Max Safe Temperature

[dougl79]

hi all - new to FC and new to vaporizing. i recently purchased an extreme q and i am trying to dial in the optimal temperature. the sole reason that i vape is for the health benefits. i know that it can vary from strain to strain etc. but what is the maximum temperature that i should be vaping at before the buds start to release harmful chemicals? right now i vape at 365f but sometimes i like to kick it up to 375f max. i seem to get a more intense high at 375f. i have done plenty of searching on the internet and this site and there is just so much conflicting info. one semi-common number that i have seen is that 392f is pretty much the max before you start to see harmful chemicals. can anyone confirm this? will vaporizing anywhere below 392f fully disallow any harmful chemicals?

thank you!

 

[pakalolo]

I don't think anyone can give you the assurance you seek, at least not with any authority.

By staying below combustion (~450F) you are already avoiding most of the noxious elements. There is a study out there that claims benzene starts to appear at about 390F. I've tried to find independent corroborating studies but haven't had much luck. If you stay below 390F you minimize your risk, but I don't think anyone can say you will "fully disallow any harmful chemicals".

I am one of those who believes that low temperatures deliver better taste and clearer highs. I start at 320F and usually stay there until it doesn't yield visible vapour. Then I'll gradually step up 10-15 degrees at a time, not advancing until it stops giving visible vapour, up to as high as 375F. By then the taste is lost and it's time for a new load, so I never feel a need to go higher.

There's more in this thread: Marijuana and Vaporization Temperatures.

 

[dougl79]

good info, thanks pakalolo.

cheers!

 

[max]

what is the maximum temperature that i should be vaping at before the buds start to release harmful chemicals?

This is a commonly used study on temps, and surely where the 365 and 392 figures come from- http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/vaporizerstudy1.html

It's a fact that toxins increase as the temp rises, but there's no real world context associated with the amount of toxins we're talking about with vaping. It's quite possible, maybe even probable, that most people (especially city dwellers) breathe in more toxins while walking down the street, or just getting from their car to their workplace, where even more toxins may be lurking, depending on where you work and what you do for a living.

If you feel better/safer using lower temps, you can certainly do so with the Extreme. But even high temp vaping is much kinder to the body than smoking. Smoke, on a regular basis, is a no-no for me. My lungs just protest too much. But I'll sometimes go into the high temp range (depending on the vape I'm using) with no ill effects or protests from my lungs.

 

[dougl79]

thanks for the feedback max - good perspective. i agree with your statement about how most people probably breathe toxins on a regular basis. i live in san francisco on a street that the freeway gets off on. there is a constant stream of cars on my block. i am sure that the exhaust from these cars is much more harmful than the vapor that i am inhaling from my extreme. luckily they are building an urban farm right across the street, so hopefully the plants and trees that they are growing will help to clean the air a little bit.