For a lot of people, vaporizing is the uncontested perfect way to get high. Not only it saves you money, it’s healthier and smoother, too. But what exactly goes on inside the little devices? How do they produce vapor?
Basically, what vapes do is heat up the cannabis enough that the cannabinoids begin to evaporate into air, but without letting the temperature burn the herb. The resulting vapor s free from combustion products such as carbon monoxide, tar, and other toxins that are found in smoke.
There are two ways in which vapes can heat up cannabis – through convection or conduction.
Conduction & Convection
Conduction
When you use a conduction-based vaporizer, the cannabis is in direct contact with the heating element. This kind of vaporizer tends to utilize hot plates that transfer the heat straight to the herb. Thus, it rapidly releases the cannabinoids into air, and they get ready to be drawn in.
Pros of Conduction:
- The herb gets heated quickly, allowing you to vape immediately once you turn on the device.
- Conduction vaporisers tend to have a simpler design, and are often more affordable.
Cons of Conduction:
- As the herb is directly in contact with the heating element, there is a larger risk of combustion.
- It does a worse job of controlling temperature, so they can be harder to use.
- The heat isn’t distributed evenly, as it’s only transferred into the herb at the point in which it touches the heating element. This means the cannabis may have to be moved and shaken in between draws.
Examples of Conduction Vaporizers: Magic Flight Launch Box, WISPR, DaVinci, IOLITE, PUFFiT. It’s the perfect way to enjoy Cran Apple ejuice.
Convection
In a convection vaporizer, the herb is heated indirectly with hot air. A gauze or screen keeps the cannabis separated from the source of heat, protecting it from burning. The heat source is capable of warming the air to a more precise temperature, and it then passes through and surrounds the cannabis, heating up and making it vaporize.
Pros of Convection:
- Convection vaporizers make for much more accurate temperature control when compared to conduction vaporizers.
- The lack of physical contact with the heating element along with more precise temperature control reduces the risk of combustion significantly.
- As the heated air moves around the surface area of the herb, the cannabis vaporizes evenly, reducing the need to shake or move it.
- Convection vaporizers tend to be more user friendly, particularly for beginners.
Cons of Convection:
- This kind of vaporizer tends to be more complicated in design and more technologically advanced, so they tend to be significantly more expensive.
- Since the cannabis isn’t directly in contact with the heating element, it can take longer for the convection vaporizer to heat up the herb, when compared to a conduction vaporizer.