You’ve smoked it. You’ve consumed it. But have you vaped it? If you’re new to vaping, 13th Floor Cannabis, one of the best cannabis stores in Calgary, is here to break it down for you.
Why Vape?
Safety
Compared to smoking, vaping releases fewer harmful by-products, (Carcinogens) caused by combustion of traditional smoking. but it has the same onset time (between seconds and minutes) and duration (up to six hours, with some effects lasting up to 24 hours).
Portability
Portable vapes can be taken on the go and used wherever you are.
Discretion
Vapes produce a vapour that is less potent and dissipates more quickly than smoke.
Equipment
There are two ways to vape cannabis: using a dried flower vape or using a 2.0 cannabis vape; also known as 510 thread cartridges with a 510-thread battery.
Dried Flower Vapes
Dried flower vapes release cannabis’ active compounds, called cannabinoids, without burning them. To be a true vape it must run on convection. There are two different varieties to choose from: desktop (or tabletop) vapes and portable vapes. Desktop vaporizers are powerful yet refined machines that are perfect for long sessions at home. They produce large, potent vapour clouds that only heat the cannabis as its drawn, so none of your weed is wasted. Portable vaporizers are perfect for vaping on the go. These battery-powered devices contain a chamber for the cannabis, a heating element, which transforms the cannabis into vapour, and a mouthpiece to inhale the vapour.
Cannabis 2.0 Vapes
Cannabis 2.0 products, which include edibles, beverages, topicals, and vape pens, aptly fall under Canada’s second set of cannabis regulations, which came into effect October 2019. Vape pens, also known as 510 thread, are small, handheld devices that contain a battery and a cartridge. They use the same technology as e-cigarettes but use cannabis concentrate instead of nicotine. Like dried flower vapes, vape pens may be less harmful, they’re portable, and they’re discreet. But they’re also clean and convenient: because of their small profile, you can carry several of them at a time, and it’s simple to swap the disposable cartridges, which leave no sticky mess.
Vape pens themselves can be disposable or reusable, and, like cars, they come in automatic or manual varieties. Disposable weed pens typically have a lower up-front cost and don’t need to be charged; however, they cost more in the long run, the cartridges can’t be charged, the hits are weaker, and the pens are not eco-friendly. Reusable pens, however, are much more sustainable – not only for the environment, but for your wallet. Their hits are stronger, their cartridges are interchangeable, and they cost significantly less over time. Vape pens typically last three days with chronic use; if a vaper uses only disposables, that equates to more than $2000 per year. (Weed rather not burn our money!) Manual, or draw-activated pens, have no buttons. Instead, they activate when puffed on. They’re simple to use, but they’re also less functional than automatic – or push-button – vape pens, which need to be turned on before use (typically by pushing the button five times in succession). Some push-button vapes even allow you to change the voltage output (usually by pushing the button three times in a row) and/or pre-heat your vape (typically by pushing the button twice). (Check out our blog on the Anatomy of a Vape Pen!)
Ready to vape? It’s as easy as 1-2 (or 1-2-3)!
- Push the button. (Check the directions to find out how many times you need to click it.) If there’s no button, skip this step!
- Inhale using the mouthpiece.
- Exhale the vapour.
That’s it!
There are many weed stores in Calgary to choose from, but 13th Floor Cannabis truly is the best cannabis shop in Calgary. Come up to the 13th Floor and see us! We’ll help you find the perfect vaping device!