Difference Between Vaping High and Smoking High
Vaping marijuana and smoking marijuana are two different things. The high you get from both vaping and smoking may be similar but are two totally unique experiences. Before going deeper into what a vaping high means, it’s good to understand the difference between these two.
Vaping High
Many people report that vapes will give you a much cleaner kind of high. This can help with feeling more energetic.
Since there’s no smoke, your mouth will not be dry and also won’t smell as much. This is a great benefit for most people. With no smoke, you aren’t exposed to harmful carcinogens.
While entry-level portable vaporizers may not be the best choice for seasoned smokers, there are a number of awesome vapes on the market that deliver a better high.
Vape highs don’t last as long as smoking highs but can be offset with more vaping sessions. Since vaping uses less dry herb than smoking, you won’t need to worry about purchasing more too quickly.
Vaping highs can be quite enjoyable, with feel-good moods after each session. In fact, vaping is one of the most popular ways of consuming medical cannabis.
Smoking High
Between joints, bongs, and the good old-fashioned apple, this is the most common marijuana consumption method. Hitting a bong will often give you a quicker high and huge rush that feels more intense than a vape.
You’ll be in a pretty good mood, but a feeling of laziness and heavy-headedness may arise depending on how much, and which strains, you smoke.
Some negatives including a cough, dry mouth, a lingering scent, and the exposure to harmful toxins due to the combustion process that burns the dry herb. Still, smoking weed offers relaxation and is generally mood lifting when used in moderation.
How Vaporizer Temperature Affects Your High
There is no doubt that changing the temperature of your vaporizer makes a real difference in the type of vaping high you get. Unlike smoking weed, which sets dry herb ablaze, a vaporizer warms the cannabis gently to the desired temperature.
The ability to scale vaporizer temperature up and down enables you to experience a change in the quality of high you get.
Why does vaporizer temperature matter? Cannabis vaporizers heat the dry herb just to the point where the trichomes, or the tiny glistening hairs that cover the surface, start to melt.
This process transforms the sticky fats from their solid form to vapor steam. Trichomes are where the main psychoactive and medicinal compounds of marijuana reside. THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol is the chemical compound that causes the ‘high’.
Low-Temperature Vaporization (290-330 degrees Fahrenheit, 143 – 165 Celsius)
At low temperatures, ranging from 290 to 330 degrees, your vaporizer starts to gently melt the trichomes and releases a vapor that may not be visible to the naked eye.
This is just like a gentle steam from organic e-liquids, which gives you a limited amount of cannabinoids. Low-temperature vaporization causes a mild, relaxing feeling that is less seductive.
You’re likely to experience peppery or pine flavors. Both CBD and THC are expressed at this temperature range, but you’ll most likely not experience a powerful high.
When you want to improve your mood, maintain your focus, or relieve mild anxiety or stress, low-temp vaporization is the best option.
Flowermate Swift Pro Portable Vape
Moderate Temperature (330-370 degrees Fahrenheit, 165 – 188 Celsius)
This temperature range offers a more distinctive psychoactive or high experience. Most regular cannabis consumers prefer this range for adequate ‘high’ tolerance.
At this temperature, most cannabinoids and terpenes or aroma molecules will be expressed. If you’re looking for a high that doesn’t leave you feeling too zippy, moderate-temp is great for social vaping.
High Temperature (370-445 degrees Fahrenheit, 188 – 230 Celsius)
High-temperature vaporization offers a more intense and euphoric high, significant pain relief, and some level of sedation with the right cannabis strains.
High-temp is recommended for cannabis strains high in THCV, which has a higher boiling point than CBD and THC. Recreational consumers prefer this temperature range due to its classic high feeling.
Types of Vaporization
It’s important to understand that the heating method used in your vaping device also plays a role in determining the level of high you get.
When buying a vaporizer, make sure you understand the two methods of vaporization used: conduction or convection and read the description of your vaporizer for proper use.
Choosing a Quality Vaporizer Matters
Remember that choosing a good quality vaporizer is important if you want the right vape high. Here is some important information about the most common types of vaping mods:
Plugin vapes tend to produce much more vapor than portable vapes.
Plugin vapes are more efficient.
Pen-style vapes burn herb more easily.
It’s also important to make sure that you clean your vaporizer correctly by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
The type of vaporizer you buy will ultimately have an impact on your vaping experience and the type of high you get, so choose wisely. Read reviews and choose a model that suits your needs and price range. While some people will argue that vaporizers are expensive, the investment helps you cut down your cannabis consumption, saving you money in the long run.
Arizer ArGo Portable Vaporizer
Why Vaping is Changing the Game
Smoking marijuana has always been the preferred cannabis consumption method, but with new technology, cannabis consumers can now enjoy a better way of consumption. Vaporizers enable consumers to enjoy medical or recreational marijuana in their peak form.
A Better Option for the Body
Vaporizers use controlled heating elements to heat the dry herb to the desired ‘sweet spot’ when all the beneficial compounds or cannabis oils are released. Since there is no combustion or open flame, like when smoking cannabis, you’re not exposed to the harmful carcinogens and tar found in smoke.
Instead, you get a vapor that is better for the body and smooth on the lungs, while providing the desired high.
Volcano Digit Desktop Vaporizer
Less Smell for the Self-Conscious
Marijuana may be wonderful, but it’s easy for people to know you use it. If your friends or neighbors complain about cannabis smell, vaporizers could be a good option.
Since smoke is not produced, the smell of burning dry herb is reduced. Residual oils also don’t stick to your hands and teeth. Vaping allows you to enjoy your herb discreetly without the attention.
Flowermate V5 Nano Portable Vaporizer
A Better Investment in the Long-Term
If you want to smoke weed on a budget, then vapes are a great option. You’ll actually use less dry herb with vaping when compared to smoking. Vapes utilize the full amount of dry herb, ensuring there’s no waste.
Arizer Extreme Q Desktop Vaporizer
Conclusion
Just like the effects of regulated medical and recreational marijuana, there is still a lot of ongoing debate about the different types of highs that you can get from vaping.
The bottom line is, many factors come into play in determining the exact type of high that vaporizers provide, but one thing is for certain — vaping will gain more popularity as the preferred method of cannabis consumption.
5 thoughts on “Do You Get a Different Type of High from Vaping?”
In my opinion, most articles comparing vaporizing vs smoking herb are contradictory. The claim that vaporizing gives a “gentler” high that is not as strong as smoking is definitely true in my experience. However, because of that fact, I go through much more herb as opposed to smoking. Therefore the claim that you will use less herb if you use a vaporizer is false from my experience. In reading various articles, it seems clear that certain cannabinoids act to reduce the effects of THC. Perhaps smoking destroys many of these cannabinoids.
Hello Mettle Ed, thank you for your comment and for sharing your thoughts. Based on our research, vaporization delivers more cannabinoids to the body than smoking, however it is lacking pretty much all the gases and molecules that are associated with burning.
The big ones are Carbon Dioxide and Carbon Monoxide, both of which cause oxygen deprivation. Users used to smoking are used to the effect from these gases and ‘miss’ it initially when they start to vaporize.
As a result of desiring the same feeling as smoking, some users seem to be consuming more cannabis when they switch to vaporizing. Having said that vaporzing delivers more cannabinoids to the body so users generally use less herbs when established on vaporizing.
I tried switching to a vaporizer a while back. Tried for 3 weeks, and the results just aren’t the same as smoking. I used the same herb for vaping, which I use for insomnia and anxiety. Got completely different results. Didn’t get a body high, just a very mild head high. The Airizer Extreme Q is what I tried. Now it just collects dust.
Hello there JimBob, thank you very much for sharing your experience. Switching to vaping isn’t a homer run for everyone. Stick to what works for you and alleviates your syndromes.
We’ve heard it from a cannabinoid clinician before that cultivars and doses that work with smoking may not work with vaping and vice versa. You may wish to check with your clinician on your next consultation.
I use the Arizer Extreme Q with a few mods and I’ll never go back to smoking. Once I got the hang of it, I’m digging it. Found the sweet spot with temp and strain and ‘m a bit higher than I get with any of my glass gear. Must keep your mouth hydrated. I set the EQ at 410 which is actually the temp of the heater not the temp your material will be vaped at. The weed is about 15 degrees lower than what the pane say. I’ve been smoking for 45 years and vaping will help my lungs and head a bit. I also vape concentrates.