Are you a vaper? Maybe you’re thinking about switching to vaping to kick your smoking habit? Vapes are supposedly a safer alternative to smoking, providing similar effects.
With cannabis gaining legal status in many states across America, more people are looking at this alternative medicine to cure their ailments.
However, many people don’t want to smoke bud, and they prefer a vaping alternative using extracts. It’s important to note that cannabis oils and extracts require different vaping tools for optimal enjoyment.
This post looks at the difference between nicotine and cannabis vapes.
What Is Vaping?
Vaping is the process of heating a liquid to temperatures where it turns to vapor. There is a significant difference between the vapes used for cannabis and nicotine vaping, and they aren’t interchangeable.
Typically, a vape device features the following three components.
Battery
Mod
Atomizer
The battery powers the atomizer, heating it to a specific temperature recommended by the manufacturer for vaping oils or liquids.
Vaping devices come in the following four models.
Cig-style vapes (1st generation)
Vape pens (2nd generation)
Mods (3rd generation)
Pods
Vaping Tech Explained
When it comes to vaping cannabis, you’re going to need a vape pen. These cylindrical devices offer more power than the previous generation of cigarette-style vapes that smokers use as a cessation device. Vape pens come with a larger battery size and a temperature-control microchip controlling the temperature of the atomizer.
If you want to vape nicotine-based e-liquids, you can do so through a vape pen, but it’s not the best choice. Typically, people vaping cannabis use a mod setup, where they have a larger, bulkier device than what you find in a vape pen.
Both vape pens and vaping mods come with the following features.
A fire button.
Battery-pack.
10-second auto-shutdown for safety.
Tank or cartridge.
Coil (typically vaping nicotine e-liquids requires the use of a sub-ohm coil.
Airflow control.
USB charging port.
Mod-based vapes are more expensive than vape pens, but they allow for a greater variety of temperature and airflow adjustment. These features are beneficial for people vaping e-liquids, letting you blow large clouds.
If you’re vaping e-liquids with a vape pen, you’ll probably find that your battery dies fast. Therefore, people vaping e-liquids require a battery-powered mod for longer vaping sessions. The mod also offers you variable temperature ranges suitable for vaping a wide variety of materials. Additionally, attempt to learn the art of matching vape pairs with flexible beverages and meals. Not only will it improve your entire experience, but it also adds more flavor to your e-liquids.
Vape pens have a design for heating the liquid or oil in the tank or cartridge to a specific temperature. As a result, many nicotine vaper find they end up sucking down e-liquid when the battery starts to run out. Using a mod allows you to adjust the temperature of the coil to suit your vaping materials.
However, most nicotine-based vaping mods don’t suit use with cannabis oils or extracts. The high viscosity of the oil clogs up the atomizer fast, and you’ll find you have to replace the coil after each vaping session, which gets expensive.
With a vape pen, you’ll usually get a disposable cartridge prefilled with cannabis extract. After you finish the contents of the cart, you throw it away and use a new one.
What Do I Look for In Cannabis or E-Liquid Vape Pens and Mods?
When you’re looking for a new vape pen or mod, make sure you pay attention to the following features.
Fixed or Adjustable Voltage
Some pens come with temperature adjustment, but most of them have a preset for vaping specific liquids or oils. With a fixed voltage, you have less variation for choosing between vaping materials. However, there is also less room for error, and you won’t burn out the coil with a hotshot.
Vape Carts
Cartridges are the best choice for vaping cannabis. Dispensaries sell preloaded carts for attachment to vape pens. Since you won’t be puffing on cannabis extracts as much as e-liquids, the cart is the ideal choice, and you throw it away after finishing the contents, replacing it with a new cart.
Prebuilt coils or DIY
Mod units come with two coil varieties. Prebuilt coils make it easy for you to replace it when it tastes dirty. Most of these coils screw into the atomizer head.
Other models require you to refurbish the coil yourself. It might be a bit of a hassle to replace the cotton in the coil, but you’ll save a ton of money on replacements.
What are the Pros and Cons of Using Vape Pens?
Pros
Easy to set up and use.
Portable and lightweight.
Variety of brands and sizes available.
The better choice for extracts or oil-based products.
It uses less e-juice than a mod.
Cons
Short battery life compared to mods.
Lower tank capacities require frequent refilling.
Some models may have battery or safety issues.
Vape pens tend to leak more than mod devices.
What are the Pros and Cons of Using Mod Devices?
Pros
Huge cloud production.
Adjustable temperature.
Sub-ohm coils.
Larger tank sizes than cartridges.
Adjustable airflow
Longer battery life.
Longer service life between charges.
Cons
It uses more e-juice than a vape pen.
May spit when the battery gets low.
Not the best choice for vaping cannabis extracts as replacement parts are expensive.
Heavier than pens and harder to carry.
What’s the Difference Between Vaping THC/Cannabis and Nicotine?
Vaping cannabis and nicotine creates entirely different effects in the body. Vaping nicotine is ideal for helping you quit smoking, and it’s a fantastic cessation tool.
You also have options for different e-liquid strengths, with the industry standards being 3mg / 6mg / and 9mg concentrations of nicotine in the liquid. E-liquids come in a wide range of flavors, including candy and fruit-flavored liquids to suit your tastes.
When you take a drag off a vape mod with e-liquid, you’ll experience the same hit at the back of your throat and the sensation of nicotine flooding your nervous system, calming you down. However, nicotine is an addictive chemical, and you’ll need to watch your consumption.
It’s common for newbies to vape to vape too much during the day, leading to slight nicotine poisoning where the user feels overstimulated.
Vaping cannabis extracts produces an entirely different effect on the body and mind. With a cannabis vape cart and pen, you get oils with varying concentrations of THC, with the strongest strains offering you up to 89% concentrations of THC.
