What are Vape Pens?

Vape pens are a popular way to consume cannabis. They’re discreet, portable, and most of all: they’re easy to use.

So what are vape pens? Put simply, vape pens can be battery-powered or analog devices that heat up the material until they reach their set temperature point, whereupon it becomes vaporized and is inhaled by the user. 

Vape pens are a type of e-cigarette, which are often used as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes. These devices use heat to produce vapor from liquids that typically contain nicotine, but can also be used for marijuana.

The result is a quick high that lasts anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour on average. Most vape pens are pocket sized, with smaller ones being as small as a few inches. Bigger vape pens can even be the same size as a regular cigarette.

What Goes Into Vape Pens

Vape pens consist of two main components:

• a chamber that cannabis is packed into
• and an atomizer (the heating element)

The two are connected by a series of wires and tubes that deliver vapor to the mouthpiece. They are designed to be used with dried flower or concentrates like hash oil or wax. Many people choose to use wax since it is usually more potent and less expensive than flower.

The chamber of the vape pen is usually made out of ceramic or stainless steel, and can range in size from a few millimeters to over one centimeter in diameter. The larger the chamber, the more flower that can be packed into it. Chamber size is a major factor when considering which pen to buy as bigger chambers mean that less refills are needed for each use. 

Some vape pens have multiple chambers that allow for more than one flavor or potency of cannabis to be used at once. These types of pens provide the user with better control over their experience.

The atomizer (or heating element) is what heats up and vaporizes dry herbs or concentrates. They are usually made from metals like titanium and quartz. Vape pens usually come with atomizers made of quartz. Many vaporizers also offer the option to buy a replacement atomizer.

How Does Vape Pens Work

Because they vaporize dry herbs and concentrates, vape pens are designed to be used by mouth or being held under the nose like a regular cigarette. To get high, first you have to load the chamber of your pen with herbs and then take a drag from it using the mouthpiece. This can be done with any type of dry herb filling, even if it is not cannabis, as long as it’s not that combustible stuff we call tobacco.

If you do start with dry herb, you may need to toast it a bit before loading it into the chamber. This is known as “drying out the wick”. For this, place the atomizer on a hot plate of your oven for 30-45 seconds (depending on what your oven can do).

Because there is no fire involved when using a vape pen, you are safe to do this anytime and anywhere. Taking a toke from it can be just as satisfying as from your favorite joint. As long as you don’t get distracted while vaping and just enjoy the experience of getting high, taking too many hits will not cause any harm.

Just remember that the more you inhale, the more you’re going to get high, so be careful if you don’t want to get too wasted. 

Vape pens have been transformed into a new level of convenience. With each inhalation, a user can experience the feeling of smoking a cigarette while also achieving the health benefits inherent in vaping.

How To Use Vape Pens

If you decide to stick with concentrates for your vape session, then skip straight ahead to the instructions below. If your vape pen is designed for dry herb, here are some tips on how to use it properly: 

• First things first: before loading any cannabis into a vape pen, make sure it’s on a hot plate at its maximum temperature. This usually ranges from 200-500 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the type of herb being used and the preferred vaporization temperature.

• Grind up your herb until it is finely ground and easily packable. A good grind consistency shouldn’t produce too much dust when ground.  

• Once the material is ready to go, simply load it into the mouthpiece of your vape pen. Be careful not to overpack it. Some pens have a limit on how much material they can take.

• There will be two buttons that control the temperature of your vaporizer, but we suggest you leave temperature control alone and start using your vape pen at its lowest setting first. This will allow you to gauge how much vapor you can handle before increasing the temperature setting slightly. 

• Start by taking a quick drag from your mouth. If you are feeling too high, simply decrease the temperature setting of your pen until you feel good again. 

• If you want to get even higher, gradually increase the temperature setting of your pen until you find the optimal range that works for you. Continue to vape and take smaller drags to make sure the vapor hits are not too strong or harsh on your lungs. 

• Another important thing to keep in mind is that when using a vape pen, it can be tempting to hit it like a cigarette. The best way to avoid this is by taking smaller drags (about 10-15 seconds for a hit). 

• If you find that the pen is too hot, try slowly reducing the temperature setting. Too hot can be easily fixed by using a towel to cover it or putting your pen inside a cold water bath. 

• When you’re done vaping, simply put the mouthpiece into your mouth, close your lips around it and then blow hard through it. This will let the remaining vapor escape so you can avoid having to inhale it all at once. 

• A cleaner and healthier alternative to smoking is vaping. However, vaping can get addictive, so be careful. If you are using a vape pen and are getting more than you bargained for in terms of the amount of vapor emitted, you may be inhaling a lot more harmful chemicals than you intended to. 

Safety Tips

If your vape pen is designed for dry herb, remember that there are particular safety measures you need to take when using it:

1) Avoid overpacking your pen. This can cause combustion which can lead to burning inside the chamber and releasing harmful fumes into the air (as opposed to evaporation). 

2) Clean all parts of your vape pen regularly to make sure they don’t get too dirty or clogged. 

3) Never use water on your vape pen. The water can damage the battery or the heating chamber. 

4) Clean your herb from the inside using a Q-tip so you avoid burning it with paper and lighter. This will help avoid your vape pen from releasing any harmful fumes into the air. 

5) Remember to keep your herbs at room temperature before vaping so they don’t burn when heated.