Convenient, easy-to-use, and discreet, the vape and vape technology industries have been booming as more and more people explore new ways to normalize, and augment their cannabis experience.
For the uninitiated, we understand that vaping can seem a little complicated, even daunting at times. After all, at first glance the extracts and concentrates landscape can seem a world away from the plant that you know and love.
What are they exactly? How are they made? What technology do you need to enjoy them? And what kind of experience can you expect? These are the kind of questions we regularly receive from both enthusiastic novices, looking to learn more before diving in, and experienced cannabis consumers, through to connoisseurs.
That’s why we’ve put together this newbie’s guide to vaping, to give you the facts you need in order to make good decisions, enjoy a quality vape experience, and above all, stay safe.
What exactly is vaping?
Put in the most simple terms, vaping means using a vaporizer to heat up a liquid, and inhaling the vapour that is produced. But of course, it’s a lot more fun than that makes it sound!
The experience is much like the good old fashioned joint you’re familiar with. Only, this time, you’re inhaling concentrated cannabis extract, instead of regular flower, with a battery-powered pen in place of rolling papers.
And, just like traditional ways of consuming cannabis, the quality of equipment and most importantly, the extract and formulated ingredients, contained in the cartridge that you use will have a direct impact on all aspects of your experience.
How does a vaporizer work?
Vaporizers are known by many names. But no matter what they are called, essentially all vaporizers are comprised of the same two parts – a battery, and a tank containing the atomizer and the liquid that fills the tank.
The battery supplies the power for the atomizer, which features a heating coil on the bottom, with wicking material made from metal or silica on top. When you activate your vaporizer, the wicking material draws liquid into the heating coil, which creates vapour.
At Phyto Extractions we always recommend CCELL®-powered vaporizers. Our roots run deep, and with years of experience behind us we can confidently claim that the craftsmanship and quality of materials used in their technology provides the best possible experience for our customers.
What’s inside?
In order to create concentrates that can be used for vaping, cannabis concentrates must be mixed with other ingredients. But what exactly are these ingredients?
We know that for newcomers, the world of vaping can feel like learning a foreign language, so we thought we’d break it down, so you know exactly what goes into the cannabis extracts you enjoy, and are empowered to make the best purchasing decision for you.
Cannabis distillate
This is a tasteless, odourless, thick, highly refined concentrate, and contains a high-potency of pure cannabinoids, without; terpenes, fats, waxes, lipids, chlorophylls, and other phytocompounds, inherently found in the raw material. Distillate does not have the right viscosity for vaping, which is why a dilution agent, like cannabis or botanically-derived terpenes are a necessary part of any vape formulation. Phyto Extractions DOES NOT USE other synthetic dilution agents, commonly found in some vape products, such as propylene glycol (PG), vegetable glycerin (VG), or medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oils.
Terpenes
These aromatic oils are a class of organic compounds, produced by a variety of plants. In the case of cannabis, they supply the distinctive flavour, smell, and characteristics unique to each cultivar. They also act as a natural dilution agent, replacing the need for chemical additives in vape formulations.
Cannabinoids
These natural compounds are found in the cannabis plant, and include THC, the main active ingredient in cannabis, responsible for the “high” felt following ingestion, and CBD, a non-intoxicating compound, and the second-most abundant cannabinoid in the plan
Why quality is so important
Just as the quality of flower, that has long been a part of your joint rolling ritual, has a direct impact on your overall experience, the quality of extract contained in your vaporizer is vitally important.
Unscrupulous operators cut corners by using substandard ingredients, paired with poor quality hardware (batteries and cartridges). In the legacy market, untested flower, combined with synthetic fillers and chemical thinning agents that have not been subjected to Health Canada’s rigorous quality control standards, are often used.
When these additives are heated to high temperatures they can not only create a harsh flavour, but can be harmful when inhaled. If you’ve ever experienced that unpleasant “chemical,” or metallic taste after inhaling a vape pen you’ll know exactly what we mean.
Poor quality formulations don’t just impact your enjoyment, they can also impact your health and well-being.
Put simply, what goes in has an effect on what you get out. It’s important that you are informed, and opt for high-quality extracts, and cannabis concentrates that are formulated with naturally-occurring ingredients, with absolutely no synthetic fillers or chemical additives.
At Phyto Extractions our vape cartridges contain a combination of botanical terpenes and cannabis distillate so that you can enjoy the familiar, enjoyable parts of the cannabis plant – without the unwanted additives, thinners or filler.
The terpenes we use, not only enable us to produce premium extracts without the need for chemical dilution agents, they also have the added benefit of drastically improving the flavour and aroma you expect from quality vape products. After all, terpenes are what give each cannabis cultivar its distinctive flavour and smell, so with each variety of vape cartridge or pen, you will get a unique experience.
The Phyto way
Phyto Extractions has been producing award-winning cannabis concentrates since 2015. With deep roots and legacy experience, we not only know how to create high-quality products, but we care, and know how to best formulate our products to keep our customers safe.
We develop and manufacture all our Phyto Extractions products exclusively with our partners at CannMart Labs, where they are subjected to rigorous quality control and Health Canada regulations outlined in the Cannabis Act. We’re also committed to ongoing research and development of these and other premium products, developing ever more rigorous standards both for ourselves, and the industry at large.
Above all we’re here to augment your experience, and we hope this brief guide helped you to feel more comfortable, and empowered to navigate the world of vaping.
Want to chat? We love connecting with fellow cannabis enthusiasts and are always open to feedback from our customers. Send us an email us at info@phytoextractions.ca