Vaporizers as precision instruments

In recent years, the use of vaporizers for consuming cannabis products has become increasingly popular as an alternative to other forms of consumption. Vaporizers should be clearly distinguished from vape pens. Vaporizers are usually more powerful devices with precisely adjustable temperatures of approximately 180°C–220°C that gently vaporize dried cannabis flowers or concentrates in a special heating chamber. Vaporizers are compact devices designed primarily for prefilled oil or liquid cartridges.

Vaporizers use convection, conduction, or both. Conduction means the plant material is heated by contact with a hot surface. This ensures rapid heating and dense clouds of vapor, but carries the risk of uneven heating and possible combustion. Convection, on the other hand, uses a hot airflow: The air is heated in the device and then passed through the plant material. The active ingredients and aromas are dissolved by the passing air and absorbed as vapor. This method ensures more even, gentler heating and a more intense aroma. By comparison, when heating a joint, temperatures of 800°C–1100°C are generated in the embers during the draw.

Decarboxylation: Conversion with heat

In addition to the cannabinoids present in the fresh cannabis plant, such as THCa and CBDa, which are only decarboxylated and converted into their active forms THC and CBD upon heating, this process also affects other important plant compounds, such as other cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Terpenes, which are responsible for the aroma and also for the effects of cannabis, are particularly sensitive to heat: They evaporate and change depending on the temperature, and excessively high temperatures can lead to their degradation.

Flavonoids, which provide color, flavor, and potentially additional effects, are also transformed by heat and each has its own evaporation point. Therefore, gentle, temperature-controlled heating is helpful to preserve the full potency of the cannabis plant.

Different substances evaporate at different temperatures

Variable temperature settings on vaporizers allow cannabis users to influence the effect profile of flowers or full-spectrum cannabis extracts containing a variety of ingredients. Different cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, and other substances vaporize at different temperatures under normal pressure in the vaporizer. This allows for completely different combinations of active ingredients to be released into the vapor at specific temperature ranges, either with the same variety of cannabis flowers or when using specific extracts.

For years, many cannabis users around the world have taken advantage of this and varied temperatures when vaping medicinal or other cannabis products to achieve specific effects. However, opinions differ as to how exactly the choice of temperature actually influences the effect.

If we want to go a little deeper here, we should first look at how different temperatures affect the release of different plant substances.

Temperature-controlled release: Scientific data

Many information sources provide boiling point tables for individual cannabinoids or terpenes and flavonoids for guidance, often stating, for example, boiling temperatures of 157°C for THC and 180°C for CBD. While this is correct, it is also misleading, as these figures refer to vacuum conditions . However, vaporizers operate at normal pressure—unless we want to describe what it's like when astronauts vape on the moon. Under normal atmospheric pressure at sea level, the boiling points of THC are 400°C, and those of CBD are 463°C. In vaporizers, however, active ingredients vaporize at lower temperatures through evaporation or sublimation, not boiling.

Cannabinoids and terpenes do not evaporate at specific "boiling points" as often stated, but rather through sublimation or evaporation over a temperature range , depending on pressure and ambient conditions. It's also often left unmentioned that certain active ingredients decompose at higher temperatures, such as Delta-9 THC or CBD, which decompose into cannabinol (CBN) at temperatures above 200°C. Here's a table to illustrate these insights for THC:

Based on these considerations, I provide a more meaningful table below for some cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, regarding their evaporation and maximum release under normal pressure in the vaporizer, as well as the temperatures at which they begin to decompose:

Strategies for vaporizing THC and CBD flowers

So, what exactly can we say about how we can influence the effect profiles of various cannabis products with a vaporizer? Many users have reported that aged cannabis, in which, among other things, THC has decomposed into CBN (cannabinol), tends to produce sedative effects. Since higher temperatures in a vaporizer also lead to higher CBN levels and the chemical conversion of other natural substances, higher temperatures in a vaporizer might actually be more suitable for sedative purposes.

In strains with high levels of a terpene such as linalool, which may have a sedative effect in synergy with THC, it may also be the case that maximum release occurs at higher temperatures (from 198°C for linalool), and this terpene then exerts a sedative effect in synergy with other substances such as THC. Unfortunately, there is currently very little scientific evidence to support such a hypothesis regarding sedation at higher temperatures or in older cannabis.

Can we influence other effects by choosing the temperature? Many online information sources are based on relatively weak evidence regarding, for example, individual terpenes and then derive effects from the quantities in which they enter the body. Given the complexity of the synergistic effects, I consider many of these statements to be largely speculative, although some could well be correct. Some statements can even be said to be supported as hypotheses by limited preclinical data and experience reports, such as the fact that the terpene myrcene may produce sedative effects in synergy with THC.

Conclusion

With vaporizers, you can control the mix of cannabis active ingredients you absorb, thus modulating the effects. However, I recommend that users critically examine information from many cannabis portals and not be overly influenced by hasty marketing claims.

Cannabis is like a tool, and in a sense, like a surfboard: only by acquiring the knowledge and skills to use this tool can I better utilize its potential. I need a certain persistence or endurance to explore, through mindful experimentation, how I can influence various factors—selection of strain, method of ingestion, dosage, choice of vaporizer temperature, and choice of environment—to achieve specific effect profiles. In my book ELEVATED, I call this the PERMIS (Persistent Mindful Surfer) approach.

It's important to observe yourself in many different ways: how is my mood changing? Am I getting tired? Am I staying mentally clear or feeling confused? Is my perception of pain changing? Does the effect feel energizing or relaxing? Does the effect have a strong impact on the body? Are there any aphrodisiac effects? Users who learn to observe themselves on many levels will definitely be better able to minimize risks and derive greater benefits from their cannabis use.

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