Although smoking flower is still a common way to consume cannabis, vaping cannabis has surpassed smoking in terms of popularity among medical and recreational patients alike. It’s not hard to understand why cannabis consumers are choosing to vape their marijuana: It’s discreet, portable and fast-acting.
And vaping tends to be safer than smoking is—which involves combusting, or burning, plant materials. Vaping heats rather than burns cannabinoids and terpenes within an oil cartridge, either through conducive or convection heating, which in turn releases a vapor. The vapor is flavorful, yet rarely produces a heavy aroma associated with smoking flower.
Patients looking for a certain effect, will find most vape oil cartridges and disposable vape pens labeled to indicate whether the cannabis that’s used is a sativa (uplifting), indica (relaxing) or hybrid (uplifting and relaxing). Patients and consumers alike can also select oil cartridges with marijuana strains that support specific effects they’re trying to elicit, whether that be to eliminate chronic pain from an aching lower back or dial in a more focused workout session.
Following is a round-up of our team’s favorite cannabis vaping products:
DomPen California Citrus Sativa Vape Pen
Bart S., customer service specialist: “The DomPen is a sleek, lightweight disposable vape pen with 500 mg of sativa oil at a very agreeable price point. I very much enjoyed seeing the black pen emerge from the package, which made it feel like I might be going incognito and definitely gave the pen an air of sophistication.
“After a few puffs, I found the onset to be gradual and not too overpowering. The California Citrus DomPen produces a clear and focused effect, which I guess is due to the combination of the sativa strain and the mixture of all-natural terpenes. I enjoyed how the citrus effect seemed to boost my mood without the negative effect of causing anxiety.
“California Citrus has a strong flavor of lemons, which I’m guessing comes from the terpene limonene. Limonene is known to work synergistically with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to help combat pain as well as other health conditions—it also smells super fresh.
“For me, the overall psychoactive effect from the California Citrus DomPen is one of positivity and euphoria. I’d recommend this vape pen to anyone who enjoys the taste and smell of lemons, and who may want a more mellow sativa high.”
RELATED: KNOW YOUR CANNABIS TERPENES: LIMONENE
Beboe Sativa Blend Vape Pen
Veronica B., customer service specialist: “Beboe’s Sativa Blend disposable vape pen is impressive with the big flavor it packs in a small package. The Beboe vape pen offers a slim, beautifully designed pen that’s perfect for discreet consumption, but you just may want to bring it out of your pocket to show it off. Each vape pen has a gorgeous paper casing that delights when opened to reveal a blush-colored pen that appears almost delicate. It’s definitely a vape pen I’d give as a gift to a good friend on a special occasion.
“Inhaling Beboe’s Sativa Blend is immediately an enjoyable experience in terms of the taste of the vapor as well as the feel of the pen in my hand. In my experience, the vapor provides a subtle earthy and grapefruit-y flavor with a noticeable undertone of blended terpenes. This is a great cannabis product for those who want to use a vaporizer without a ‘weedy’ flavor.
“The psychoactive effects were noticeable within about 15 minutes. Beboe’s Sativa Blend vape pen provides an enjoyable uplifting and cerebral effect. Overall, I felt invigorated after consuming. The Sativa Blend is perfect for daytime use while going about your normal activities. The effects lasted about one hour, but because I love the flavor, I consumed more shortly after my first few puffs. If you’re new to cannabis, I recommend starting with one puff and waiting to see the overall effects before consuming more. It’s important to become familiar with your own tolerance level.”
Jetty Gold Vape Cartridge, Sativa
Ryan G., customer service specialist: “The Jetty Gold sativa cartridge with the wooden tip is one of my favorite stress-relievers. It provides an uplifting high and gives me the energy I need—even the motivation to clean my apartment. One of the things I love is that after inhaling I’m able to focus on the task at hand, and not get distracted by other things. Basically, while consuming this vape cartridge, I felt very productive and happy.
“For me, the onset of effects are immediate, while not being overwhelming. After a couple of puffs of the Jetty Gold Sativa, I’m able to step back and accurately assess the effect. If I’m aiming to relieve stress, this vape cartridge allows me to sense immediately whether I need more, or if I’m just right for my tolerance level.
“The wooden tip on the Jetty Gold cartridge is a nice touch, and it actually adds to the flavor of the vapor. It’s something that I only ever get with Jetty, which is something that keeps me coming back for more. I’d suggest the sativa for daytime use, because of how much energy I gain from using this particular cannabis strain. I’d also suggest consuming this vape cartridge to help relieve stress as well as gain focus and productivity.”
Level Blends Spark Cartridge
Dmitry B., marketing videographer/editor: “I’m a big fan of Level Blends vape oil cartridge line, but my favorite cartridge out of the Level family is Spark. The name is a very accurate description of the overall effect and feeling it delivers, an onset that’s rapid, like a beautiful thunderstorm in springtime. The flavor is fruity and punchy with a taste of exotic berberis, and the delicate aroma quickly disperses.
“After consuming a few puffs, Level’s Spark cartridge delivers a light euphoric feeling and gives me that creative spark so valued by artists. These days, I need a little boost of creativity—who doesn’t? I would say that people who are newer to cannabis need to go low and slow with this vape oil cartridge as it’s a little more intense with a ratio of 84.9% THC to 1.53% CBD.”
RELATED: THE PROS & CONS OF PSYCHOACTIVE THC
Absolute Extracts Grand Daddy Purp Vape Cartridge
Chris B., business associate: “Granddaddy Purple (GDP) is one of my all-time favorite strains, and my go-to strain for overall relaxation. Typically, I’ll turn to GDP for its calming effects at the end of the day to unwind and get my thoughts off the day’s work events.
“While still supplying the same calming effects I’m used to, the Absolute Extracts GDP oil cartridge didn’t have the heavy couch-lock feeling that normally seems to accompany this indica hybrid. With the ABX GDP, I could feel my mind and body unwind immediately, while still being energized and with a clear mind. Enough so that I was able to carry on with my nightly routine easily. I took several puffs while I cooked some dinner and found myself in the perfect place to watch some Netflix before turning in for the night.
“ABX always delivers on flavor, no matter what the cartridge may be, and Grand Daddy Purp has the perfect mix of cannabis and terpene taste. ABX’s batteries have three different heat settings, which is cool because you can further tailor your taste experiences. Use the lower settings to bring out the taste of the terpenes and get cooler vapor, while using higher settings will provide a more robust hit and a typical cannabis taste. I really enjoyed my experience.”
Bloom Farms ACDC Pax Era Pod
Melissa N., office manager: “One of my favorite single-origin strains by Bloom Farms is ACDC, and I always carry this with me. One of the reasons I love Bloom Farms is that the products are consistent each and every time I use them.
“The Bloom Farms ACDC Pax Era Pod contains a sativa-dominant, high-CBD strain that I find works well to relieve my own pain and anxiety. For me, this cannabis strain is profoundly relaxing, while still allowing me to function. I like consuming ACDC from the sleek Pax Era vaporizer when I’m feeling a little stressed out or when I have muscle pain in my neck and shoulders. It calms me down and allows for some pain relief while I go about my day without any yucky side effects. ACDC has an earthy flavor and draws smooth vapor.
“The Pax Era vaporizer is sold separately from the Bloom Farms ACDC Pax Era Pod and can be used with a variety of other oil pods from different cannabis brands. I highly recommend the Bloom Farms ACDC Pax Era pod.”
Photo credit: Vaping360
If you’re new to cannabis and want to learn more, take a look at our Cannabis 101 post. HelloMD can help you get your medical marijuana recommendation; it’s easy, private and 100% online.
