Mamedica’s step-by-step guide to using a cannabis vaporiser

Medical cannabis has been legally available for prescription in the United Kingdom since November 2018. Patients can receive medical cannabis in different forms, but dried medical cannabis flower is the most commonly prescribed. Typically, dried medical cannabis flower is vaporised, which is a safe and effective way to consume it.

The consumption of cannabis flower should only be through a cannabis vaporiser. This guide explains what they are, how they work, and why they are effective for patients looking to maximise the benefits of their medication.

What are the benefits of vaping flower?

Some of the benefits of vaping medicinal cannabis flower include:

Temperature control – Patients can adjust their cannabis vaporiser’s temperature based on the boiling points of their medicine’s cannabinoids and terpenes, to achieve different effects.

Higher concentrations of active ingredients – When vaporised, the flower is heated without it burning, which maintains higher concentrations of active ingredients.

Faster relief – When vaping medical cannabis, the effects can be felt as quickly as 90 seconds after the first inhalation and peaks after 15 to 30 minutes. This is especially useful for symptoms and conditions where immediate relief is required, such as chronic pain.

A step-by-step guide to using your cannabis vaporiser

If you are new to using a cannabis vaporiser, it may seem intimidating. To help you get started, follow these five simple steps:

Step one: Charge the vaporiser fully and run it through several heat cycles to burn off any manufacturing residues.

Step two: Use your scale to weigh the recommended amount of medical cannabis flower accurately.

Step three: Next, use your grinder to grind the cannabis flower.

Step four: Be careful when filling the chamber. Avoid overfilling or packing the material down too tightly as this can prevent all of the material from vaporising. To ensure that you are getting the most out of the cannabinoids, check the vaporised content for irregular colouring of the grounds. If you notice any irregularities, it means that some of the substance is being wasted and not all of it is being vaporised.

Step five: Now you can set the vaporisation temperature. The key here is to begin with a low temperature. A suitable starting temperature is around 170℃ (338℉). If the temperature is set too low, not much vapor will be produced, but as the temperature increases, more vapor will be expelled.

Is vaping better than smoking?

A study revealed that individuals who smoke cannabis and experience respiratory issues reported an improvement in their symptoms after switching to a vaporiser for just a month.

Another study found that vaping produces vapour that contains mostly therapeutic compounds, whereas smoking cannabis produces smoke that contains toxic compounds such as pyrene and other polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

It is important to note that smoking cannabis is still illegal in the UK and is not recommended. Instead, it is advisable to use a medical cannabis vaporiser. This is because vaporisers do not burn the cannabis, and therefore do not release the harmful substances found in cannabis smoke. Medical cannabis vaporisers heat and decarboxylate the cannabinoids without creating toxic byproducts.