I have Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy in my upper left body since 03 and tmjd in both jaws since 86. I've smoked pot throughout, and always found it more effective than any of the various pills I've been prescribed throughout the decades. Recently (2 years ago) Arizona's state government FINALLY listened to its citizens and relented (on the 4th vote FOR mmj) to obey the law. So for two years now, I've been using mmj.
Last December, I gifted myself an Atmos Raw at a dispensary. Yeah, I know. I paid too much, burned out the first chamber in a day, and was off on the Money Sink Pen Vape Routine. However, I woke up. I started writing. I got more alert. Friends commented on my mental status. "We've been SO worried about you..." kinda stuff, not said when I needed to hear it, but said eventually, and with love... But bottom line, once I began vaping instead of smoking, something changed, and other people could see it.
However, several hundred dollars later, I discovered tdavie's work on this site re temps. I figured out WHY I couldn't sleep anymore at ALL. I was vaping at extremely low temps all the time in my new and never ending set of vaping pens. I was trying to find the "perfect" heating chamber (one which wouldn't immediately roast my mmj into ash, but would actually VAPE my mmj. The Atmos glass button filter works.) and the perfect pen (ain't one), thinking that if I just had the right equipment, I'd be fine. I got a Volcano from a family member. Well, got it made NOW! Not exactly...
The volcano, and tdavie's work on temps, found here:"
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/vaporization-temperature-dependent-selection-of-effects.1637/", helped me a lot. I came to understand the limits and the benefits and the advantages and disadvantages of temps and doing too much and doing too much at one temp and several other things others have mentioned. I've searched for answers on how to treat my own pain, and so far, I've only learned a few things that I consider fact.
1. Different things happen at different temps. Starting low and moving progressively higher by 10-15 degrees C (starting at 130 c, I mean LOW temps) has an extremely positive effect on my pain levels. I prefer 130 (2-3 balloons, stirring between each balloon), 145 (2 balloons), 160 (2-3 balloons) and at this point, I do one of two things. I either remix or I repeat. Remixing means I put the entire amount of abv into my medium jar, stir it all up so that it's mixed together, and I put 2/3 abv in and put 1/3 UBV on that, sometimes with a layer of kief or hash for sheer pleasure). Repeating means I dump the abv into the medium container for later, and I reload my volcano pot and start at 130 again, stopping at the 3rd or 4th bowl of 160 degrees.
2. At least on the volcano, stirring between balloons is a must for continued taste and even "roasting" of my herb. If I leave it and do not stir the mmj between balloons, it forms a cake, and the top is one color and the bottom another... If I've stirred the mix, it IS a mix, and there is no color gradation.
3. On bad days (or bed days, which are worse), I start with the medium jar, and I go directly to 160. I make my mixture half and half, and often sandwich a treat between layers, but I do 160, 175 and 190, 2-3 balloons of each. The remains of THIS abv go into a different jar, marked High. I use it at 205 or 220 when I simply have not slept and cannot sleep. I often cannot finish the balloon without falling asleep.
4. Despite the Volcano's excellent craftsmanship and distinct and accurate thermometer, it is not enough. It is a sledgehammer when I sometimes just need a tackhammer. Sometimes I need a framing hammer. So I've got pens as tack hammers. I've got the sledgehammer. I do not know what a good framing hammer might be. Anybody with a suggestion, please speak up. It has to be temperature intelligent and portable and easy to hold.
5. Vaping is so superior to smoking that I cannot believe it has taken me this long to discover it. Reclaiming my abv alone is a life-changing thing! Reusing my stash is brilliant and so very necessary, since I don't even make $900 on my great disability plan (god bless em, but it ain't much...)
That's what I know, and I'm writing about it at Vaping4Life.wordpress.com, but what I don't know is far greater. For one, what's my framing hammer? The Pinnacle Pro? Magic Flight Launch Box? Those two seem to be the most likely candidates, being unique unto themselves (so far as I can tell) and not a clone of something else (again, so far as I can tell). The Pinnacle Pro seems like a portable version of the Volcano, in a sized down version with a water tool to keep me from dehydrating so bad! And so many ppl are rabid about the MFLB that it must somehow do what it does very very well. No other vaporizers get the same rantings as those two. Opinions? Suggestions?
Finally, yes, we all have to find what works for us, but I think anyone would be remiss to ignore tdavie's devoted work on this site regarding temps, if only to continue our own education. The temp levels absolutely make a difference in your experience, and only you can decide which differences are good ones for you -- I like hearing my friends say they think I'm more in touch with the world around me. That's due to vaping at low temps. Has to be. It's the only difference in my life. All else is the same.
Good luck to you all, and thanks for every one of your opinions. I've really enjoyed reading this thread!
