The Two Main Types of Cannabis Vaporizers

There are two main types of cannabis vaporizers- dry herb vaporizers, and extract vaporizers. There are many subcategories, and vaporizers come in a variety of different shapes and sizes, as well as features and functionality. But all cannabis vaporizers fall into one of the two categories- dry herb & extract vaporizers.

Dry Herb Vaporizers

Dry herb vaporizers are usually portable, handheld devices, that use a small oven to heat up the raw, dry herb and extract THC in the form of inhalable vapor. These vaporizers usually have a short heat up time of 20-40 seconds, then they reach vaporization temperature which is around 380 degrees Fahrenheit, and they stay there for a “session” that lasts a few minutes. During the session, the user can inhale the vapor, and at the end of the session, the herb is “cashed” and will need to be replaced. Generally, one oven equals one session, and the same herb cannot be used for multiple sessions.

Extract Vaporizers

The second type of cannabis vaporizers is extract vaporizers. Dispensaries around the US sell cannabis extracts in a variety of forms. Extract vaporizers require less power than dry herb vaporizers. Therefore they are much smaller and usually resemble pens, not surprisingly, they are often referred to as “vape pens.” Cannabis extracts can come in two primary forms or consistencies- Oil and Wax.

Wax/ Dab: Cannabis wax comes in a semi-solid form, that can look like crumbles or sticky wax- also known as dabs. The wax is placed in a “coil” that is connected to the battery and heats up very quickly.

Oil Vape Pens: Cannabis oil usually comes in prefilled cartridges, that can be connected to the vape pen and used instantly.