Before I wrote the previous marijuana vaporizer articles, my research revealed that some vaporizers are way better than others, and that a few brands or models of vaporizers are just plain no good.
Most of my research focused on whether marijuana vaporizer and vape pen devices were easy to use, had precision temperature controls so they gave you the cannabinoids you wanted, and had solid quality control and manufacturing standards.
What I should have focused on more was whether marijuana vaporizers and vape pens are safe to use.
I also should have noted that vape pens are very different from vaporizers; with vape pens, problems often involve cartridges or other factors that are not present in standard marijuana vaporizers.
Problems with vaporizers and vape pens are part of a larger problem for our marijuana community. That problem is there are a percentage of companies making cannabis inhalation devices, HID ballasts, hydroponics nutrients, HID bulbs, and other supplies that haven’t been designed, configured, manufactured, or quality controlled by professionals.
Even some marijuana growers don’t care about safety; they use schwag fertilizers like Scotts Miracle-Gro, or spray buds with poisons like Avid.
Many hydroponics companies market fertilizers to the marijuana community, but those fertilizers aren’t made for or tested on marijuana.
After my vaporizer articles, people contacted me naming specific vaporizer or vape pen brands or models as being no good. They reported problems with batteries, temperature control, electrical fires, units that are too hot to handle, poor customer service, missing parts, poor instructions, unhonored warranties, etc.
One of the most troubling accusations is that vaporizers and vape pens “off-gassed” poisons.
Vaporizer and vape pen devices use intense heat, batteries, butane, wires, silicon, and other materials in close proximity to each other. Sometimes volatile materials heat up and release toxins that can hurt you. Or components fail due to heat or poor manufacturing standards.
Before you buy a vaporizer or vape pen or if you’ve already bought one, consider these tips:
- Look at Internet vaporizer and vape pen user reports and complaints.
- Talk to marijuana friends who own vaporizers or vape pens.
- Talk to staff at head shops and smoke shops (but don’t always trust what they say).
- Contact manufacturers and ask them what materials they use in their devices, if they guarantee refunds and replacements no matter if there are cannabis resins on the device.
- As with cannabis seeds, smoking accessories, and many other marijuana products, getting refunds can be hard if not impossible. Get warranty and refund data in writing.
- If a manufacturer uses rubber, silicone, butane, non-ceramic heating elements, lithium batteries, insulated wires, plastic (including bags), or anything other than an all-glass vapor pathway, ask them directly how they guarantee that none of those materials will off-gas or otherwise fail.
- Ask device manufacturers if they’ve had any complaints about off-gassing or any other type of product failure…and what they’ve done to upgrade their products.
- If you’re considering a vape pen, be aware that some models don’t accept buds or extracts…you can only use them with pre-loaded cartridges that often are of questionable quality and THC potency.
- When you first get your vaporizer or vape pen, and before you put any marijuana into it, turn it on and heat it up to its maximum temperature while videotaping the unit. If you see or smell off-gassing, get a refund immediately.
- Buying vaporizers can be a hassle but I’ve had great experiences with vapeworld.com. They have a full menu of portable and home vaporizers. They also have pleasant, fast, and kind customer service people. One of their reps (Stacey) spent a long time explaining how to use an Arizer Tower I’d ordered. And vapeworld.com offers a price and quality guarantee that makes buying a lot more comfortable.
Some people in the vaporizer and vape pen industry probably wish I hadn’t written this article; I understand that engineering and manufacturing marijuana inhalation devices isn’t easy. And yes, there are portable vaporizers and home vaporizers that work very well.
On the other hand, BigBudsMag.com is loyal only to marijuana growers and marijuana users, and we advise you to do your own research, be very careful, hold manufacturers accountable…and don’t spend your money until you’re sure you’re getting a safe, reliable marijuana inhalation device.
