How To Get The Most Out Of Your Vape Experience

From the clunky, heavy-duty to the in-pocket winsome wonders, vaporizers are dominating the cannabis space.

Much like rolling a doob, knowing how to vape, needs practice. Here is where we will give you a hand on how to get started. 

Here’s what you’ll need:

• Dry herb - First, you'll need some good quality dry herb; if you don't live in a recreational or medical marijuana state, you can buy high CBD cannabis online. If the bud is too sticky or dry, it will not vape properly.

• Portable or desktop vaporizers: These are the most common options. They are stand-alone units created specifically for this purpose and will be your best option.

• Grinder - A must-have for conduction vapes and ideal for most convection vapes. A grinder is always a useful tool. I’m certain we don’t need to give you much instruction on how to use one of these.

• Accessories - Many vaporizers include cleaning tools, such as a brush and a stir tool. Cotton swabs, pipe cleaners, and high-strength isopropyl alcohol are also required.

Here’s how to pack ‘em

(Image Credit: Royal Queen Seeds)

Keep this in mind. The vape should be turned off and not hot before packing in your weed. Otherwise, you will lose valuable vapour and possibly burn your fingers. You really don’t want to do that. Packing will be much easier when the oven or chamber is not hot. 

• Step 1: Double-check and triple-check that your device is fully charged or plugged in.
• Step 2: A fine to medium grind is recommended for most vaporizers. Some devices may allow you to use whole buds, but grinding is always a good idea when vaping weed, especially with conduction vaporizers.
• Step 3: Using a small business card or a weed scooper, place your dry herb into your vaporizer's oven or herb chamber.
• Step 4: Using a tool or your finger, pack the herb in and smooth out the surface. Conduction vapes require a firmer pack to maximize surface area, but it shouldn't be too tight — airflow must still be able to pass through (think of a well-packed joint vs. one that's not).
• Step 5: Turn on the device and select your desired temperature.

I know this might sound redundant but here’s how to inhale weed:

You have been inhaling and are pretty much a pro at it. We’re talking about a whole different animal here, which is why we thought it’d be handy to let you know how exactly to inhale weed using a vape.

• Wait about 30 seconds after your vape reaches temperature before taking your first puff (for those of you that have portables - they take less than a minute to get to a smokable temperature).
• Puff a few times to prime the vaporizer.
• Drag the mouthpiece until vapour fills your lungs; exhale
• If the draw is too tight, strike it like a roach, with your lips loosely on the mouthpiece.

Worth noting most dry herb vaporizers are session vapes, which means they will cut out at some point, similar to a joint, but you can turn it back on for another round. Depending on your heat settings for the first session, the bud may have more life left, which is commonly referred to as already vaped bud or AVB

Cleaning your vape

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

Sanitizing your vape

It is strongly recommended that you follow these steps before using your vape. Some newly assembled devices may contain residual machine oils used during production. It has an odd odour and taste that can ruin your trip. To be safe, sanitize a vaporizer before using it for the first time.

• Perform a burn-off. This means that it will remove residual machine oil by allowing it to run for 3-4 heating cycles with an empty chamber.
• Clean the vapour path by running a pipe cleaner or cotton swab through it.
• Cleaning the mouthpiece: Remove, soak in alcohol, wipe, rinse, and dry. You can repeat this process with any other non-electronic pieces that are removable.
• If you're using a desktop vaporizer, replace the bag when it becomes discoloured or sticky from the cannabis resin.

Looking for a vape? We’ve got you

DaVinci Miqro - Dry Herb Vaporizer

Engineered for maximum portability and discretion, the DaVinci MIQRO features a 33% more compact design than its predecessor, the IQ. Featuring a 100% pure ceramic zirconia airpath with thermal-resistant inert surfaces, the MIQRO delivers pure, smooth vapour.

Arizer - V Tower Vaporizer

The V-Tower, by Canadian manufacturer Arizer, is a direct draw, simple-to-use, tabletop vaporizer. For efficient and user-friendly functionality, few vaporizers can compete with its high-quality vapour production. 

Arizer ArGo - Dry Herb Vaporizer

Engineered with convection heating and built with a ceramic, glass and stainless steel air path, the ArGo delivers optimal vapour; this specific heating protects the integrity and flavour of your dry herb, delivering dense, flavorful vapour. The borosilicate glass mouthpieces keep the vapour cool and pure.

Storz & Bickel - Volcano Hybrid Vaporizer

The Volcano Hybrid vaporizer is the latest innovation from Storz & Bickel. A new dual-inhalation system allows users to enjoy vapour with a classic balloon bag or whip delivery system.

Grenco Science G Pen Pro - Dry Herb Vaporizer

Durable in design and sleek in style, the G Pen Pro has been upgraded from its predecessor—it sports a modern, sleek shape with an LED temperature display. Able to heat up in 20–30 seconds, the device has three preset temperatures allowing you to get maximum flavour from your material.