Vaporist "levels"

[Egzoset]

I won't pretend i'm a senior vaporist, quite on the contrary, but this morning i decided to auto-qualify myself as being a "Level-II" vaporist after thinking this over for a while. Here's how i see it...

Level zero is when someone hasn't experienced vaporization yet, most of us here eventually reach level one once a vaporizer has been chosen. In my nomenclature level two occurs after a person has been vaporizing long enough to experience "reclaiming" which takes a while but it can be done in a matter of days.

Why the idea of levels? Well, simply because i thought that reclaiming the noble substances which condensed in the main mouthpiece of my HerbalAire "took me to another level" when i tried it, hence the Level-II rank.

The question i'm asking myself now is this: what whould be Level-III?

Well, the answer that spontaneously comes to me has to do with green non-vaped material... My guess is if vaporizing a bud is Level-I, reclaiming condensed vapor is Level-II then extracting the active components from fresh buds would lead to Level-III and hence i think it would refer to BHO methods or similar.

I may never reach Level-III so i require the input of those who experimented with such potent products as BHO, whatever...

How would you define a Level-III vaporist?

 

[caseball2051]

He/she is educated enough to be able to take anyone that is looking into vaporization, and lead them down the rght path towards the vape that will suit their needs most effectively.

 

[Egzoset]

Alright, although this has everything to do with sharing knowledge and nothing to do with potency i can easily conceive the addition of a special rank:

Guru Vaporist

Which means we might have:

Level-I Guru Vaporist
Level-II Guru Vaporist
Level-III Guru Vaporist

...and now that i think of it lets add Level-IV: a vaporist with chemistry skills capable of handling such things as the THC acetate molecule... So, one with teaching abilities would eventually double as:

Level-IV Guru Vaporist

 

[Cleanfiend]

i want what he's vaping

 

[Egzoset]

Eg> How would you define a Level-III vaporist?
Cl> i want what he's vaping

Very true! I'll second that heartedly!...

 

[crawdad]

i dont see levels, i simply see "is" and "is not" (a vaporist). but if you like levels, then go with it.

 

[Egzoset]

The key word here should be potency but it seems refering to ranks eclipsed everything else. I see steps in becoming a vaporist, i don't believe you're done becoming a vaporist after the 1st inhalation. For me it turned out that vaporizing cannabis buds wasn't the same as vaporizing "reclaims" but that's just me. In other words, my topic is about the substance, not about how clever a guy thinks he is.

 

[hereatlast]

Egzo, I can't help but take issue with your schema here.

To begin (and I think you concede this point implicitly) is that some level of standardization would presuppose any pragmatic utilization of the terms you're calling for; in other words, I don't think its fair to use these terms until a large enough population or legitimate authority (which I don't believe exists properly in the realm of vaporization) agreeably adopts them and decides to use them...obviously proposing the terms as such is the first step in this process.


Still, I think denoting "vaporist 'levels'" is problematic in and of itself. Probably its best to just ask explicitly, why do you think that this standardization is necessary? Further, how is it helpful? What is it contributing to any 'vaporist community?' I'll note that I don't think these questions are really answered in your post, specifically:

Why the idea of levels? Well, simply because i thought that reclaiming the noble substances which condensed in the main mouthpiece of my HerbalAire "took me to another level" when i tried it, hence the Level-II rank.

The main issue I have is that it would seem, whether or not this was your intention, that a Level III vaporist (or guru or whatever you deem the title) is somehow necessarily better qualitatively than a lower-level vaporist. Why would it be the case that your, or anyone else's, using the 'reclaim' brings you to another level? I understand the colloquialism of being brought 'to another level' (a nice way of saying "whoa I'm really up there!") but in trying to delineate some standard labeling of experience it seems unfair to me...if a user uses nothing but fresh herb in a simplistic vaporizer, who is to say that they haven't reached the same level (qualitatively it seems) as a user that vaporizes reclaim out of a niche and highly-sophisticated* vaporizer?

*Surely sophisticated is an unfair term to use here but I think the point is made.

 

[Egzoset]

Hi,

As you can certainly imagine, i'm really disapointed by the reactions this thread managed to raise so far but i'm not surprized that much, considering that the comments are about what i like, education, authority, necessity and sophistication - the substance(s) and the effect(s) never being focussed on.

Even though you fail to see how it contributes to the vaporist community i'll use that emerging nomenclature of mine to explain a little bit further...



All i had access to when i was a Level-I Vaporist was cannabis buds and nothing else. After a while i noticed the mouthpiece was getting clogged and it was time to "reclaim", which gave me access to a very different substance and equally different (potent) effects. In my opinion a similar concentrating procedure applied to fresh/green cannabis (instead of condensation products) would give me access to yet another "level" of experience. Right now i'm only a Level-II Vaporist (a Level-II HerbalAire Vaporist since i bought my vaporizer from HerbalAire, actually), i haven't tried Butane Honey Oil (BHO) and even less THC Acetate but i'm pretty confident that experimenting with these is NOT directly comparable to the regular vaporization of cannabis buds. I'm tempted to invite you in proving me wrong if you can, that's how people learn: trial and error! Euh... But the purpose of this thread isn't to find out who's right or wrong, correct?...



In the place where i was born there's maple water, maple sirup and maple sugar. Each provides a very different experience from each other and, yes, maple water is more affordable than its sirup or sugar counterparts. It's not unfair to me when i'm told about the different costs and, even if i find "niche" maple products too expensive, it still suits me better to know they exist instead of being ignorant of them. In fact, all those maple products are so good it wouldn't feel right if i tried to tell about maple water only and not mention the others, intentionally.

Maple water is good but once you've tasted it don't forget to plunge a wooden stick in maple sirup lying on fresh snow because that's licking good! Those are two very different experiences and i like both. Oh, and by the way... Maple sirup is maple water that was concentrated - which isn't too different from reclaiming but this is only a coincidence. Anyway, maple sugar is great too but i have some concerns for my teeth: be cautious with that one should you ever choose to try it!!!

 

[PhishCactus]

Well put hereatlast. It's nothing personal, and your proposal may be going over my head, but I feel that labeling and quantifying the skill or importance levels of the small minority of cannabis users who chose to consume their cannabis via vaporization is ridiculous. Why is it that you feel the need to create a standard unit of measurement for this fairly subjective topic? You claim that your advancement to "level 2 guru vaporist" came about upon your discovery of how to reclaim resin. In reality, many, many cannabis, and other drug consumers reclaim resin or likewise substances. Combusters do this all the time with pipes and resin, and the forums and online resources are saturated with step by step information on how to do these practices. The same goes for butane/iso extraction which you claim may indeed be the right of passage to becoming a "level 3 guru vaporist." Forgive me if im missing something, but to me your idea doesn't make much sense, and only adds another level of complicity to this already over complicatedly inclined "hobby"/method of consumption. It also just adds another topic for users to argue about, by creating a class system, and different brackets of seniority, where more "advanced" or "experienced" users, would certainly exert their dominance in any sort of debate, which is not how this forum is meant to be. Even new users words are read with virtually the same level of impact and weight than those of veterans.

 

[Egzoset]

Talk about subjectivity, PhishCactus! Please just don't ask me what MY topic is about, ask the others like you, those who think they know what they have read... After all, why should i know what MY topic is about, no, really!!! If you like i'll start a thread just for you and your precious friends so you can debate on YOUR topic, i only need a sign.



mod note: There's no need to get into insults. You're over the line here.

 

[PhishCactus]

There was no need to you to reply with such a belligerently contempt message. I was picking apart your plan, like many are so inclined to do here on FC. But I digress, I am pretty sure you just discredited yourself by using the emoticon, as many could argue that your post reflects some mental instabilities of your own. But were all a little crazy aren't we? My apologies if it appeared that my post was written with malice intent in mind, it was not, although it certainly felt like you perceived it that way after your response. Feel free to label, categorize, quantify, and classify all you want! No one can tell you what is or isn't, or what you can and can't do, I was simply trying to illustrate my confused reaction to your post, as well as my disagreement, which is totally justified and not unrealistic, to your thought process and theory.



mod note: You were doing fine with sticking to the topic until this post. It's not your job to scold other members, whether they deserve it or not. You're always safer to use the report button and not respond in a post.

 

[Stu]

Well said, PhishCactus.



(what emoticon will I get pegged with??)

 

[Egzoset]

Hi Fishy,

You've uncovered the real meaning behind this statement of mine:

I won't pretend i'm a senior vaporist...

In fact i've discovered i'm Level 42!

No! Wait! Actually, that's on a negative scale - which makes it an imaginary dimension...

...and that must make me Level -42 but at that stage i'm evolving everyminute now so it's hard to tell...

Oh God, everything seems so futile now!

 

[hereatlast]

Egzo, I'm sorry the responses you received weren't what you had in mind...rather, I'm sorry you're "disappointed by the reactions," I understand completely and have felt very similarly in other situations. That said, I hope you didn't see my post as detrimental to the thread you had in mind or a personal attack of any kind, that was never my intention.

Even though you fail to see how it contributes to the vaporist community i'll use that emerging nomenclature of mine to explain a little bit further...

My question wasn't meant to imply that nothing is being contributed here, I just wanted a little more clarification of exactly what you were seeking. Thanks for providing that clarification.

i'm pretty confident that experimenting with these is NOT directly comparable to the regular vaporization of cannabis buds. I'm tempted to invite you in proving me wrong if you can, that's how people learn: trial and error! Euh...

Invitation noted but not accepted
I take no issue with this statement, that is, that the differing methodologies of extraction you brought up (i.e. fresh herb through vaporizer, reclaimed vapor condensate/particulate/etc., fresh herb extraction via Butane solvent) are distinct...I completely agree that these methods differ in nature, whether they're comparable isn't as much my claim. Rather, and maybe you can clarify a little further with reference to this specific issue, it seems that you are implicitly (hence the call for more clarification) ranking these extraction methodologies qualitatively.
That is, it may be interpreted under your system that a "Level III vaporist" is somehow more advanced, sophisticated or even out-right better in their extraction methodology than a "Level I vaporist." It doesn't seem that you've explicitly put forth this assertion but its difficult for me to not take the nature of your system as such. Maybe you can explain if this is the way you feel? Further, can you see how what appears as a hierarchical system of levels could be seen as problematic from my view? I don't ask that you agree with me, far from it! But I wonder if you see my point directly?


Your anecdote about the distinct maple products is interesting. Personally I don't see it as directly applicable to the system your designing but I see the point...each product is distinct, no question about that. To return to the extraction methodologies, certainly each one (vaporizing fresh herb, vaporizing reclaim, etc.) is different, in your view, is one somehow better than the other? Its hard to see this system as one that doesn't pass some judgment on the extraction methodologies IMO, that is what I see as particularly problematic.


Hope all is well...and I love me some maple syrup snow, that practice isn't an uncommon feature in the life of a child where I'm from. My family used to get syrup from a neighbor's maple trees, good maple syrup is hard to beat. That said, I'm forever ruined, I can't stand the artificial syrups much at all, thanks for the memories

 

[Egzoset]

Hi HAL,

Rest assured i perceived you as someone seeking dialog right from the start. I'm grateful for our IRC channel which makes it possible for two members to guauge each other in a suitable manner (it may have helped in the present situation)... I wish i could answer to your questions in some satisfying way, perhaps i didn't expect the readers to view this thread with the vaporist's extraction skills as its focus point; in fact, i couldn't imagine the vaporist being a gravity point in any possible way at all, relatively to the initial context i mean! For me it was a comforting revelation to experience reclaiming, i think that was a crutial event on my brief learning curve considering that it occured in a matter of days after my initiation to cannabis vaporization. The feeling was sweet, tender: it wasn't just an economic thing, i really felt like it was another plane of experience - and an unusually pleasant one! Quite another "LEVEL", hence my title... The difference between your approach and mine is that i'd base my Level nomenclature on the substance (read concentration, potency, etc) while it seems your angle takes "extraction methodologies" into account. For me, how that reclaim was obtained just didn't matter as much as the feelings i experienced from vaporizing it.

Perhaps reclaims are dull, unworthy and even repulsive, that's where my ranking system becomes qualitative i guess. In any case, that particular reclaim was an eye opener for me so i find Level-II describes my perceptions accurately: it was like i passed a closed door and everything behind was finally revealed to me; like i discovered something precious which waited that i find it for too long.

Possibly, i'm even more disapointed to realize that this door only existed for me and can't be shared with anyone else. My appologies go to the readers who got confused enough to think this was about some superiority complex which could have threatened their own self-esteem or whatever.

 

[VWFringe]

Isn't vapor the great leveller?



mod note: Content deleted as off topic. :/

 

[Cleanfiend]

Subjectivity need not be quantified, but rather, articulated. I agree with Phish Cactus that this contributes little to the community - it seems more like a hIghdea that the OP believed to be relevant.

I too am a bit taken aback with Egzoset's brazen attempts to educate us. Perhaps, you should look at the lack of favorable responses as a shortcoming of your articulation rather than our comprehension. I understand your classifications, but they have no relevance within my schema - ingesting marijuana is ingesting marijuana.

And for the record, I am level 4.20

 

[wthanna]

We're all vaporists... we all eventually have to clean our equipment... and discover the golden goo of goodness... Welcome to vaporizing. There's no need to create some kind of "class system" . You discovered how many benefits there are to vaporizing. There's the accumulated left overs that can be cooked, vaped or smoked. Enjoy, you've had your eyes opened a bit, but again, it's not some unique situation. Vape long enough to get your tools dirty, and there it is. That is why we have cooking threads, etc.

 

[crawdad]

to me, the whole idea of a "class system" (as wthanna says) reminded me somewhat of the things i cant stand about modern society...with herb, to me it simply is. and i like it left that way, away from the bullshit of today's "civilized" society with their classifications and assumptions of effect based on predefined inputs. but perhaps im thinking too deep here. anyhow, that was what i was sort of referring to in my initial post.

 

[SmokingElectricity]

mod note: another link deleted that contributes nothing whatsoever to the topic.

 

[IAmKrazy2]

mod note: deleted as disrespectful and off topic

 

[lwien]

mod note: off topic

 

[Egzoset]

Lets see what can be harvested from this miserable thread today...


mod note: what's harvested is that numerous members can't disagree with the OP without going off topic and trying to ridicule and derail the thread, and finally, this includes you, the OP, where ridicule is involved.

 

[crawdad]

the most on topic post was the one with a picture and youtube link. fact.

mod note: And yet another disrespectful, off topic post. We'll end this here and leave it a while as an example of how not to have a civilized discussion.