When you heat cannabis to 300 to 450 F, several compounds such as oil, wax, or dry herbs turn into what we call vapour. That’s exactly what a vape pen does to marijuana, except that they do it with a battery-powered device. The modern vape pen turns the liquid inside (usually oil and other ingredients) into smoke using ultrasonic vibrations.
Many marijuana enthusiasts use vaping to consume CBD and THC because of its high bioavailability. However, some experienced and new marijuana users may have reservations because they are unaware of what a vape pen is and how it works.
To answer this question, we have written this article. First, let’s look at the difference between vape pens and cigarettes.
Difference Between Vape Pens and Cigarettes
A vape pen is a reusable metal device that runs on a battery. Unlike cigarettes, vape pens don’t contain tobacco but still have nicotine and other compounds in the liquid. When you turn on the pen and start inhaling, a puff of smoke is released into the air.
As you already know, a regular cigarette is a paper roll with shredded tobacco on the inside. There’s also a filter on top for the user to inhale. As you light it up, the combustion produces the smoke you inhale.
The most significant difference between vape pens and cigarettes is that the pen doesn’t have many addictive substances found in cigarettes.
How a Vape Pen Works
A vape pen works on a simple mechanism. Like other electronic devices, you need to turn the device on. It would be best to push the power button several times to turn on the device in many pens. It will light up to let you know it is working in most cases.
Then you need to press and hold the power button to activate the atomizer and create steam. The pen generates the steam in a fraction of a second, so there is almost no waiting time between pressing the button and the first puff. The viscosity of the vapour determines how quickly you can get those strong hits.
When you are done using the vaping pen, you will need to press the power button several times to turn it off. If you use a draw-fire vape, you should take a draw instead of pushing a button to create vapour.
Structure of a Vape Pen
A conventional vape pen consists of several elements. These parts are the tank, mouthpiece, atomizer, battery, and LED display. Most of these devices are powered by a rechargeable battery.
Charging a vape pen is usually easier than many other electronic devices because some come with portable chargers, and some you can even charge wirelessly. It’s also better to have a 100% spare battery, just in case.
Some vape pens require you to push the power button several times to trigger the heating elements, but some turn on automatically when you start inhaling. The sensors inside the pen detect when the button is pushed or when the user starts inhaling.
One of the most important processes during vaping is atomization. The atomizer is an integral part of a vape pen and contains several heating coils that help produce the vapour.
As mentioned earlier, a regular vape pen consists of various elements. For the sake of brevity, we’ll briefly talk about some of them.
Tank
Cannabis oil is an essential component of vapour production and is contained in a refillable container called a tank. When you can not refill the container with more oil, it’s called a cartridge. In most pens, the tank and atomizer are combined as one unit. While some tanks are stainless steel or even glass, most are polycarbonate plastic.
Some pens like the Factory 710 Refill Cartridges THC Distillate 1 Gram can be refilled easily.
Atomizer
An atomizer is a small heating element inside the vape pen. Some also call it a cartomizer, clearomizer, or other names, but the function is similar. The atomizer contains heating coils that turn the liquid into tiny droplets. The term “atomizing” fits this process better than vaping, but maybe it’s too late.
Mouthpiece
A mouthpiece or a drip tip is a part used on tanks that can enhance the vaping experience for the user. The 510 and 810 drip tips are two mouthpieces, 12.5 mm and 8.5 mm diameter, respectively.
The difference in size may seem insignificant to the user, but it can make a big difference. For those who prefer slow, concentrated puffs, the 510 mouthpiece is the better choice because it has a narrower airflow opening.
On the other hand, the 810 is a better choice for users who like a large amount of smoke. The unobstructed airflow allows you to inhale a large amount of vapour in one hit.
Battery
The battery is perhaps the most crucial part of all electronic vape pens. In most cases, a vape pen comes with removable batteries, which is great because The device allows you to keep a backup battery close at hand. Each vape pen comes with a different type of battery, so you should carefully choose the one that works best for you.
Novice users may prefer internal batteries built into the vape pen. However, experienced users tend to choose a vape pen with external batteries because they can charge and power the device longer.
Different Kinds of Vape Pens
Since many different elements go into making vape pens, it is logical that there is not just one type of vape pen on the market. While there are several differences between any two vape pens, the most important is the material used to create the vapour. Here are some types of vape pens.
Dry Herb Vape Pens
The first type of vape pen that came on the market was dry herbs. There are two ways to heat the herb inside the pen, and in both cases, the temperature in the heating chamber must be increased to produce vapour from the herb.
The first way is combustion, which is not quite the same as vaporization. However, this produces some smoke from the combustion of the dry herb inside, which leaves a small pile of ash after the pen is smoked. This is usually the preferred method of those who like hard hits.
The second type of vape pen uses vaporization and is more popular than its older counterparts. Instead of firing up the herbs, they turn the temperature inside the chamber so high that the herbs begin to vaporize without producing smoke.
Regardless of the heating process inside these two types of vape pens, the functionality is pretty much the same, and they differ slightly in additional features. Dry herb pens are better for beginners, as they don’t have to deal with all the complexities surrounding wax or oil vape pens.
But if you have enough experience with wax, oil, or products other than dry herbs, you can use any vape pen you prefer.
Wax Vape Pens
Like dry herb pens, a Wax vape pen contains a heating chamber, but a chamber uses heating coils to heat the wax and produce vapour. The number of these coils varies with each vape pen, and the nice thing is that you can easily replace them.
Vape pens are usually made of quartz (less time to heat up and cool down) or ceramic (more time to heat up and cool down), mainly determining how fast you can heat up or cool down the pen. The choice of either material depends on your preference.
Oil Vape Pens
Oil vape pens operate on a mechanism similar to the previous two, but the difference is that they have tanks or cartridges installed on top of the heating component. Using a tank or cartridge is that we use oil, a liquid, to create vapour, which can be sticky and make a mess at higher temperatures.
There’s also a mouthpiece attached to the tank or cartridge. As mentioned earlier, the tank is an empty part that you can refill with oil, while the cartridges are already filled and need to be replaced after use.
If you want to keep the oil with you and refill the tank as needed, the tank is your choice. But, if you prefer removing the old cartridge and installing a new one, it’s better to go with the cartridge.
Box Mod Vapes
They have Large, high-capacity batteries that work well with different pen tanks and one or several concentrates. With a higher wattage output than regular vape pens, box mod vapes are a popular choice for those who want more potent hits and large clouds of vapour.
Selecting the Right Vape Pen
When choosing a vape pen, you should first consider what you want from the device. Do you want to smoke THC, CBD, or e-liquid? Are you looking for a more permanent pen or something convenient and disposable like the ICARUS Disposable Vape Pens D9 THC Distillate 1.1 Gram?
If you don’t have much experience with THC or CBD, you need to be careful when choosing dry herbs, oil, or wax. Smoking is only one way to use cannabis products, so do some research and find a method that works better for you.
It’s essential to think about the additional features. Are you comfortable with a power button, or do you want an automatic draw-fire device? Do you want complete control over setting the temperature, or do you have no problem vaping at a default temperature?
The answers will narrow down your search and help you make your final choice.
Vape Pen Maintenance
You must familiarize yourself with the maintenance of the vape pen, especially if you are using the device for the first time. It would be best to keep the vape pen upright, especially with an oil vape pen, as this will prevent the oil from entering the vapour path and prevent accidental leaks that would cause a big mess.
The pen should also be kept at room temperature, as excessive heat or cold can damage the device’s battery. Therefore, keeping your vape pen in your car is a big mistake. At certain times of the day, extreme heat can damage the battery, leading to leakage and even fire. So, it’s essential to protect the vape pen like any other electronic device.
Bottom Line
Smoking marijuana using vape pens is one of the most popular methods. They can be found in different places, such as vape shops, online stores, and marijuana dispensaries. Some people prefer smoking THC or CBD to edibles because it gives them a more potent hit.
Before purchasing a permanent device, it’s better to try different types of vape pens so that you know for sure which is the right one for you.
It’s usually wiser to purchase vape pens from a trusted online store with a proven track record. Online stores are generally safer than random dispensaries and give you all the information you need to make the right purchase.
At BuyWeed247, you can get edibles, concentrates, vape pens, and practically everything you need for a sweet, mellow experience.