The nicotine vaping industry and the cannabis vaping industry have grown together over the past several years. Whichever substance you consume, you probably came to the realization long ago that vaping – and eliminating smoke from your life – is definitely the best way to use that substance. Recently, though, your options for vaping cannabis have increased dramatically. Today, companies are producing cannabis e-liquids by mixing cannabis extracts with vegetable glycerin and propylene glycol. With cannabis e-liquid, it’s possible to get your daily dose with the same type of device that former smokers use to get their nicotine – sort of.
The big box mods and sub-ohm tanks that you see in your local vape shops aren’t necessarily the types of devices that you’d want to use for a cannabis e-liquid. Sub-ohm vaping devices are designed to produce enormous clouds. That’s great for people who vape nicotine e-liquids, but it’s not what you want for cannabis e-liquid. For one, you might find the experience completely overwhelming. Cost, however, is another important factor; a sub-ohm vaping tank can easily consume more than 10 ml of e-liquid in a single day. That’s probably a lot more than you’re willing to spend on e-liquid.
So, what type of device should you buy if you want to enjoy your preferred herb in e-liquid form? When you’re done reading this article, you’ll know how to make the best buying decision for your needs.
Buy a Device Made for Beginners
Companies like Vaper Empire in Australia specialize in selling the types of devices designed to appeal to those who are completely new to vaping, and that’s exactly the type of device that you should buy for cannabis e-liquid. If a vaping device has a refillable tank and is about as small as a ballpoint pen – or smaller – you’re probably on the right track. We’ll explain these points in further detail, but if there’s one key point that you should take from this article, it’s that the simpler a vaping device looks, the more likely it is that the device will be perfect for cannabis e-liquid.
Buy a Device With a Refillable Tank
If you have a well-stocked local dispensary, you’ll find no shortage of cannabis e-liquid products. Those products will include single-use cannabis vape pens along with cartridges and pods pre-filled with cannabis e-liquid. Pre-filled cannabis e-liquid pods even exist for the popular JUUL vaping system. The problem with pre-filled cannabis e-liquid products, though, is that they’re very expensive for the amount of e-liquid you get. When you buy a pre-filled vape pen, for example, you aren’t just buying the e-liquid; you’re also buying a battery, an integrated circuit, an indicator light and the machinery necessary to turn those items into a finished product. When you have a vaping device with a refillable tank, you’ll spend far less on e-liquid. Buying bottled e-liquid also means that you can mix your cannabis e-liquid with other e-liquids. If an e-liquid is too strong, you can dilute it. If you don’t like the taste of an e-liquid, you can mix it with an e-liquid that you do like.
Consider a Device With a Replaceable Atomizer Coil
In a vaping tank, the atomizer coil is the resistance wire that generates heat and vaporizes the e-liquid. In some vape tank designs, the atomizer coil is a permanent part of the tank. When the tank produces a burned flavor – or its vapor production declines – you’ll discard the entire tank and start using a new one. Other tanks, however, have removable atomizer coils. When you have a tank with a removable atomizer coil, you’ll keep the tank – and discard only the coil – when the quality of your vaping experience begins to decline. You don’t need a device with a replaceable atomizer coil to have a great experience with cannabis e-liquid. It’s helpful, though, because replacement atomizer coils tend to cost less than disposable tanks. THC is a resinous compound that will leave residue on an atomizer coil and may shorten the coil’s life. If you’re a frequent vaper, you’ll go through a lot of coils.
Buy a Device With a Manual Fire Button
Many vaping devices have air pressure sensors and can vaporize e-liquid automatically when you puff. The problem with automatic puff sensors, though, is that they introduce a slight delay when you vape. It takes a fraction of a second for the device to recognize that you’re inhaling and begin producing vapor. If you use a device with a fire button, on the other hand, you can hold the button and then puff. You’ll get much bigger and more satisfying vapor clouds that way. Also, having a device with a fire button means that you can lock the device to prevent it from firing accidentally when you carry it in your pocket.
Buy a Device With Large Wick Openings
A vaping tank has a partial vacuum inside. The atomizer coil assembly controls the flow of e-liquid from the tank’s reservoir to the heating wire with small openings in the sides of the atomizer coil’s housing. Behind the openings, a cotton wick holds the e-liquid next to the heating wire. As you vape, the cotton dries out, and capillary action draws more e-liquid in from the tank’s reservoir. The system works extremely well – as long as the holes in the atomizer coil assembly are the correct size for the thickness of the e-liquid. As we mentioned above, cannabis extracts are thick and full of resin. You can therefore expect a cannabis e-liquid to be thicker than some nicotine e-liquids. When you shop for a device for cannabis e-liquid vaping, you’ll see products of many shapes and sizes. Examine them closely. If the holes in the atomizer coil assembly of a given device look like nearly invisible pinpricks, the holes are probably too small to give you a good experience with cannabis e-liquid. If an atomizer coil doesn’t have sufficient wicking performance to handle thick e-liquids, you may experience harsh “dry hits” when vaping.
