Do they have a smell? I noticed my Pax and other vapes have a smell to it, while not major, is definitely detectable by weed radar, aka a trained nose. Is that because it is flowers and not oil, or whatever is in these cartridges. Anyone wanna take me to school with these pen vapes, and the thrill of them? Or is it just overrated, and dont perform as well as other portables.
Lots of great discussion thus far, but I think we need to frame the question differently because the sample you are questioning, weed users on a weed forum, will not be fairly representative to the whole, or people who might smell you using your pen. I think you'll find that a lot of the time smokers and vapists can't really tell what they're doing is smelly, while those who are not around pot a lot will find that even vapor reeks. I feel like most answers to this question are vapor doesn't smell
as much compared to smoke.
Vapor in general is smelly, especially if you're using really good buds or really good wax. Good vape pens make the same vapor as their table top counterparts, some with weaker production, some sometimes better. The majority of good vape pens out there use wax, a.k.a hash oil, but you will find some that combine this with glycerin. The glycerin mixture smells less than straight wax but is also weaker in potency. And I agree, bud vapor tends to smell more than wax vapor, and that's probably because of the absence of plant material. You will still get the weed smell, and it's concentrated, because wax also extracts terpenes, which give weed it's distinctive smell and taste.
To answer your question in context of
will people who don't do pot smell my vape pen and vapor, I would have to say it depends on the situation, but mostly, yes.
If you are outside, only those in your immediate area will be able to smell it. I'd say that's a 5-15 foot radius, depending on their olfactories. The volume of space the vapor can take up is increased so there is less concentrated smell, not to mention the wind, scents of being outside, and the characteristic of vapor to dissipate quickly, which makes it so that it won't carry downwind like smoke will.
If you are inside, it depends on ventilation. In a room with one window open, you can still expect it to smell for those not used to pot, especially if someone comes from another part of the house in to your room. It can also leave your room and smell in the hallway. This will not be the alerting reek of pot smoke, but rather like you have a quarter of nice herb out in the open. Use the same caution vaping inside as you would smoking inside. Put a towel down, keep Febreeze at the ready, and have a candle going. It will not linger like smoke, though.
When not in use, the things can still smell. I mean, in a vape pen with .5 grams of wax, you basically have the equivalent of an 8th of herb. This is further exacerbated with heat and where the pen is. Heat will excite terpenes, releasing that weed smell. For my cartridges filled with wax, I keep them in an airtight container, just like you would with bud.
In terms of worth, hell yes these things are worth it. I mean, it depends on which you get, and what your needs are, but by and large the convenience and performance of a good vape pen rival some table top vapes out there (of course I don't mean the Volcano, XHALE, EQ). With the right pen, you can do more than get the job done.
But I don't get how people are using these things in movie theaters or classrooms or grocery stores so brazenly. Or why they would. It is a great stealth option because people who
see it won't know what you're vaporizing, but be responsible. I understand the novelty in being able to get high wherever you are, but you also risk second hand inhalation for those around you. It still smells, and you can still get caught. And getting caught with wax, not bud, can land you in a whole lot more trouble, even in medicinal states.
If you want good vape pen suggestions, I got you. But just as a general rule, if you're looking for VAPORIZATION, steer clear of the Atmos, Cloud, GPen, Ovale, Trippy Stix, and Gentlemen's. These are more of portable, electronic combustion.
