By Joyce Mcneely - Cannabis Educator            

Did you know one of the safest ways to consume any type of cannabis flower is with a dry herb vape? Yes, it’s true! 

I’ve helped several people navigate this process and it can be overwhelming at first. What do I get? Where do I get it? How much do I spend? What’s the difference between them? Which one will fit my lifestyle? How does this thing work again? 

Here is what I learned while making an informed decision on dry herb vaporizers. 

What is your usage?

Are you an occasional use person who reaches for it for headaches or a sore back instead of a bottle of Tylenol? Maybe dealing with intermittent sleepless nights? Or do you need to use cannabis flower daily for chronic medical reasons to maintain overall day-to-day health?  Or maybe somewhere in between? Will you use it at home, on the go, or both? 

The last thing someone who uses cannabis occasionally would want is to purchase a dry herb vaporizer that is too big for their needs. I am usually an evening but a daily user of CBD flower. So I kept my eye on the smaller portable vapes. To a medical cannabis user, a vape is one of many tools they can have in their medical bag, as they can be used along with other forms of medical cannabis. 

What is your price point?

This will most likely be a bit of an investment, but there is usually a price range for everyone to find a piece that is affordable to them. So find one that is in a comfortable price range. Don’t feel you have to get the best, biggest, and most expensive thing out there unless that is your thing. But there are plenty out there that work great at a reasonable price point too. Since vaporizers can be used as handy, portable, and vital pieces of medical equipment, they really are a good investment in your health. 

What is the difference between these vaporizers?

Dry Herb Vaporizers come in two different methods of heating. Conduction or Convection. Like your big oven at home! Except muuuch smaller. Conduction is direct contact heat to make the vapor. Convection is the reaction of hot air flowing through the material to make the vapor. 

I personally wanted the convection because I didn’t want my flower to scorch and lung health is important to me. Here is an article that may shed some light on the medical benefits of convection. 

Another plus to convection, since it is not usually burned or scorched, I am able to use the ‘already been vaped’ (ABV) flower in something else. Also, a cost savings. Cool, right!? Check out how to use this material to make you more medicine here… https://highthere.com/learn/recipes/infusions/abv-tea

The convections have come down in price since they first came out, so they are more affordable now. 

The benefits of conduction dry herb vapes are that they make up the majority of the market availability and are typically priced lower than convection vapes. This is really a preference situation. 

Where do I get one?

There are many options depending on where you live. If there is a smoke shop near you to check out, I would consider a visit to take a lookie-loo. They are likely to have a few different models in stock and hopefully have a knowledgeable salesperson that can help you with brands and features. The local smoke shop may be a more expensive route. However, you could have the instant gratification of walking out with it in your happy hands. 

There are also many places online as well. The online places typically run discounts or sales periodically. So sign up for their emails and keep an eye out if you are not in a hurry. I found T-Vape.com to be a very good resource. Also, Vaped.com is helpful. Happy browsing! 

Other considerations…. 

How long does the battery last? How long does it take to heat up? Can I take it with me when I leave the house? How is this going to fit into my lifestyle? Can I palm it, so no one sees? What are the temperature settings? Is the temperature adjustable? How much is it adjustable? 

*Pro Tip* the temperature settings are essential to get the best benefits of your cannabis terpenes. You will want to know your temperature setting in order to get the most out of your product. More on that here…. https://www.herbonaut.com/best-temperature-to-vape-weed/

I personally wanted portable. Discrete. Decent battery life. Quick heat-up time. Easy to clean. And maybe not so importantly, is it cute? Does it match my personality? LoL, I mean, why does everything have to be black? 

I hope this helps you in your search for your first dry herb vaporizer. Dry Vape on my friends! ✌️

About Joyce McNeely

Joyce is a certified cannabis educator and a lifelong student of beauty and nature. She believes we should always stay curious about life and learning.

Do you have questions for Joyce on the topic of our upcoming issues?

Email your questions about Cannabis for healthy brains (March 2023) and healthy guts (April 2023) to [email protected].