Vaporizer

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For the device used in surgery, see anaesthetic vaporiser.

For the device commonly called a vaporizer used in humidifying, see humidifier.

A Volcano Vaporizer, with its unique bag delivery system.

A vaporizer (or vapouriser) is a device commonly used to release medicinal and/or psychoactive drugs from plant material, commonly cannabis, although it can also be used for tobacco or to release certain therapeutic compounds from herbs and other plants, a practice now commonly known as phyto-inhalation (see also: aromatherapy). For medical or recreational cannabis users, vaporizing is an alternative to smoking. Rather than burning the cannabis, a vaporizer heats it enough (typically around 180 degrees Celsius) so that the psychoactive and medicinal constituents contained in the plant's oily glandular secretions melt and phase into an aromatic vapor that does not contain the particulate matter (tars) found in the smoke. Subsequently, the vapor is inhaled through a plastic hose in the case of most common vaporizers, stored for subsequent inhalations in a "dome" or "balloon" with some, and water and/or ice conditioned through a water pipe type delivery vessel prior to inhalation in the modular "vaporization tools" or "system" approach. With less or no smoke formed, and a cooler temperature (hot dry vapor has been demonstrated to still irritate the throat and upper respiratory tract), the irritating or harmful effects of smoke and associated toxicants are greatly reduced or even eliminated.

Smoking cannabis is widely considered to be a health hazard, due not so much to the effects of cannabinoids as to the byproducts formed during combustion^{[citation needed]}. Consequently, the shortcomings of smoked cannabis have been widely viewed as a major obstacle for approval of crude cannabis for medical users even though many studies clearly indicate that the strong expectorant activity of THC probably compensates for much of the inhaled tars in a manner not akin to the smoking of tobacco by causing the user to cough up the tars in mucous discharges subsequent to the smoking.^{[citation needed]} Nevertheless, in response to the concerns several scientific studies have tried to establish whether vaporizers could offer a clinically reliable and safe method of cannabis use.^[1][2] Though vaporizers show great variations in performance, such studies have typically found vaporization superior to smoking, and high-end vaporizers (such as the Volcano) used with high grade cannabis containing elevated levels of THC have been found to eliminate inhalation of substantial portions of undesired compounds in a manner consistent enough for clinical trials.^[3] In comparison to cannabis routes of administration such as ingestion, vaporization offers the advantages of inhaling THC: rapid onset, direct delivery into the bloodstream, and the possibility to gradually increase delivery until the desired level is reached, in this manner enabling more effective self-dosage.

[edit] Types of vaporizers

Vaporizers are available in many varieties. The simplest models use a lighter as heat source. Other models use electrical heating, with the more advanced models featuring temperature control and even dynamic temperature control as seen with systems that use thermocoupled hot air guns. High-end models may cost several hundred dollars.

A conduction-style vaporizer circa 1970s. The material to be vaporized is placed on the electrically heated metal plate in the center. The vapors are contained in the glass bell and inhaled through the plastic tube in the foreground.

Broadly, vaporizers can be classified by how they heat the substance: by convection or by conduction. With convection heating, the substance itself never touches a heating element. Instead, hot air passes through it heating it rapidly and allowing the release of the active constituents. This method of heating releases far more active constituents than conduction heating, especially if the extraction chamber utilizes venturi effect design.^{[citation needed]} With conduction heating, the substance is placed on a metal plate that is then heated to release the active constituents. The direct contact between hot metal and the herbs can cause them to burn.^{[citation needed]}

Many vaporizers use a tube (called a "whip") that is held to the heat source, and through which the user inhales the vapors. Some vaporizers have a bag or balloon attachment: vapor is blown into the bag, and the user detaches the bag and inhales the contents. The modular Vaporization "Tools" or "System" approach uses a direct extraction and delivery for maximum potency with delivery via a water pipe or, specialized "Vaporization Water Tool" which is basically a vapor specific water pipe that also holds ice for cooling and condensing the vapor prior to delivery.

A vapor-bong for use with medicinal herbs recommended by a physician.

Lately there has been a trend in making homemade vaporizers out of regular light bulbs. Typically the user cuts off the black bottom piece of a 100 watt or higher bulb and breaks out the inside glass to remove the filament. If there is a coating inside the bulb, salt is often shook around inside the bulb to remove it. They then add a tube and a carb to the bottom of the bulb, next they choose the substance they wish to vaporize; as for igniting the substance, candles are often used to heat the bulb rather than holding a lighter.

[edit] Homemade Vaporizer

Although vaporizers are commonly bought, they are are often made out of household items. For example using a lightbulb is commonly used because it is very simple to make. To make a lightbulb vaporizer, the following steps must be used:

Materials: Lightbulb, scissors, pen, gloves, empty water bottle, knife, hockey tape or injury tape, screwdriver, and salt;

Directions

1.) First, put on safty gloves, then use your scissors to cut off the small black circle, which is located on the bottom of the bulb

2.) Use a knife to expand the hole as large as you can without damaging anything

3.) The inside part of the bulb should be extracted, and the small parts of the inside of the bulb should be removed

4.) Pour about 1/2 cup of salt into the bulb, and swish it around in the bulb to remove the white coating

5.) Cut a water bottle to only have the drinking end, very close to the top

6.) Take the cap of the water bottle and push a hole in it with the screwdriver (use a hammer to create more force)

7.) Cut off two ends of a pen and take the ink sticks out of the pen

8.) Force the hollow pen through the whole in the bottle top

9.) Now screw the cap back onto the cut bottle

10.) Now push the lightbulb to the bottle cap, so the bottle top is facing out

11.) Use tape to seal the light bulb and battle cap contraption together

12.) Now that these are attached you should beable to unscrew the cap and pour you desired substance into the lightbulb

13.) Now screw the cap back on and hold a lighter about an inch under the bulb

14.) While the lighter is lit do not suck in, just cover the pen hole

15.) When a desired amount of vapors (looks like smoke) is in the bulb inhale

[edit] Health and Medical Use

Regardless of the benefits of medical cannabis, the widely perceived health risks of smoking as a route of administration have been viewed as a major obstacle for the legal approval of cannabis for medical uses, though some studies indicate that the expectorant activity of THC may help the lungs remove much of the inhaled tar through coughing.^{[citation needed]} In response to the concerns, several studies have aimed to establish whether or not vaporizers could offer a clinically reliable and safe route of administration for cannabis. Though vaporizers show great variations in performance, such studies have consistently found vaporization superior to smoking and with best case (high-end vaporizers used with potent cannabis) results showing an elimination of undesired compounds suitable for clinical trials.^{[citation needed]} In comparison to other routes of administering cannabis such as eating, vaporization offers the advantages of inhalation - immediate delivery into the bloodstream, rapid onset of effect, and the ability to more accurately control the dosage in terms of its perceived effect.

[edit] Scientific studies

At least four scientific studies have examined vaporizers. Studies have found the release of harmful constituents dramatically reduced^[4] or completely eliminated.^[5] Substantial reductions were also found for the M1-volatizer.^[6] However, a 1996 study^[7] including two simple vaporizers still found ten times more tar in the vapor than THC, although this was nevertheless up to a 30% improvement compared to the best alternative smoking method.

The most recent study (2006),^[5] performed by researchers at Leiden University, tested a Volcano Vaporizer with preparations of pure THC and found that:

When using plant material (crude flower tops), besides THC, several other cannabinoids as well as a range of other plant components including terpenoids were detected in the plant material. However, using pure THC in the Volcano, no degradation products (delta-8-THC (D8-THC), cannabinol (CBN), or unknown compounds) were detected by HPLC analysis. Also, a substantially larger fraction of the THC was delivered to the vapor by using pure THC.

Analysis of the vapor from the Volcano found that it delivered 36% - 61% of the THC in the sample^[4] - a more recent study using pure cannabinoid preparations achieved a maximum of 54%.^[5] For comparison, studies of cannabis cigarettes smoked via a smoking machine under varying conditions of puff duration and air speed found very similar efficiencies of 34% to 61%. Consequently, users can achieve the desired effect with a similar amount of material as when smoking.

In a 2001 study testing a device called the M1 Volatizer®,^[6] the researchers found that "it is possible to vaporize medically active THC by heating marijuana to a temperature short of the point of combustion, thereby eliminating or substantially reducing harmful smoke toxins that are normally present in marijuana smoke." The M1 Volatizer, produced THC at a temperature of 365 degrees Fahrenheit (185 degrees Celsius), while completely eliminating three measured combustion products, benzene, toluene and naphthalene. Carbon monoxide and smoke tars were also reduced, but not quantified.

These positive results are in contrast to MAPS/NORML's previous studies into vaporizers which found less encouraging results, leading one to the conclusion that the effectiveness of vaporization varies greatly from vaporizer to vaporizer. See Factors affecting vaporizer output for possible causes of variation.

A 1996 MAPS study^[7] tested two simple vaporizer models against water pipes and filtered and unfiltered cannabis cigarettes (joints). The smoke produced by each was analyzed for solid particulates (tars) and 3 major cannabinoids. The various smoking methods were then rated based on their cannabinoid-to-tar ratio. The two tested vaporizers performed up to 25% better than unfiltered cannabis cigarettes (second best) in terms of tar delivery. However, both vaporizers produced more than ten times more tars than cannabinoids, which may partly be attributable to the low potency (2.3%) of the NIDA-supplied cannabis used in the study. Surprisingly, the same study found that water pipes (bongs) and filtered cigarettes performed 30% worse than regular, unfiltered joints. The reason was that waterpipes and filters filter out more psychoactive THC than they do tars, thereby requiring users to smoke more to reach their desired effect. The study did not, however, rule out the possibility that waterpipes could have other benefits, such as filtering out harmful gases such as carbon monoxide.

These studies have not measured the presence of toxic gases, such as ammonia, hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide, though previous studies have indicated unquantified decreases in carbon monoxide with vaporization.

Although vaporizers produce cleaner vapors than smoking, they do not completely eliminate respiratory irritation. A puff of strong vaporized cannabis will occasionally cause coughing. This however, could be due to THC itself, which is known to irritate the bronchial tract due to muscle contractions causing slight constrictions.

[edit] Factors affecting vaporizer output

The wide range of results from tests of different vaporizers suggest that the choice of vaporizer is a major factor in determining delivery efficiency and the amount of harmful byproducts produced.

Proposed factors affecting output include:^[5][4]

• temperature;
• specimen density,
• weight, content of water and essential oils,
• consistency of material in the filling chamber
• variety and potency of cannabis used;
• different preparations such as crude flowertops, hashish, hash oil, etc.
• storage time of the vapor
• proportion of THC exhaled (breathing technique)

Not all those have been scientifically tested. Research using the vaporizer found the delivery efficiency highest at around 226 degrees Celsius, falling to about half efficiency at 150 to 180 degrees depending on material^[5] . The purest preparations produced the highest efficiencies, about 54% for pure THC versus 29% for plant material (female flowertops) with 12% THC content. Besides THC, several other cannabinoids as well as a range of other plant components including terpenoids were detected in the plant material. Using pure THC in the Volcano, no degradation products (delta-8-THC (D8-THC), cannabinol (CBN), or unknown compounds were detected by HPLC analysis.^[5]

The longer vapor is stored, the more of the THC is lost as it condenses on the surface of the vaporizer or the balloon. This loss may be negligible over a few minutes but may exceed 50% after 90 minutes.^[5]

Interestingly, the Leiden Univsersity study^[5] found that as much as 30%–40% of inhaled THC was not absorbed by the lungs and simply exhaled. However, they did not find large individual differences in the amounts exhaled.

[edit] Vaporizing For Enhanced Lung Capacity Technique

Although there are a multitude of ways in which to draw vapor from a vaporizer (and much will depend on the type/model of the vaporizer used) the technique used to absorb the maximium amount of THC is also the same way one would enhance lung capacity through exercise. The technique:

• 1.) Expel all air from lungs.
• 2.) Take very deep breath of air, filling from the abdomen up.
• 3.) Expel all air from lungs.
• 4.) Fill lungs to 2/3 their capacity from vaporizer, filling from the abdomen up, drawing from fast to slow
• 5.) Fill rest of lung with air and if applicable remove vaporizer from heat source, continuing to draw off of the vaporizer (in order to cool vaporizer, stoping vaporization when not in use).
• 6.) Hold breath a moment.
• 7.) Inhale one last bit of air.
• 8.) Hold breath a while (as long as comfortable/possible).
• 9.) Exhale slowly and controlled through the nose.

[edit] References

1. ^ Hazekamp, A., et al. (2006). Evaluation of a vaporizing device (Volcano) for the pulmonary administration of tetrahydrocannabinol. J Pharm Sci. 2006 Jun;95(6):1308-17.
2. ^ Gieringer, D., et al. (2004). Cannabis Vaporizer Combines Efficient Delivery of THC with Effective Suppression of Pyrolytic Compounds. Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, Vol4(1) 2004.
3. ^ Hazekamp, A., et al. (2006). Evaluation of a vaporizing device (Volcano) for the pulmonary administration of tetrahydrocannabinol. J Pharm Sci. 2006 Jun;95(6):1308-17.
4. ^ ^{a b c} Cannabis Vaporizer Combines Efficient Delivery of THC with Effective Suppression of Pyrolytic Compounds By D. Gieringer et.al. Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics, Vol. 4(1) 2004, [1]
5. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h} Evaluation of a Vaporizing Device (Volcano) for the Pulmonary Administration of Tetrahydrocannabinol. By A. HAZEKAMP, R. RUHAAK, et.al. JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES, VOL. 95, NO. 6, JUNE 2006 abstract
6. ^ ^{a b} Cannabis Vaporization: A Promising Strategy for Smoke Harm Reduction. By D. Gieringer, published in Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics Vol. 1#3-4: 153-70 (2001) Summary.
7. ^ ^{a b} Marijuana Water Pipe and Vaporizer Study. By D. Gieringer. Newsletter of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies MAPS - Volume 6 Number 3 Summer 1996 [2]

[edit] See also

• Health issues and the effects of cannabis
• Eagle Bill

[edit] External links

http://www.canorml.org/healthfacts/vaporizers.html - Nearly all available Vaporizers