When people think about smoking weed, they usually jump to sparking a blunt, joint, or bowl using a lighter or heating up a dab rig with a blowtorch. However, these aren’t the only ways to enjoy cannabis. These methods can even be primitive in the sense that they’re more likely to fry the important cannabinoids and terpenes responsible for making cannabis medicine a recreational joy. With that in mind, the temperature is vital to control with any cannabis consumption method. The most important is vaping, though. Too much heat, and you scorch your terpenes. Too little heat, and you risk not activating your cannabinoids. So, what is the sweet spot for temperature when it comes to vaping? Here’s everything you need to know.
Why does temperature matter?
Cannabis is made up of a variety of molecules, including cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids. Each terpene and flavonoid has its unique properties, and some of the best-tasting ones have pretty low boiling points. On the other hand, they also usually still require some heat to activate. For example, THCa found in concentrates isn’t intoxicating in the slightest until it’s decarboxylated with heat and degrades into THC.
When you use heat that is too intense, some of these terpenes boil away completely, leaving you with a flavorless and less potent product. The same goes for cannabinoids like THC, which can burn and degrade into a sedative cannabinoid known as CBN. When you don’t use enough heat, you aren’t activating the full spectrum of terpenes and cannabinoids responsible for the effects and flavors of cannabis.
Ultimately, you lose the flavors and the medical and recreational benefits of cannabis with improper heat.
What are the benefits of vaping at the optimal temp?
Vaping at the optimal temperature offers the best representation of cannabinoids and terpenes. While some minor terpenes and flavonoids boil out, you still get the brunt of the most prevalent flavors and a good dose of activated yet preserved THC. This heat level is also excellent since it’s less likely to cause anxiety or couch lock.
Why vaping at low temperatures may be problematic
As we touched upon briefly in the first section, temperatures that are too low (below 350°F) may not activate all of the cannabinoids and terpenes that give cannabis its therapeutic value. While the flavor will be there, the potency won’t be. THC doesn’t usually activate below 340°F in a vaporizer. You’ll still get a gentle cerebral effect, but it won’t be as medicinally valuable as a warmer hit.
Why vaping at high temperatures may be problematic
Vaping cannabis at higher temperatures (over 400°F) can be problematic because it can destroy most terpenes, flavonoids, and cannabinoids. Hotter hits are usually much harsher and more likely to make you cough up a lung. Terpenes like linalool and humulene can survive just below their 451°F combustion point, as well as THC and CBD. But your hit will be mostly flavorless, and the high will be much more intense.
What is the best temperature for vaping cannabis?
The ideal vape temperature hovers around 392°F (200°C). However, there’s a little bit of fluctuation in there based on your goals with cannabis. If you have an adjustable vape, you’ll be able to switch from high to medium and low temperatures for your hits. The temperature you choose has a lot to do with the way you experience cannabis.
The lowest you'll want to go is somewhere around 350°F if you want o make sure you're activating everything possible in your weed. Vaping at low temperatures provides the best flavors but a mild high. The 350°F-395°F range also provides the maximum THC delivery.
380°F to 395°F is somewhere in the middle. Between these temperatures, you'll get a good mix of flavors and active cannabinoids. However, I find that the perfect hit is somewhere around 392°F— but keep in mind, each vaporizer is different, and you'll have to do some experimenting to find your sweet spot.
We don't reccomend going past 400°F, though. You don't want to cook your terpenes out or deal with those sedative, heavy effects that happen when you overheat your bud. However, the silver lining is that even though these hits are flavorless, they will make you feel pretty stoney without a ton of product.
Vaping Temperatures for Desired Effects
If you know what kind of experience you want to get out of vaping cannabis, there are a few standard temperatures you can set your vape to. They range from low to hot so that you can get the best experience out of your medicine every time. Here are a few effects you can get based on temperature alone:
Strongest THC buzz: You’ll want to use a low to medium temperature of around 365°F to preserve terpenes like limonene and myrcene and activate THC. Lower temperatures are great to get the most out of your THC absorption and may help prevent anxiety, paranoia, and sedative couch lock.
Strongest Flavors: Set your vape to around 350°F if you want more flavors than effects. This temperature still activates THC, so you can still expect to feel the effects. Remember that the flavors will be more intense, and the high will be lackluster. This is a great way to get a feel for the terpene profiles in a batch of concentrates or flower before taking a regular hit to get an idea of what kind of high you can expect later.
Best Overall Flavors and Effects: If you want a good mix of flavors and effects, set your vape to 392°F. This temperature preserves most of a strain’s major terpenes and activates the THC, allowing you to enjoy hits that taste great and feel great without excessive coughing.
Most Active Cannabinoids: If you’re using cannabis for medical reasons, setting your vape to 400°F will activate most of the cannabinoids found in cannabis while preserving a few hardy terpenes like humulene and linalool. It will be a hot hit, so you’ll definitely cough but still enjoy good flavors and uber-potent effects.
All in all, you can control the way your cannabis feels and tastes when you vape, but the temperature is the determining factor between flavor and effects. Too hot and you miss out on flavors. Too low, and you miss out on effects. But the sweet spot in the middle around 392°F is perfect for the average vaping experience with cannabis.
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