Are Weed Vape Pens Safe? What Happens When You Vape Weed?

Posted by Deep Shikha on March 6th, 2020

Of all the methods of ingesting weed, there is something about vaping which is keeping people hooked. Vaping has grown the most in popularity in the recent years. This form of ingesting weed involves heating, but not burning, weed to form inhalable vapors. These vapors are generally thought to be safer than the smoke and vaping is more convenient than smoking. But is it actually safe?

Well, it mostly depends on your vape pen. No matter what does a product description says, some of the vape pens might not be vaporizing at all. In addition to this, there are many other factors to consider.

Vape Pen

Weed should be vaped within a specific range of temperature. Setting the right temperatures make sure that your weed or concentrates are not burning. If your weed catches combustion, it will produce smoke instead of vapors. The smoke contains carbon monoxide and other toxic substances which are not good for your lungs and overall health. Most of the cheap vaporizers that you find in the market don’t vaporize well. They have inconsistent heating elements and poor temperature settings that do not let the weed vaporize properly. Other than that, there are many cheap vape pens in the market that use poor quality chambers and cartridges which form toxic chemicals upon heating. You should stay away from such vape pens because they make vaping the best quality herb toxic for you.

Vaping Weed Concentrates

Weed is commonly vaporized with a portable vape pen. While some of the vape pens can vaporizer raw weed, most require a cartridge of oils or concentrates. These concentrates are created with the help of solvents like butane, CO₂, or ethanol. These solvents are responsible for extracting the compounds from the plant and they tend to leave the most potent substances behind.

If we’re using hydrocarbon extraction (the form of extraction that uses butane or propane) rather than CO₂ for the production of concentrates, there are higher chances of residual solvents ending up in the concentrates. According to a 2015 study published in The Journal of Toxicological Sciences, 80% of the concentrate samples were found to be contaminated by the residual solvents which are toxic for your health.

Vaping Raw Weed

Vaping raw weed isn’t as healthy as it may seem. According to the same 2015 study, in addition to residual solvents, on-third of the concentrate samples were also contaminated by the pesticides. Therefore, if you vape raw weed, there are quite high chances that you’ll also be vaping pesticides which can be very toxic.

Other major concern is propylene glycol, which is added to the oils and concentrates as a thinner. This chemical is usually considered safe and has been approved by FDA for use in shampoos, cosmetics, and even ice creams. Yet, there are some concerned about this chemical when it’s heated to higher temperatures. At higher temperatures, it may produce carbonyls which can be quite toxic for your health.

Another issue of concern is added terpenes, which are added to weed to give it a distinctive odor. These terpenes are generally safe but can be harmful if ingested in higher concentration.

Does that mean vaping weed is bad?

No, not at all. All these factors that we mentioned above are the issues of concern, but with the right material, right device, and right approach, vaping weed can be made healthy. Here are three major factors that you should consider for healthy weed vaping.

Invest in a Right Vape Pen

This is the first and most important step to healthy weed vaping. Not all the weed vape pens are safe doesn’t mean that the safe vape pens doesn’t exist. There are so many premium quality vape pens made with high grade materials and heating elements that vaporize your herbs and concentrates evenly without forming any toxic substances in the process. Such vape pens come with an extensive temperature control and consistent heating elements that vaporize the substance to form vapors containing only potent inhalable compounds. 

Buy Only Organic Weed

If you’re thinking about vaping the raw weed, make sure you only buy organically grown weed to make sure you are not vaping pesticides and other harmful chemicals with it. Organically grown weed is slightly expensive than normal weed but not more than your health. Vaping organic weed makes sure that you only vape potent organic compounds with are good for your overall health. Also make sure you’re vaping excessively because it might also be harmful. You should vape moderately. If you’re vaping concentrated and oils, make sure that you’re only investing in FDA approved premium quality brands. Don’t go for cheap brands of oils and concentrates.

Right Vaping Technique

High-temp vaping might result in thick clouds and more satisfaction but low-temp vaping is always safer. Sometimes, in the desire for thick clouds, we lose control and raise the temperature above the vaporization point. At this point, the weed or the concentrates start to burn and form smoke instead of vapors, which can be dangerous. Therefore, go for low temp vaping and enjoy your vape at a slower pace. Also, draw the shallow puffs as it will be gentle on your throat and lungs.

If you want to vape weed safely, all you need to do is invest in right device and material, and then vape it with the right technique. That’s the key to ensure your safety while you vape. Hope these facts and tips help you make your next vaping experience safer and better.