Hydrolife Magazine April/May 2016 (USA Edition)

live
Is Electronic Cannabis
by Alex Rea
To vaporize, or not to vaporize?
A growing number of medicinal cannabis
patients are turning to this method
of consumption. Here’s why.
Cannabis has grown up quite a bit in
recent years, ever since entrepreneurs
in the United States set their minds to
creating products that appeal to adults
who need to medicate discreetly.
Vaporization is the new craze taking
over the cannabis industry, as it uses
less cannabis, is better for your health
and doesn’t leave that lingering,
unmistakable odor of burnt cannabis.
Vaporization of medicinal cannabis is
nothing new, but there are a few new
developments set to make profound
changes to how people consume
cannabis as medicine.
for Medical Pot?
“
VAPORIZATION
USES LESS cannabis,
is better for your
health and doesn’t
leave that lingering,
unmistakable odor of
burnt cannabis.”
The Herbal Vape
The herbal cannabis vaporizer
has been around for at
least 30 years and works by
gently heating cannabis to
around 200˚F, until the active
ingredients become vapors
without the harmful compounds
that are created by burning cannabis.
Vaporization is more efficient because
in smoked cannabis, a lot of the active
ingredients are burnt before your body
can use them. Vaporizer users need less
than half the medicine than those who
smoke it. As well, more of the pleasantsmelling
terpenes and other compounds
in cannabis can be tasted.
The Portable Vaporizer
Thanks to improvements to battery
technology and manufacturing, portable
vaporizers let you take the high-quality
vapor of the large desktop versions on
the go. The only downfall is having to
charge the batteries, load new cannabis
and get rid of spent cannabis, which can
be a real hassle when away from home.
The Oil Pen
The next breakthrough in cannabis
consumption is the oil pen. Patients, care
providers and compassion clubs have
been developing methods of extracting
high-quality cannabis oil from their
resinous plants. The oil can then be loaded
into an electronic device with a coil that
heats up to vaporize the oil.
The issue with this method is that often
the oil is created using solvents such as
butane, hexane, alcohol or other organic
solvents. The liquid solution of solvent and
plant extract is then heated or subjected to
a vacuum to remove the solvents, leaving
a sticky, clear, sometimes solid plant
extract that can be as high as 90% THC.
These solvents are great at removing
the oils from the plant, but the product
is often left with trace amounts of the
solvent, which can be hazardous to human
health over time, not to mention the
process can be dangerous when done
at home. The other issue is that it can
be a messy, sticky business trying to get
the oil into the pen, which can be nearly
solid at room temperature. Pre-filled oil
pen cartridges have had a big impact on
cannabis distribution and consumption.
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