A common question many people ask is if you can use vaporizers for medical cannabis. This may be a surprise to some, but initially, vapes were invented for the use of curative cannabis. From the onset, desktop vaporizers were meant to administer medical cannabis which then later evolved into more convenient, portable devices.
To get the best vaping experience out of your medical cannabis, all it takes is a little knowledge and practice on how to properly utilize your vaporizer. This guide intends to help you do just that. The focus of the guide will be on how to take care of your vaporizer and properly utilize it for your medical marijuana.
What You Need to Vape Your Medical Marijuana
There are a few necessities that you need to enhance your vaping experience with medical marijuana. The most important tools to help you get started include the following:
Dry Cannabis
To get started, you need to get some good quality medical marijuana. Make sure the bud isn’t too sticky or too dry for it to burn properly. A dry bud would burn too quickly and if the bud is too sticky, it might take much longer to ignite. Sticky marijuana would also make your vaporizer much more difficult to clean.
A Vaporizer
Desktop vaporizers and portable devices are the best options for this task. These devices were specifically designed for use with medical marijuana and they are easy to access.
A Grinder
Grinders are necessary to get a consistent texture in the cannabis and make it burn more evenly. They are also a great tool for convection vaporizers.
Other Accessories
Some of these include the necessary tools for cleaning and maintaining your vaporizer. Such accessories may be provided when you purchase your vaporizer, for example, a stir tool and a brush. Additional accessories include isopropyl alcohol, pipe cleaners, and cotton swabs.
Things to Do When Packing Your Vaporizer
The most important thing you need to do before you pack your vaporizer is to make sure the device is off to avoid burning the cannabis prematurely. This also ensures you avoid injury when you start packing your device. Here are some of the steps you can follow to pack your vaporizer the right way:
- Make sure your vaporizer is fully charged
- Grind your medical marijuana to a medium or fine texture. Even though some devices are suitable for burning full buds, grinding the buds ensures they burn evenly and provide a consistent supply with each pull
- Fill the oven or the chamber in your device with the ground medical marijuana
- Using your fingers or a packing tool, compact the chamber with an adequate amount of medical marijuana. Make sure you don’t pack it too tight so that air can easily flow through the device
- Start up the vaporizer and set it to your preferred temperature
Inhaling Medical Marijuana from a Vaporizer
Before you get started with your vaporizer, you first need to understand that the experience is going to be different from regular smoke. Vapor is much lighter and it has a cooler temperature that might make you cough a little. Here’s what you can do to enjoy the experience:
- After adjusting the temperature on your vaporizer, wait for about 30 seconds to one minute before taking your first pull. This ensures the vaporizer is adequately warmed up
- Gently inhale a few times from your device as you get started
- Slowly inhale from the device until you feel the vapor in your lungs, then exhale
- Ensure your lips aren’t wrapped too tightly around the device
At the end of your session, check the device to see if your medical marijuana still has some color or if it’s completely spent. You can use your stir tool to mix up the product and start another vaping session if you like the taste of an already vaped bud. If not, dispose of the residue and clean the device for later use.
Steps to Properly Clean Your Vaporizer
It’s recommended that you clean the device right after using it because the stains are easier to remove. This way, the leftover taste from the charred residue won’t interfere with your fresh medical marijuana. To effectively clean your vaporizer, you need to:
Turn off your device and let it cool down
- Detach the mouthpiece from your vaporizer
- Clean the chamber of your vaporizer using a brush, preferably the one provided with your device on purchase
- Using a cotton swab, gently rub some alcohol on the inner part of the chamber to clean it out
- Clean the inside of the vapor path with a pipe cleaner. Ensure you dampen it with alcohol to effectively remove the stains from the residue
Residue can impact your experience when vaping medical marijuana. It’s essential to properly clean the device after use to ensure optimum functionality.
Sanitize Your Vaporizer to Enhance Your Experience
When you first purchase your vaporizer, you should really consider sanitizing it. Vape devices tend to have residual oils when they are packed in the assembly line and this can impact the taste when you first use them. To avoid the bad aftertaste on your first session, consider following these steps:
- Burn the oils - Start off by heating the vaporizer with an empty oven so the residual oils are completely burnt off.
- Sanitize the vapor path - Using a pipe cleaner dampened with alcohol, adequately clean out the vapor path.
- Sanitize the mouthpiece - Soak the mouthpiece in alcohol, rinse and wipe it then allow it to dry off. This is also recommended for any other removable elements that are non-electric.
- Replace the vape bag - For desktop devices, replace the bag when it starts getting sticky or discolored from prolonged use.
Bottom Line
Vaping medical marijuana might be new to many, but it can offer a healing experience. By following this guide, you can rest assured that each vaping session will be better than the last. For help in obtaining your medical marijuana card reach out to us at Malie Cannabis Clinic!