Believe it or not, it’s been five years since Proposition 64 changed California’s cannabis culture forever. Over that time, there have been plenty more changes, but perhaps one of the most fundamental has been that stoners have started to follow cigarette smokers down the same path of switching from smoking to vaping, particularly CBD vape juice.

What are the Pros and Cons of Vaping?

Back in 2016, switching from smoking to vaping would have seemed like a preposterous idea, yet today, we know there are several advantages of having a quick vape instead of rolling up a joint. Yes, vaping is almost certainly better for you, despite some of the recent media histrionics related to cheap, low-quality products. But it also brings new possibilities. The most intriguing is the choice between vaping concentrates, which can also come in “vape juice” form, or investing in a dry herb vaporizer, which allows you to vape the actual weed.  

THC and CBD Vape Juice

Vape juice is a thin liquid that is effectively the concentrated oil from the cannabis plant mixed with a solvent so that allows it to vaporize at just the right temperature. Even in nations and states where THC is still outlawed, CBD vape juice is available online. Vaping has become a popular way to get the cannabinoid into contact with the endocannabinoid system quickly and effectively so that it can get to work. 

With THC concentrates, it is worth noting that concentrates are exactly as the name suggests – concentrated. It’s a little like those concentrated fruit syrups you can get to either add a splash to another drink or dilute with water in that a small amount goes a long way. In fact, some weed concentrates can have THC content as high as 80 percent.  

 Vaping Dry Weed

With a dry herb vaporizer, you grind up actual weed, just as you would for a joint, and then place it into the chamber of the vaporizer. The device then heats it to the appropriate temperature, and you inhale vapor instead of smoke. The effect is much the same as smoking, but your lungs are spared the unpleasant side effects that are associated with combustion.

Vaping pure weed in this way delivers an experience that is very similar to smoking. You also need the same amount as you do with a joint, as the delivery of THC is of similar efficiency. It works out at about 20 percent, although that does, of course, depend heavily on your chosen cannabis strain. 

Which Should You Choose?

As you can see, there’s no simple answer here, and it is not a case of one being better than the other. Dry herb vaping has been given quite a boost in popularity over the past few months, partly due to improvements in this type of vaporizer technology, but also, no doubt, as a reaction to the health scares relating to concentrates.  

Yet unless you are buying cheap, unbranded products from disreputable sources, those concerns are really a non-issue. Concentrates provide an intense hit, they don’t involve the mess and rigmarole of grinding weed and they come in a huge range of strengths and flavors. Perhaps the real answer is to give both types a try and make your own decision.