How to Vape Weed (Flower Vapes and Cannabis Oil Vapes)

Co-authored by Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH and Hannah Madden

Last Updated: November 29, 2022 References

Whether you’ve been ingesting marijuana for years or you’re new to the scene, vaping marijuana is a great way to consume it quickly and discreetly. There are 2 main options for vaping marijuana: a flower vape, which uses cannabis flower, and an oil vape, which uses cannabis oil. In this article, we’ve detailed how to use each type of vape so you can pick the one that’s right for your needs.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Flower Vape

1
Grind up your flower until it’s in a fine powder. For most vapes, all you need is between 0.25 grams and 0.5 grams to fill the chamber completely. Grab your marijuana nugs and place them in a grinder, then grind them down into fine chunks. If you’ve smoked flower before, the process is the same—your marijuana needs to be small enough that it will vaporize evenly.^{[1]
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- If you don’t have a grinder, you can find one online or at most cannabis dispensaries.
- Marijuana flower, or bud, is the smokable part of the cannabis plant. It’s different from oils or vapes in that it’s the raw flower, and it hasn’t been pressed or extracted for oil.
2
Load your ground flower into the chamber. All vapes are slightly different, but the ones that take flower will have a small chamber, usually on the bottom or one of the sides. Pop this chamber open and stuff your ground marijuana into it. Try to fill the whole chamber so you don’t have to keep refilling your vape over and over. When you’re done, seal the chamber carefully with the its lid or flap.^{[2]
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Trustworthy Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
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- Most vapes require you to press down on the flower and pack it in tightly, but some don’t. If you aren't sure, check your user manual for specific instructions.
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3
Adjust the temperature settings if your vape has that option. Flower vapes work by heating up your ground marijuana to release the THC and CBD into a smokable form. Not all vapes have a temperature setting, but if yours does, make sure it’s between 360 to 380 °F (182 to 193 °C). If your vape doesn’t have a temperature setting, use the power button to turn the vape on and let it warm up.^{[3]
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- You can also adjust the temperature to fit your specific needs. Anything below 360 °F (182 °C) will be more mild, which is good if you’re new to smoking marijuana. Temperatures above 400 °F (204 °C) will produce a stronger effect, which is great if your tolerance is fairly high.
4
Let the vape warm up. Most vapes take 2 to 5 minutes to warm up completely. If you try to use the vape too early, you might not actually inhale any marijuana. Some vapes have a small light that will turn on when they’re ready, but most don’t.^{[4]
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- You can sometimes feel the vape getting warm on the inside as it heats up.
- Because of the high heat, flower vapes sometimes have a faint marijuana smell to them.
5
Inhale through the mouth piece. Bring the vape up to your lips and breathe in through the hole. Most flower vapes don’t have a button to press, but if yours does, press it while you inhale. The amount of marijuana you inhale is up to you—the more you inhale at once, the more effects you will feel. Hold the marijuana in your lungs for 5 to 10 seconds, then slowly exhale to release it.^{[5]
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- Studies show that for infrequent users, vaping marijuana produces a stronger effect than smoking it.^{[6]
  X
  Trustworthy Source
  Johns Hopkins Medicine
  Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital
  Go to source} If you’re new to marijuana, go slowly at first until you know your limits.
6
Throw away the marijuana when you can't taste it anymore. After about a dozen hits, your marijuana will be spent. You can tell when it’s time to change it out when you take a hit out of your vape and it doesn’t taste or smell like marijuana. To reload the chamber, pop it open and dump the old marijuana out into the garbage. After that, you can reload it with fresh marijuana.^{[7]
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- If you need to clean your vape, open up the chamber where the marijuana is and dump out any large Pisces, then dip a cotton swab into a bottle of isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Gently swab out the chamber to get rid of any sticky marijuana, and let the vape air dry before using it again.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Cannabis Oil Vape

1
Attach your battery to a charger. An oil vape comes in 2 parts: the battery (usually a long metal piece) and the cartridge (usually a plastic piece filled with oil or resin). Before you attach a cartridge to your battery, make sure it’s fully charged by plugging it into the charger and waiting for the light to turn green.^{[8]
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- Although some cannabis oil vapes claim they’re healthier than smoking flower, there’s not enough scientific evidence to back that up yet.^{[9]
  X
  Research source} When you purchase oil cartridges, make sure you’re buying from a reputable company, and ask to see a list of ingredients to make sure there aren’t any additives.
- Experts recommend looking for “solvent-free oils” to avoid propylene glycol, an ingredient that can degrade at high temperatures and irritate your nose and throat.^{[10]
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  Consumer Reports
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  Go to source}
2
Screw the cartridge onto the battery. Disconnect the battery from the charger and grab your weed cartridge. Attach the cartridge to the battery by screwing it on at the very top. The mouthpiece of the cartridge should stick up and point away from the battery.^{[11]
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Trustworthy Source
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Main public health institute for the US, run by the Dept. of Health and Human Services
Go to source}
- Some batteries turn on automatically, but with others, you have to press the button 5 times.
- Vape cartridges come prefilled with cannabis oil. You don’t need to do anything to them besides attaching them to your battery.
3
Press the button and inhale through the mouth piece. Most cartridge vapes have a button on the bottom or the side. Put your mouth on the mouth piece and press the button to release the vapor. You’ll taste and feel the vapor in your mouth, which is how you know your vape is working. Inhale the vapor into your lungs and hold it for 5 to 10 seconds, then slowly exhale the marijuana.^{[12]
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Consumer Reports
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Go to source}
- New cartridges sometimes take a few minutes to soften and heat up. If your cartridge isn’t working right away, give it a few minutes and then try again.
4
Change your cartridge out when it’s empty. You’ll be able to see when your cartridge is empty. When that happens, unscrew the old cartridge from the battery and throw the empty cartridge away. Then, you can buy a new cartridge to attach to your battery.^{[13]
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Trustworthy Source
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services devoted to researching drug and drug abuse and educating the public
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- You can buy the same cartridge again, or you can try a new one. Most cartridges have varying levels of THC and CBD in them, so you can experiment with which ones you like the best. Usually, these are produced with different strains of cannabis.
Expert Answer

Q

Is vaping better than smoking marijuana?

Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH
Medical Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Education
Dr. Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH is the founder and Medical Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Education. Dr. Corroon is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and clinical researcher. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Corroon advises dietary supplement and cannabis companies regarding science, regulation, and product development. He is well published in the peer-review literature, with recent publications that investigate the clinical and public health implications of the broadening acceptance of cannabis in society. He earned a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from San Diego State University. He also earned a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Bastyr University, subsequently completed two years of residency at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, and is a former adjunct professor at Bastyr University California.

EXPERT ADVICE

Answer from Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH:

It's hard to say. The concern with vaping isn't the actual marijuana, but the additional ingredients in the product. Unless you can get a certificate of analysis to verify the ingredients in the oil, vaping will always carry a risk.
5
Clean your battery regularly with rubbing alcohol. It’s important to keep your vape clean so it doesn’t clog up. When you change out your cartridge, dip a cotton swab into rubbing alcohol and gently clean the battery where it screws into the cartridge. Let it air dry for just a few minutes before you use your vape again.^{[14]
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- If your battery breaks, head to a cannabis or smoke shop near you to get a new one.

Expert Q&A

Question

How does vaping work?

Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH
Medical Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Education
Dr. Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH is the founder and Medical Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Education. Dr. Corroon is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and clinical researcher. In addition to clinical practice, Dr. Corroon advises dietary supplement and cannabis companies regarding science, regulation, and product development. He is well published in the peer-review literature, with recent publications that investigate the clinical and public health implications of the broadening acceptance of cannabis in society. He earned a Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Epidemiology from San Diego State University. He also earned a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine degree from Bastyr University, subsequently completed two years of residency at the Bastyr Center for Natural Health, and is a former adjunct professor at Bastyr University California.

Jamie Corroon, ND, MPH

Medical Director of the Center for Medical Cannabis Education

Expert Answer

Heat is applied to an oil, which converts the oil into a gas. That gas is what you're actually inhaling.

Warnings

The safety effects of vaping cannabis oil have not been studied extensively. There is a chance that vaping cannabis oil could harm your lungs over time.^{[15]
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