Trying to switch to vaping...

[BongoBongo]

I figure if I start a thread, it will help keep me accountable.

I have been smoking probably 2-4 marijuana (with about 10-20% tobacco) joints every day for the past 10 years, with maybe 30-50% of that level the previous ten years. I can't imagine that this is doing great things for my lungs. So I did my research and off I went purchasing a CRAFTY, a PLENTY, and V2 Pen. I figure the Plenty will be my main use. The crafty is for when I need to be a bit discreet or for taking the office. The pen is for going out, travel, etc. So far I've only used the crafty and plenty, and they seem reasonable. So far I've only been using flowers, but I'm open to alternatives.

And I've been vaping-only the last three days. And UGH, this is hard:

* I don't feel high. I feel like I imagine anti-depressants would feel. I'm a bit more relaxed and a bit more numb and a bit less into doing things.

* I also don't get that immediate headrush I used to off of the joints I rolled (which I think came from the tobacco because I didn't really get those the few times I've had to smoke 'pure' cigarettes).

* I used to use weed to knock myself to sleep. That doesn't seem to work anymore. The first two nights I was up until 5am and both times only got to sleep by giving myself a massive food coma, which isn't really a healthy alternative to smoking

* I don't really enjoy the act of vaping. When I smoked, there was an instant "ahhhh" feeling. With no immediate payoff, I'm just breathing in hot air that makes me cough sometimes.

I've read up on various threads here, and I know that the high is different, and you need to stick with it for a couple weeks, etc. Here's what I'm trying to do - if anyone has any other ideas or suggestions I'm missing, I'd be really grateful! This is really, really hard.

1 - I try to take long draws, like 10-15 seconds, and hold it in my lungs for a long time.
2 - I inhale until I'm not seeing any vapor anymore. This is a bit tricky because I vape at night, and often if I hold it in, much of the vapor is absorbed, but every once in a while I do a little test draw, just into my mouth and breathe it back out to make sure something is still there.
3 - I've been using the pre-set temperatures on my crafty (inbcluding boost) and with my plenty I start at 5 and then go to 6 and then go to 7. I pack full bowls in the plenty, which are huge, so it might be 3 or 4 sessions to get through it all (including some the following day)

I miss the headrush and instant relief. And I miss being able to "turn my brain off" which I got with combustion and I'm not getting with vaping. Any ideas? (I know to experiment with different temps and inhaling techniques...but anything else?)

Thanks so much for any help guys!

 

[Derrrpp]

First of all, welcome to FC! This is definitely the place to be if you are trying to make the switch to vaporizing -- lots of knowledge here, and friendly people who can offer suggestions and encouragement. Congrats on making the switch to vaping -- it's one of the best things you can do for your health, and if you stick with it you'll find it can be very rewarding in many other ways as well.

The transition from smoking to vaporizing can be a rough one for some people. It's all about retraining your brain. Right now, your brain is wired to "get off" to combustion. With vaporizing, your brain recognizes there's something missing (namely, the asphyxiants and other bad chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and so it has a hard time "getting off". All because it's been trained for years to think that those asphyxiants and other bad things are part of the high, when in fact they aren't doing anything but depriving your brain of oxygen (and doing other bad things to your health as well). This is all exacerbated by the fact that you mixed tobacco in with your joints, so your brain is missing that nicotine buzz as well (which, combined with combustion asphyxiants, likely caused that "headrush and instant relief" that you miss).

My suggestions would be to, one, stick with vaporizing only for a while. If you "cheat" and light up before you completely make the transition to vapor, it will just make it more difficult to rewire your brain to get off to vaping. Maybe even take a break from consuming MJ at all for a few days, before continuing with vaping only (if you can take a break, that is. Some folks can't, for medical reasons or otherwise). It would likely make the transition process easier.

My second bit of advice would be to use high temperatures. I'd recommend it to anyone trying to transition from smoke to vapor, but especially to you since you're using it to help you fall asleep. In general, the higher the temperature, the more sedative the experience. Also, indica strains will provide a more sedative, couch-lock kind of high as well, which would help you to get to sleep.

To sum it up, stick with it for a while to retrain your brain to get off on vapor, and crank that temp up to help you fall asleep! Good luck making the transition, and happy vaping!

 

[flotntoke]

Part of what you may be missing is the nicotine in your tobacco. Not that that is easy to do in any way, but could be adding to your rough transition.

 

[Nocab]

Keep in mind part of the reason you need to wait a period of time when transitioning from combustion to vaporization is tar buildup in your lungs. You've been smoking so long that your lungs aren't working to their fullest, and thus not absorbing the materials you're vaporizing due to the gunk buildup. Once they have had time to filter themselves out you'll find the effects of vaporizing to be much better, I assure you.

Any type of cardiovascular activity will speed up the process of your lungs cleaning themselves out, especially running. But I know that's not a lot of people's deal. So time and lots of water is a sure thing.

Regardless, stick it out and you'll be handsomely rewarded.

 

[BongoBongo]

Thanks for all of the support! This is great. I did Night 4 last night, and it was hard, I was nearly tempted a couple times, but I held firm. I had some edibles too, which I think enhanced the experience. At one point I even felt high. At one point I even felt like "I want to hit the crafty one more time before bed".

Thanks for the advice on high tempertures. So far I've been capping at about 195C because I read somewhere that benzene starts getting released at 200. But if it's a choice between a little bit more harm (higher temps) and a lot more harm (going back to combustion), then it's worth it. (And in practice I've been firing the Plenty up to its highest setting before changing the bowl and I think that's 220)

I use indica, whatever the top shelf strain they have. I also work out regularly and my diet is extremely healthy (to the point of being extremely boring).

If quitting were an option, I'd definitely have done that at least for a while. I'll do my best to give myself an off night here and there if I can.

I wonder if concentrates would give me a different experience.

I read another thread here that suggested that the time to 'transition' is about two weeks. Is that a reasonable guideline?

Day 5...this is going to suck. Going out drinking tonight, and the natural thing to do when I get home would be to smoke...

Thanks for the support! Day 5 here I come

 

[hafalump]

I was heavy combuster for 35 plus years. No tobacco. I got my first vape last fall.
Absolutely no problem transitioning. It got me more medicated with half the amount.
Cleaner feeling too.
I will hit a joint in social circumstances, but never going back, fuck combustion!

 

[shredder]

I was heavy combuster for 35 plus years. No tobacco. I got my first vape last fall.
Absolutely no problem transitioning. It got me more medicated with half the amount.
Cleaner feeling too.
I will hit a joint in social circumstances, but never going back, fuck combustion!

I got ripped my first time as well, it was a volcano and I ended up buying one a short time later. But getting high from vaping was never an issue for me. I never heard of it not being that way until i read it here. The biggest draw to vaping, for me, was the taste. I didn't realize herb could taste this good.

 

[howie105]

One thing you might try is throwing some tobacco into the mix. I followed a thread a year or so ago where a user went with what they called their "standard ratio" of bud and tobacco and then cut the tobacco ratio down to zero in a month or so. Sadly I don't have any first hand experience with the process but it might be worth a try. Good Luck

 

[Rush520]

Forget the tobacco. I wouldn't be putting that in my expensive machines and it's also just not necessary. OP should start feeling the benefits of vaporization soon.

 

[Pjake]

Start your plenty on 7. Take 2-3 good draws to get the hot air into the chamber. Those are primer draws. That 4-8 you will see vapor that is almost as thick as smoke. I used a plenty to transition because of its ease of use and thick vapor. Starting on 7 is key for transitioning.

 

[OnCloud8]

One thing potentially missing from your line up is a heavy hitting desktop vape. When I was making the transition to vaping I used to love my bag blowing desktop vape, because it could blow bags full of vapor, and then I could chill and take that whole bag to the head, that was the sledgehammer I needed to get over the hump while quitting combustion.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that combustion releases 1000's of chemicals in addition to the couple you want. Those other chemicals are poisons, so you were used to the body load of that poison being part of the experience. Vaping is quite different in that it's not nearly as debilitating in that same way. Once you get over missing that "bad but good" part of the experience, you will be able to focus on the good effects from vaping.

I know it's hard, but just stick with it for a few weeks and it will get better. Good luck!

 

[Pjake]

One thing potentially missing from your line up is a heavy hitting desktop vape. When I was making the transition to vaping I used to love my bag blowing desktop vape, because it could blow bags full of vapor, and then I could chill and take that whole bag to the head, that was the sledgehammer I needed to get over the hump while quitting combustion.

Another thing to keep in mind, is that combustion releases 1000's of chemicals in addition to the couple you want. Those other chemicals are poisons, so you were used to the body load of that poison being part of the experience. Vaping is quite different in that it's not nearly as debilitating in that same way. Once you get over missing that "bad but good" part of the experience, you will be able to focus on the good effects from vaping.

I know it's hard, but just stick with it for a few weeks and it will get better. Good luck!

If a full chamber plenty isn't a hard hitting vape I don't know what is.

 

[jwr38]

I used tobacco and a weed mix for over 10 years and changing to only vape was slow for me too. I think it took me about 1 week if not a little more before I feel in love with it. The first few goes I felt very little and was slightly disappointed.

Over time though things did improve. Now I love vaping and I no longer burn. The high is different as the first burst is gone. I won't be going back to a tobacco/weed mix even though I do love that sort of high. My health and energy levels have improved so it is worth it.

 

[Rush520]

Successful vape transition stories warm the heart don't they?

 

[Solomon]

To me it was a simple transition, even after 30+ years of combusting. Once I saw I could get as medicate (and better medicated) on half the herbs, I was sold.

Other advantage...
- No burned out hacking lungs the next morning
- No more friggin lighters
- No more stinky pipes (even a dirty vape smells better)
- No more stinky livingroom

I've also grown to appreciate the better buzz, and at least for me, I don't get munchies when I vape.

I wish I could find the study, but when you vape, you get a nearly perfect transfer of cannabinoids with almost no loss, compared to a 50% or more loss of THC when combusted. Plus combustion releases and creates over 100 additional chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic, and many that act as depressants (that couch lock feeling). The vapor high is far far cleaner and more medicating.

On the cigs/nicotine thing - smoked for over 20 years, ex-smoker for 15 years - just quit. Even the slightest amount of nicotine will continue the addiction - and nicotine addiction is brutal.

 

[Pjake]

To me it was a simple transition, even after 30+ years of combusting. Once I saw I could get as medicate (and better medicated) on half the herbs, I was sold.

Other advantage...
- No burned out hacking lungs the next morning
- No more friggin lighters
- No more stinky pipes (even a dirty vape smells better)
- No more stinky livingroom

I've also grown to appreciate the better buzz, and at least for me, I don't get munchies when I vape.

I wish I could find the study, but when you vape, you get a nearly perfect transfer of cannabinoids with almost no loss, compared to a 50% or more loss of THC when combusted. Plus combustion releases and creates over 100 additional chemicals, many of which are carcinogenic, and many that act as depressants (that couch lock feeling). The vapor high is far far cleaner and more medicating.

On the cigs/nicotine thing - smoked for over 20 years, ex-smoker for 15 years - just quit. Even the slightest amount of nicotine will continue the addiction - and nicotine addiction is brutal.

You got it right on the nicotine. The transition from combustion to vaporization is a breeze compared to nicotine withdrawal. I quit smoking after 20 years. It's uncomfortable. Just gotta do it.

 

[organic weed]

That's the thing that many combustion people don't know or are not aware of, i.e. combustion gets you high on the herb AND on the tar, nicotine and all the other hundreds of hazardous chemical that tobacco and combustion produce.

My suggestion, as suggested by other also, is to do a T-break (tolerance break) of at least 1 week, 2 to 3 weeks would be ideal.
Then start vaping.
Then write here your comments....
I'm sure you'll write on a completely different mind set.

 

[Profit]

I would suggest putting more herb in the chamber to increase the effectiveness of the unit. I've noticed even with my volcano that if the bowl isn't packed properly I don't get the same vapors. It might also be worth holding the vapor in longer. If you hold the vapor in you'll probably get that head rush you used to get. I think vaporizing is definitely a different high, sometimes a far more intense one. It might also be the strains you are using. Strains high in THC will be more effective in a vaporizer due to the heat levels it reaches.

 

[WoodyWeedPecker]

From my personal experience, it seems the first 5 minutes after smoking weed (even without tobacco) there's what I call a toxic load. Some kind of rush that push you to become couch lock. I call it toxic load because in my opinion it is caused by the body trying to get rid of the toxins you inhale when you smoke weed along with the beneficial cannabinoids. As you know smoking releases much more toxic chemicals than vaping and it affects your body when you inhale them.

When I started vaping I took the decision to only compare the smoke high with the vaping high after the first 5 minutes. For the same quantity of weed, vaping gets me higher than smoking. But the vape high is more 'head high' than 'body high' (couch lock). It's a more clear high.

Now I only vape but I may smoke a joint every now and then but very rarely. After a few weeks your lungs will thank you. You won't believe how your lungs feel so much cleaner.

 

[jwr38]

Successful vape transition stories warm the heart don't they?

Sure do ... The only downside that I really like it. Less smell, my wife likes being closer because I don't sink. Now I know my first vape will not be my last. I'm lazy to the bone but now I seem to be researching for devices to vape better. I want a desktop one to go with my portable and then some extras. I even saved all my used vape just to try out cooking. It's becoming a little hobby!

no more mix tobacco and weed, having to go outside and then later stinking.

 

[BongoBongo]

Start your plenty on 7. Take 2-3 good draws to get the hot air into the chamber. Those are primer draws. That 4-8 you will see vapor that is almost as thick as smoke. I used a plenty to transition because of its ease of use and thick vapor. Starting on 7 is key for transitioning.

OK. I'm going to remember this and do this. I think/hope that as I learn to vape better, I'll like it more. Thanks. I am really grateful.

From my personal experience, it seems the first 5 minutes after smoking weed (even without tobacco) there's what I call a toxic load. Some kind of rush that push you to become couch lock. I call it toxic load because in my opinion it is caused by the body trying to get rid of the toxins you inhale when you smoke weed along with the beneficial cannabinoids. As you know smoking releases much more toxic chemicals than vaping and it affects your body when you inhale them.

This.

I am starting to come to the sad realization thanks to the great info on this forum and the generosity of posters with their time that what I really liked out of combustion (the head rush, the instant feeling of relief, the 'turn your brain off' feeling) was inherently driven by the tar and poisons in what I was smoking, not the THC itself.

Do I want those head rushes and all the other cool feelings from directing cancer into my lungs on a daily basis, or do I want to stay alive and watch my infant son grow up (from somewhere other than a hospital bed with tubes all over the place)?

We can't have everything in life. I'd love to have pizza every night. I'd love to not wear condoms when I have sex (outside of committed monogamous relationships). I'd love to skip work for the next few months. I'd love to continue to have my nightly headrush and turn my brain off, but maybe I shouldn't be spoiled.

[OTOH it's a lot easier to talk to myself like this at 2:15pm at my best than at 9pm on my couch when I am craving...]

DAY 5 DONE!

Hardest day yet, because of other triggers than normally make me want to smoke. Drinking all afternoon. Sex with a random girl who stays and hangs out after. Coming off the effects of alcohol at around 11pm. At one point I even reached for my old combustion stuff but I'd told this girl I was trying to stop and she helped me stop. I really wanted to, but I felt I'd be betraying all the work I'd already put into the first four nights.

[In general in self-help I've learned that the more people you tell about your goals the more you will hold yourself accountable and others can help. Hence this thread. I am going to post here every day if I can remember, and I don't want to let down the 20 people who have already replied and contributed to this thread]

An annoying by-product of switching to vaping is that I actually have to put myself to sleep now, instead of just waiting for a smoke to knock me out. [I did read the post about vaping at high temperatures to put myself to sleep and I used the Plenty at 7 last night]. That's probably a reasonable grown-up skill to acquire (or re-acquire) so it's not the worst thing in the world, but it's still annoying. I've been staying up too late and eating way too much at night, but these are solveable side-effects.

Day 6 now...

Mod note: posts merged

 

[grokit]

Do I want those head rushes and all the other cool feelings from directing cancer into my lungs on a daily basis, or do I want to stay alive and watch my infant son grow up (from somewhere other than a hospital bed with tubes all over the place)?

There's never been a proven connection between smoking cannabis and lung cancer, because of its protective qualities. You can be sure they have looked very thoroughly for one

 

[bluenavey00]

@BongoBongo

Well done on making your decision to quit combustion. Nearly all of the below has already been said, but maybe reading this will keep your motivation to not combust strong.

I was a non cigarette smoker but combusted herb and tobacco (90% H / 10% T) for around 5 years. I started getting into running, and healthy eating and knew my joint smoking had to stop.

The transition can take a while, what also helped me was taking a few days as a tolerance break a week into getting the vape. When I had the first hit after 5 days off it hit me SO hard. I am sure this will fix your 'not hitting me hard enough' problem.

Now nearly 4 months in I have not had 1 single puff on a joint, and this time has allowed me to discover so many of the benefits of vaping.

• The smell - I can now use in my house without a horrible smell on myself or in the house for hours.
• Covertness - I have used my vape on the train and in the cinema, whilst a little rebellious it's nice to enjoy the herb wherever you please.
• Efficiency - Over time most people on this forum lower their usage. They end up getting the same high but for less herb used. Better for your body and your wallet.
• Health - You mentioned you were into exercise, just watch your ability increase as the months roll on. I went from half marathon distance to full marathon in the first 3 months I stopped combusting.
• Reclaiming - Someone else mentioned vaping becoming a hobby, and it has. Spending time on this forum learning new things, especially about reclaiming. Does depend vape to vape, but I use the Arizer Air, and I soak my glass stems in ISO once in a while and evaporate and i'm left with an amazingly potent hash type substance. I am also saving my ABV and am about to make my first batch of infused coconut oil to use in cooking.
• The taste - As I was shocked myself, and what hits all my friends is the pure flavour of the herb you experience whilst vaping. The first thing most my friends say when they have a puff is "omg the flavour". I just reply "Yep, thats the flavour of weed before you mix it with the deadly tobacco and burn it."
• Community - Switching to vaping has allowed me to find this great community right here. FuckCombustion is great. So many switched on cannabis enthusiasts looking to move the subculture forward. Also community in person, just wait till you meet another enthusiastic vaporist in real life. I recently went to the 4/20 protest in London and met a Arizer Solo user. We spoke about vaping for nearly 2 hours. Friends made all due to switching to vaping. Crazy isn't it.

Well thats most the stuff that comes to mind right now. Best of luck with your transition and just keep remembering that the short term cons of transition, are far far outweighed by the long term benefits of vaping.

 

[h3rbalist]

There's never been a proven connection between smoking cannabis and lung cancer, because of its protective qualities. You can be sure they have looked very thoroughly for one

I'm not convinced either way but feel you should not be inhaling any type of smoke into your lungs and holding it there. Just the tar alone is enough to cause all sorts of serious problems.

We can only hope more testing is done now we have legal states.

Here is some useful info here regarding the tests done to date regarding the effects of cannabis smoke and why proving the results are so tricky.

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/abo...-questions/does-smoking-cannabis-cause-cancer

 

[stickstones]

This is a great thread...thanks a lot @BongoBongo for including us in your transition struggle. I'm learning a lot and rooting for you! I think that nicotine is your biggest problem with this switch.