A vaporizer (or vaporiser) is a device used to release the active ingredients
of plant material, commonly cannabis, tobacco, and many other therapeutic or
medicinal herbs or blends (phyto-inhalation; see also: aromatherapy).
Vaporization is an alternative to smoking. Rather than burning the herb, which
produces numerous harmful by-products, a vaporizer heats the material in a
controlled manner so that the active compounds contained in the plant boil off
into a vapor. This new gas is not smoke from combustion, but an evaporated vapor
that has the appearance of light smoke. The vapor ideally contains virtually
zero particulate matter (tar) and reduced noxious gases such as carbon monoxide.
Vapor may be filtered and cooled further using a water pipe or an inline
water/ice attachment. The vapor is then inhaled directly through a hose or pipe
for highest activity, or stored for subsequent inhalations in a container such
as a "dome" or "balloon." With little to no smoke produced, cooler temperatures,
and less material required to achieve the same effect, the irritating/harmful
effects of smoking are greatly reduced or eliminated,[1][2][3][4][5] along with
second hand smoke, by using a vaporizer. This makes vaporizers useful in places
where there are public bans on smoking and in circumstances whereas a more
medical-like delivery medium is preferred.
The shortcomings of smoking as a delivery medium for cannabis have been widely
viewed as a major obstacle for the approval of medical marijuana. In response,
several scientific studies have tried to establish whether vaporizers could
offer a clinically reliable and safe method of cannabis use. Though vaporizers
show great variations of performance, model to model, such studies have
consistently found vaporization superior to smoking.[citation needed] When using
high-end vaporizers along with high grade cannabis (containing elevated levels
of THC), all undesired compounds are found to be eliminated, in a manner
consistent enough for clinical trials.[citation needed] In comparison to other
THC delivery methods such as ingestion, vaporization offers the advantages of:
rapid onset, direct delivery into the bloodstream (via the lungs), and the
possibility of gradually increasing delivery until the desired level is reached,
enabling more effective self-dosage.
Vaporizers are available in many varieties and price ranges.
Simple vaporizers commonly use a jet flame lighter as a heat source. Although
common lighters can also be used, jet flame or torch lighters are preferred,
because they don't stain the vaporizer pipes with soot.
Precise vaporizers use an electric heating element, often featuring a
temperature control and thermo-couple for accurate thermal exchange. High-end
models may cost several hundred U.S. dollars.
Broadly, vaporizers may be classified by how they heat the substance:
By thermal conduction
By convection
By thermal radiation
In conduction heating, the substance is placed on a metal plate that is then
heated to release the active constituents. Conduction vaporizers were the first
type to appear on the market, and some are still made today. The direct contact
between hot metal and the herbs can cause them to burn; thus this is not a
preferred approach and is rarely used in modern vaporizer designs. This design
also relies on a collection dome in most cases and the prolonged exposure of the
vapor to air during the collection phase and prior to the inhalation phase is
known to decrease bio-activity via oxidation.
In convection heating, the substance itself never touches a heating element.
Instead, hot air passes through it, heating it rapidly, and allowing the release
of the active constituents. This method of heating releases more active
constituents than conduction heating, especially if the extraction chamber
utilizes Venturi effect design such as seen in proprietary vaporization chamber
bowls.[citation needed]
Many convection vaporizers use a tube (called a "whip") that is held to the heat
source, through which the user inhales the vapors. Some vaporizers have a bag or
balloon attachment; vapor is blown into the bag, and the user detaches the bag
and inhales the contents. Certain add-ons allow the users to cool the vapor with
water.
Convection vaporizers are either forced air types which actively blow air
through the heating element and herbs, or passive types, where the user inhales
the air without help of a fan or pump. Most vaporizers today use the convection
principle, including heat guns, "wood box" types, and nearly every high end
vaporizer on the market today.
In radiation heating, the substance is subjected to bright light. The substance
absorbs radiant energy and its temperature rises. Radiation vaporizers are rare
but capable of duplicating the performance of convection vaporizers.
Few vaporizer studies/reviews have really addressed the quality of the vapor
extracted and delivered. Most studies/reviews have tended to focus on the mode
of usage of the vaporizers and not the quality of the vapor extracted and
delivered. When one considers that the active compounds in Cannabis number at
least 60-70 in quantity and that the aromatic terpinoids begin to vaporize at
260 °F, but the more bio-active CBD, CBN, and THC does not vaporize until
370-392 °F, then it becomes apparent that the only way to get a full spectrum
vapor inhalation is to extract and deliver rapidly from a small sample at a
time. Because most commercial vaporizers are slow in extraction and delivery,
the vapor inhaled is first aromatic, but only minimally active; and then as the
apparent temperature rises, the vapor becomes increasingly bio-active, but
minimally aromatic as most of the aromatics already released. Only rapid
extraction and delivery approaches such as the sequential Venturi vaporization
chamber bowls with a hot air gun or heat wand enable inhalation of fuller
spectrum vapor. By utilizing a sequential Venturi effect, the actual level of
condensation of the vapor can be greatly improved over hoses or balloon capture
approaches because the vapor extracted and delivered is more condensed, without
needing higher temperatures that tend to lead to hybrid smoke/vapor.
Most vaporizers deliver dry vapor: that is vapor that is extracted and delivered
dry. Usually a cooling of the vapor takes place between the point of extraction
and the point of delivery, but the dry warm nature of this kind of vapor will
often irritate the throat and upper tracheo bronchial tree. It must be
remembered that at least in terms of Cannabis, heat is the primary culprit
leading to damage of the tracheo-bronchial tree whether smoking or vaporizing.
Cannabis smoke contains tars and noxious gases known to be harmful not present
in accurately extracted vapor; however, THC is a powerful expectorant and will
cause the tars consumed to be subsequently coughed up (unlike nicotine which
does not have a medicinal expectorant quality). Vaporizers or vaporization
systems that feature rapid extraction and delivery combined with water / ice
cooling and conditioning of the vapor deliver the best of all: cleaner more
concentrated and aromatic inhalations of vapor that is cooled and moisturized
for maximized bio-activity and minimized impact.
Regardless of the benefits of medical cannabis, the widely perceived health
risks of smoking as a route of administration have been viewed as a major
obstacle for the legal approval of cannabis for medical uses, though some
studies indicate that the expectorant activity of THC may help the lungs remove
much of the inhaled tar through coughing.[6] In response to the concerns,
several studies have aimed to establish whether or not vaporizers could offer a
clinically reliable and safe route of administration for cannabis. Though
vaporizers show great variations in performance, such studies have consistently
found vaporization superior to smoking and with best case (high-end vaporizers
used with potent cannabis) results showing an elimination of undesired compounds
suitable for clinical trials.[citation needed] In comparison to other routes of
administering cannabis such as eating, vaporization offers the advantages of
inhalation - immediate delivery into the bloodstream, rapid onset of effect, and
more precise titration,[citation needed] the ability to more accurately control
the dosage to produce a desired effect.
All Studies have found the release of harmful constituents dramatically
reduced[7] or completely eliminated.[8] Substantial reductions were also found
for the M1-volatizer.[9] However, a 1996 study[10] including two simple
vaporizers still found ten times more tar in the vapor than THC, although this
was nevertheless up to a 30% improvement compared to the best alternative
smoking method.
The most recent study, published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology in May
2008,[11] investigated the acceptability and usefulness of intrapulmonary THC
administration using a Volcano vaporizer and pure THC instead of cannabis.
Rising doses of THC (2, 4, 6 and 8 mg) were administered with 90 minutes
intervals to twelve healthy males. Very low between-subject variability was
observed in THC plasma concentrations, characterising the Volcano vaporizer as a
suitable method for the administration of THC.
In 2007, a study by University of California, San Francisco published in the
Official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology[12] examined the
effectiveness of a vaporizer that heats cannabis to a temperature between 180°C
(356°F) and 200°C (392°F) degrees and found:
“ Using CO as an indicator, there was virtually no exposure to harmful
combustion products using the vaporizing device. Since it replicates smoking's
efficiency at producing the desired THC effect using smaller amounts of the
active ingredient as opposed to pill forms, this device has great potential for
improving the therapeutic utility of THC. ”
In 2006, a study performed by researchers at Leiden University, tested a Volcano
vaporizer with preparations of pure THC and found that:[8]
“ Our results show that a safe and effective cannabinoid delivery system seems
to be available to patients. The final pulmonal uptake of THC is comparable to
the smoking of cannabis, while avoiding the respiratory disadvantages of
smoking. ”
When using plant material (crude flower tops), besides THC, several other
cannabinoids as well as a range of other plant components including terpenoids
were detected in the plant material. However, using pure THC in the Volcano
Vaporizer, no degradation products (delta-8-THC (D8-THC), cannabinol (CBN), or
unknown compounds) were detected by HPLC analysis. Also, a substantially larger
fraction of the THC was delivered to the vapor by using pure THC.
Analysis of the vapor from the Volcano vaporizer found that using multiple
passes it delivered 36% - 61% of the THC in the sample.[7] A more recent study
using pure cannabinoid preparations achieved a maximum of 54%.[8] For
comparison, studies of cannabis cigarettes smoked via a smoking machine under
varying conditions of puff duration and air speed found very similar
efficiencies of 34% to 61%. Consequently, users can achieve the desired effect
with a similar amount of material as when smoking.
In a 2001 study testing a device called the M1 Volatizer,[9] the researchers
found that "it is possible to vaporize medically active THC by heating marijuana
to a temperature short of the point of combustion, thereby eliminating or
substantially reducing harmful smoke toxins that are normally present in
marijuana smoke." The M1 Volatizer, produced THC at a temperature of 185°C
(365°F), while eliminating three measured combustion products, benzene, toluene
and naphthalene. Carbon monoxide and smoke tars were also reduced, but not
quantified.
These positive results are in contrast to MAPS/NORML's previous studies into
vaporizers which found less encouraging results, leading one to the conclusion
that the effectiveness of vaporization varies greatly from vaporizer to
vaporizer. See Factors affecting vaporizer output for possible causes of
variation.
A 1996 MAPS study[10] tested two simple vaporizer models against water pipes and
filtered and unfiltered cannabis cigarettes (joints). The smoke produced by each
was analyzed for solid particulates (tars) and 3 major cannabinoids. The various
smoking methods were then rated based on their cannabinoid-to-tar ratio. The two
tested vaporizers performed up to 25% better than unfiltered cannabis cigarettes
(second best) in terms of tar delivery. However, both vaporizers produced more
than ten times more tars than cannabinoids, which may partly be attributable to
the low potency (2.3%) of the NIDA-supplied cannabis used in the study.
Surprisingly, the same study found that water pipes (bongs) and filtered
cigarettes performed 30% worse than regular, unfiltered joints. The reason was
that waterpipes and filters filter out psychoactive THC with the tars, thereby
requiring users to smoke more to reach their desired effect. The study did not,
however, rule out the possibility that waterpipes could have other benefits,
such as filtering out harmful gases such as carbon monoxide.
These studies have not measured the presence of toxic gases, such as ammonia,
hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide, though previous studies have indicated
unquantified decreases in carbon monoxide with vaporization.
Although vaporizers produce cleaner vapors than smoking, they do not completely
eliminate respiratory irritation. A puff of strong vaporized cannabis will
occasionally cause coughing. This however, could be due to THC itself, which is
known to have a strong expectorant effect.
[edit] vaporizer effectiveness
The wide range of results from tests of different vaporizers suggest that the
choice of vaporizer is a major factor in determining extraction and delivery
efficiency as well as the amount of harmful byproducts produced, or not
produced, as in the case of a superior system. In Cannabis and many other
medicinal plants, the components responsible for the aromatic nature of the
plant will often vaporize at a low-end temperature in the range of extraction
temperature values for all the bioactive components. In Cannabis, the
temperature range across which the actives will vaporize is at least 56°C
(132°F) starting at around 127°C (260°F) where only aromatic compounds of
minimal bioactivity will release and going all the way up to 200°C (392°F) with
the higher end of this range representing where the cannabinoids of higher
bioactivity appear to be released. It is believed that both the total amount of
actives delivered as well as the breadth of spectrum delivered per inhalation is
critical in determining the value of the delivered dose and, in turn, systems
that deliver the highest amount of actives and broadest spectrum of actives per
inhalation are believed to be the most effective for medicinal applications:
i.e. venturi enhanced extraction / convection based systems.
Proposed factors affecting output include:[7][8]
Temperature
Specimen density
Weight, content of water and essential oils
Consistency of material in the filling chamber
Variety and potency of cannabis used
Different preparations such as crude flower tops, hashish, hash oil, etc.
Storage time of the vapor
Proportion of THC exhaled (breathing technique)
Not all those have been scientifically tested. Research using the vaporizer
found the delivery efficiency highest at around 226°C (439°F), falling to about
half efficiency at 150°C (302°F) to 180°C (356°F) degrees depending on
material.[8] The purest preparations produced the highest efficiencies, about
54% for pure THC versus 29% for plant material (female flower tops) with 12%
THCA content. Besides THC, several other cannabinoids as well as a range of
other plant components including terpenoids were detected in the plant material.
Using pure THC in the Volcano Vaporizer, no degradation products (delta-8-THC
(D8-THC), cannabinol (CBN), or unknown compounds were detected by HPLC
analysis.[8]
The longer vapor is stored, the more of the THC is lost as it condenses on the
surface of the vaporizer or the balloon. This loss may be negligible over a few
minutes but may exceed 50% after 90 minutes.[8]
Interestingly, the Leiden Univsersity study[8] found that as much as 30%–40% of
inhaled THC was not absorbed by the lungs and simply exhaled. However, they did
not find large individual differences in the amounts exhaled
Unlike the black ashes produced by burning plants, the byproducts of
vaporization are usually brown. Cannabis trichomes containing very high
concentrations of active compounds burst during vaporization and appear
flattened afterwards under a microscope. The vaporized remains of cannabis may
still contain THC or any number of the other 60 cannabinoids found in the plant.
It is possible to extract these cannabinoids using a number of methods,
including cooking, making a tincture, or revaporizing. It is also possible to
smoke these remains and gain a possibly strong psychoactive effect, but the
negative health effects typically leave this option as a last resort. Some of
the slang terms used to refer to the vaporized remains of cannabis include:
Spent, Coffee Grounds, Cached, ReBurn, Redope, Duff, Revap, Post Roast, Snizap,
Gak, Browns, Floyd Tibbs, Eva Brown, Mary Brown, Vapoo, Vapor poo, No, Toasties,
Vapor-leavin's, Cashums, Vented, Vapeweed, Vapedoof, Vaped Chron, or Vaped Bud.
When scraped off, the resin buildup within a vaporizer, known as Scrapings, can
also be re-vaporized for a potent effect.
[edit] Use in the restaurant industry
A vaporizer is sometimes used by chefs as a method of applying controlled heat
to herbs and spices to release flavors that are otherwise difficult to titrate
or apply, or that might be spoiled by overheating during cooking.
"Chicago's Achatz uses the aroma-filled bags as place-mats, punctured when
plates are placed in front of the customer."
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Some facts about the Vaporizer ...
Much of the controversy over the medical use of cannabis originates
over possible long-term damage from harmful elements in the smoke.
The Vaporizer releases the beneficial ingredients of the plant into
your lungs without burning. No tars and other harmful carcinogens
are released into your lungs. Many imitations have appeared on the
market since the Vaporizer appeared in 1994. None of them work as
well as the original.
Another thing to remember is that Bigger is
not always better. Large glass domes are not efficient. You
lose many of the active ingredients of many herbs because
they condense on the inside of the dome. The RxDirect2U.com
Vaporizer has a small dome and an airtight seal designed
for maximum efficiency. A large brass bowl holds an ample
amount of your chosen combustible. Its smaller size and scientific
design combine the right amount of heat and reduced oxygen
for maximum benefit.
For more information on
Much of the controversy over the medical use of cannabis originates
over possible long-term damage from harmful elements in the smoke.
The Vaporizer releases the beneficial ingredients of the plant into
your lungs without burning. No tars and other harmful carcinogens
are released into your lungs. Many imitations have appeared on the
market since the Vaporizer appeared in 1994. None of them work as
well as the original.
Another thing to remember is that Bigger is
not always better. Large glass domes are not efficient. You
lose many of the active ingredients of many herbs because
they condense on the inside of the dome. The RxDirect2U.com
Vaporizer has a small dome and an airtight seal designed
for maximum efficiency. A large brass bowl holds an ample
amount of your chosen combustible. Its smaller size and scientific
design combine the right amount of heat and reduced oxygen
for maximum benefit.
For more information on
Why the www.RXDIRECT2U.COM VAPORIZER
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