How to Vape Weed and Get the Most Out of It

Can you vape weed?

Using a dry herb vape requires a bit of learning, just as rolling a joint does. Luckily, this guide will get you started. Whether your mission is weed or CBD hemp bud, the guidelines are the same.

In this guide we will be focusing specifically on vaporizers for dry herb but today there are many other alternatives for vaping herbal concentrates like weed pens, wax pens and electric dab rigs that are more convenient, efficient and produce less odor.

How to vape weed: what you’ll need

• Dry herb - First you need some good quality dry herb; you can buy high CBD cannabis online if you aren't in a recreational or medical marijuana state. The bud shouldn’t be too sticky or dry, or it will not vape properly.
• Vaporizer - The most common options are portable or desktop vaporizers. They are standalone units designed specifically for this purpose and are going to be your best option.
• Grinder – They are a necessity for conduction vapes, and ideal for most convection vapes. A grinder is always an excellent tool to have in your arsenal.
• Accessories - Many vaporizers include tools for cleaning your vaporizer, usually a brush and a stir tool. Other essential items include cotton swabs, pipe cleaners and high-strength isopropyl alcohol.

How to use and pack a dry herb vaporizer

• Step 1: Make sure your device is fully charged or plugged in
• Step 2: Most vaporizers require a fine to medium grind. Some convection devices may allow you to get away with using full buds but generally grinding is a good idea for vaping weed, especially for conduction vaporizers.
• Step 3: Place your dry herb into your vaporizer’s oven or herb chamber, using a small business card or a weed scooper.
• Step 4: Pack the herb in using a tool or your finger and make the surface relatively flat. Conduction vapes require a firmer pack to maximize surface area, but it shouldn’t be packed in too tight — airflow still needs to be able to pass through (think of a well packed joint vs. one that’s too tight). Convection vapes can be packed looser but work best with an even consistency.
• Step 5: Turn on the device and select your desired temperature.

How to inhale weed from a vape

• Wait about 30 seconds after your vape reaches temperature before taking your first puff (for portables, it’s usually just a minute or so)
• Prime the vaporizer by taking a few gentle puffs
• Drag on the mouthpiece until you fill your lungs with vapor; exhale
• If the draw feels too tight, hit it like you would a roach — with your lips loosely on the mouthpiece

Keep in mind most dry herb vaporizers are session vapes — they cut off at some point, much like a joint, except you can turn it back on for another round. Depending on your heat settings for the first session, there’ll likely be more life left to the bud, which is often called already vaped bud or AVB.

How to clean a vaporizer

• Make sure your vaporizer is off and not too hot
• Remove the mouthpiece from your device
• Use a brush to get rid of any excess debris from the herb chamber
• Dampen a cotton Q-tip with alcohol and scrub the inside of the chamber until it’s clean
• Dampen a pipe cleaner with alcohol and snake it through the inside of the vapor path until it’s clean (hold the device up to the light to see if the walls get clean)

Cleaning your device is important! Residue can build up which causes uneven vaporization. It’s okay if you let it go a few sessions without cleaning, but don’t let it go too long or it will be much harder to clean. A dirty vaporizer doesn’t perform well.

How to sanitize your vape