Is Vaping Healthier than Combusting?
The cannabis market has hit a stage that offers the product in a variety of forms. Some of the more common forms of cannabis consumption include vaporizing cannabis as well as simply combusting the plant. With health benefits often being associated with cannabis, which form of consumption is ‘healthier?’
What is Vaping Exactly?
Vaping is a term used to define the process of vaporizing consumable oils and extracts to achieve the desired effects associated with cannabinoids. Vaping often involves vaporizing cannabinoids such as THC CBD, or THC-A. The chemistry behind vaping is all relative to one simple concept: heat. Vaporizing happens when a high-temperature heat is applied to an ingestible matter or solution. Once heated to the desired temperature, the solid or liquid will become a vapor ready for consumption. During this process, the cannabinoid or terpene can be isolated based on temperature, producing a more fluid experience versus combusting cannabis. Particular carcinogens, or cancer-causing agents, can also be obliterated with the help of vaping. This means one can vaporize dry cannabis flowers and oils, respectively, with little-to-no adverse health effects. This is often performed with the help of an atomizer within the vaporizer.
Are there any Health Benefits of Vaping Cannabis?
The health benefits associated with vaping extremely exceed the health benefits of combusting cannabis. The average cannabis consumer accepts that vaping is safer than combusting, thanks to the aforementioned science associated with carcinogens. Additionally, vaping does not contain the same amount of carcinogens associated with combusting cannabis or any other combustible substances. Furthermore, tobacco users often quit smoking with the help of vaporizers.
The Science of Combusting Cannabis
The most traditional way to consume cannabis is by combusting dry cannabis flowers. This is just a fancy way to state that most consumers smoke joints, blunts, and bowls. It is recognized that combusting is still the most popular way of consuming cannabis daily. Moreover, it is arguably the oldest method of consuming cannabis aside from ancient Chinese medical professionals using cannabis in tinctures in early 2,000 B.C. With the availability of things such as joints, terpene-infused wraps, cigars, and blunts, obtaining a combusting high is quick and easy. Cannabis consumers tend to grind the dry cannabis flowers of their favorite strain of cannabis and simply roll it up. Upon consumption, a combustible high can hit an individual in as little as 7 seconds. This is thanks to the cannabinoid THC being activated via direct, intense heat and crossing the blood-brain barrier in under 30 seconds thanks to, well, science.
Health Benefits of Consuming Cannabis
Contrary to popular belief, consumers can obtain most health benefits associated with cannabis by simply ingesting the plant how they see fit. However, some cannabinoids are only activated by specific levels of heat. This can easily be done with the help of a vaporizer. Additionally, vaporizers provide consumers with the health benefits of cannabis without the excess carcinogens that are often associated with combusting cannabis. Some of the health benefits of cannabis include:
- Anticonvulsant properties
- Assist in regulating anxiety
- Reduce inflammation and bodily pain
- Combat Insomnia and restlessness
- Fight the growth of cancerous cells and metastasization
- Regulate blood sugar levels and diabetic episodes
- Combat Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Improve eye health and ward off eye problems (i.e., cataracts, glaucoma)
- Promote improved bone growth
- Assist in the regulation of metabolism
Should I Vape or Combust Cannabis?
If consumers are attempting to figure out which form of consumption is better, it is a matter of preference. However, the logical answer is that vaping cannabis will yield consumers the health benefits they are in search of while minimizing the potential amount of problems that are often associated with combusting cannabis traditionally. Consumers can get virtually the same health benefits from vaping cannabis while reducing carcinogens. However, if carcinogens don’t worry you, feel free to pack a bowl for those health benefits associated with cannabis.