stinkmeaner
Well-Known Member
I feel that there is not an exact temperature which will release the active ingredients of marijuana because there would still be too many variables when dealing with the natural substance that is Cannabis. They may highlight a "boiling point", but what about something that is hardly mentioned: "Extraction"?
I think future vaporizer models should focus on ways to optimize the actual extraction process.
Think of your herb as a "wet rag". Then compare vaporizing to the process of "wringing out" that wet rag. The "water" will represent the THC and of you think about it, there is no way for you to get the water out all at once or completely for that matter, when you wring it out.
I actually laugh when people talk about specific temperatures, as if the THC & CBN's are just going to magically release at an exact temperature, if they new anything about chemistry or the Biology of plants then they would see this all differently and realize that it isn't so cut and dry.
I wrote this article mainly as a rebuttal to the threads that focus on "specific temperatures" with the idea of releasing "specific ingredients". What triggered it was because I sent one of my close friends here (F.C.) to read up on vaporizing. When she arrived, she stumbled upon some of the CBN/THC threads and reported back to me with the opinion that vaporizing is "too complicated" for her and even started questioning my Volcano Classic's ability to properly release THC or provide "healthy vapor" because it has no temperature display. I told her not to be discouraged because these studies that everyone is talking about are controlled lab studies and to vaporize at home you don't have to be so technical.
First and foremost Cannabis is just an herb, an herb which people have been smoking for thousands of years, so in my opinion it shouldn't be that complicated. Most of us chose vaping as a healthy alternative to smoking and as long as you are not burning or scorching your herb in my eyes you are in pretty good shape, light-years ahead of the guy, the person we all know at least one of, the one of with that hacking cough because he smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, same guy that will drive around a parking lot for 10 minutes looking for a close spot because he starts wheezing if he walks for than 20 meters.
Last I checked we are all using it for pretty much the same reasons, whether its for the "High", or for "Pain Relief", either way just go with what feels right. When you begin vaporizing, monitor how you feel and when you achieved the effects you are looking for, then stop. If you need a little more, then use more, if you get to "couch-locked" go with a lower temperature next time around. If you like a "head-high" then keep the temps on the lower end of the spectrum, if you like a "couch-lock" then go a little higher, but don't get so technical with it.
Even if studies suggest the THC is released at X temperature, there is still a matter of "extraction", it isn't like you just set it to that temperature and all of the THC is automatically released into the air. Not to mention the fact they use specific equipment in those experiments, you would have to factor in the method they used if you expect similar results, then you would have to vaporize with the exact equipment. I have a feeling that many people are reading these studies and then turning on their Herbal Aire or Volcano to X temperature with the notion that they are reproducing these experiments. You would have to factor in all of the variables, some of which are: Air Flow, Herb Strain, Grow Time of the Herb, Moisture Content of the Herb, Ambient Room Temperature, Humidity, Water Volume (if using a waterpipe), Air Volume (if using a waterpipe), Air Speed. Without these factors, you are going to be further off base than you think, especially given the inconsistent temperature readings that vaporizers offer.
Heating Time is also an essential variable. How long do you apply the heat to the herb? Because even if a study suggests that THC is released at X temperature, heating time will alter the results immensely. Think of the Log Vapes, they run at a low, set temperature and they achieve good extraction at these low temperatures in part due to the time in which they are exposed to the heat, even though the temperature is low, you can get the herb pretty damn dark. The combination of restricted air flow and the time the herb is exposed to this temperature, makes for some pretty well extracted herb at fairly low temperatures. If you think you need a specific amount of THC then you are in the wrong place and should probably look towards actual dosed medicine, i.e.: Marinol.
If you made it to the end of this writeup then I humbly thank you, I may have many gifts, but writing wasn't one of them.
I think future vaporizer models should focus on ways to optimize the actual extraction process.
Think of your herb as a "wet rag". Then compare vaporizing to the process of "wringing out" that wet rag. The "water" will represent the THC and of you think about it, there is no way for you to get the water out all at once or completely for that matter, when you wring it out.
I actually laugh when people talk about specific temperatures, as if the THC & CBN's are just going to magically release at an exact temperature, if they new anything about chemistry or the Biology of plants then they would see this all differently and realize that it isn't so cut and dry.
I wrote this article mainly as a rebuttal to the threads that focus on "specific temperatures" with the idea of releasing "specific ingredients". What triggered it was because I sent one of my close friends here (F.C.) to read up on vaporizing. When she arrived, she stumbled upon some of the CBN/THC threads and reported back to me with the opinion that vaporizing is "too complicated" for her and even started questioning my Volcano Classic's ability to properly release THC or provide "healthy vapor" because it has no temperature display. I told her not to be discouraged because these studies that everyone is talking about are controlled lab studies and to vaporize at home you don't have to be so technical.
First and foremost Cannabis is just an herb, an herb which people have been smoking for thousands of years, so in my opinion it shouldn't be that complicated. Most of us chose vaping as a healthy alternative to smoking and as long as you are not burning or scorching your herb in my eyes you are in pretty good shape, light-years ahead of the guy, the person we all know at least one of, the one of with that hacking cough because he smokes two packs of cigarettes a day, same guy that will drive around a parking lot for 10 minutes looking for a close spot because he starts wheezing if he walks for than 20 meters.
Last I checked we are all using it for pretty much the same reasons, whether its for the "High", or for "Pain Relief", either way just go with what feels right. When you begin vaporizing, monitor how you feel and when you achieved the effects you are looking for, then stop. If you need a little more, then use more, if you get to "couch-locked" go with a lower temperature next time around. If you like a "head-high" then keep the temps on the lower end of the spectrum, if you like a "couch-lock" then go a little higher, but don't get so technical with it.
Even if studies suggest the THC is released at X temperature, there is still a matter of "extraction", it isn't like you just set it to that temperature and all of the THC is automatically released into the air. Not to mention the fact they use specific equipment in those experiments, you would have to factor in the method they used if you expect similar results, then you would have to vaporize with the exact equipment. I have a feeling that many people are reading these studies and then turning on their Herbal Aire or Volcano to X temperature with the notion that they are reproducing these experiments. You would have to factor in all of the variables, some of which are: Air Flow, Herb Strain, Grow Time of the Herb, Moisture Content of the Herb, Ambient Room Temperature, Humidity, Water Volume (if using a waterpipe), Air Volume (if using a waterpipe), Air Speed. Without these factors, you are going to be further off base than you think, especially given the inconsistent temperature readings that vaporizers offer.
Heating Time is also an essential variable. How long do you apply the heat to the herb? Because even if a study suggests that THC is released at X temperature, heating time will alter the results immensely. Think of the Log Vapes, they run at a low, set temperature and they achieve good extraction at these low temperatures in part due to the time in which they are exposed to the heat, even though the temperature is low, you can get the herb pretty damn dark. The combination of restricted air flow and the time the herb is exposed to this temperature, makes for some pretty well extracted herb at fairly low temperatures. If you think you need a specific amount of THC then you are in the wrong place and should probably look towards actual dosed medicine, i.e.: Marinol.
If you made it to the end of this writeup then I humbly thank you, I may have many gifts, but writing wasn't one of them.
