Cannabis flower contains over a hundred different cannabinoids, or types of medicines, many of which are activated at different boiling points. However, vaporizing at temperatures higher than 350’F, or around 180’C, is not only unnecessary, but also potentially harmful to one’s health. At temperatures around 400’F (200’C), you will actually burn the cannabis flower – producing toxins and defeating the purpose of vaporizing instead of smoking in the first place. Below I will explain why vaporizing flower (aka botanical cannabis) is the best options for those who use medical cannabis by inhalation, and also discuss what temperature you should use.
Vaporizing Is One of The Safest Options For Medical Marijuana Patients
Smoking cannabis, like smoking any other substance, exposes the body to benzene and other harmful toxins which are known to be carcinogenic to humans. Although smoking is by far the most common way of consuming cannabis, inhaling these harmful byproducts of combustion is not necessary and not recommended.
Fortunately, there are a few high quality flower vaporizers on the market – not all flower vaporizers are user-friendly. There are a few different approaches to heating the flower, with pros/cons to each, but most importantly in all such machines the cannabis flower never comes into contact with the vaporizer’s heating element.
These devices have adjustable temperature control settings. Some devices use pre-set levels and often the lowest setting is already too high. The best machines allow setting temperature by degree.
Safe Vaporizing Occurs at Temperatures Below 400oF
As mentioned above, each cannabinoid, or type of medicine naturally found in cannabis, has its own boiling point, meaning that when it’s heated to this temperature, it becomes available for the user to inhale. Keep in mind that not all cannabinoids have been shown to be therapeutically valuable, and that keeping the temperature low is most important to avoid toxins.
Here are the boiling points of some common cannabinoids:
- Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THC-A): 248’F/120’C
- D9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (d9-THC): 315’F/157’C
- Cannabidiol (CBD): 329’F/165’C
- D8-Tetrahydrocannabinol (d8-THC): 347’F/175’C
- Cannabinol (CBN): 365’F/185’C
- Tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV): 428’F/220’C
For most medical marijuana patients, there is little need to raise the temperature on their vaporizer device beyond 350’F/180’C – as I always say, “set it just like we were making cookies”. Tetrahydrocannabinol, also commonly known as THC, is the primary therapeutic compound found in cannabis. THC is ultimately responsible for all of the medicinal qualities of cannabis like pain, stress, and nausea relief (note: if you are interested in reading why CBD may not be the best choice for medical marijuana patients, click here). At 350’F we get all the medicines that we need.
Adjusting the heat settings on a vaporizer device past 400’F is not encouraged as it will only expose you to toxins. Unfortunately, many machines will gladly go way past this unless you set them correctly.
Consult with a Qualified Boston Medical Marijuana Expert Today
Those considering using a flower vaporizer device to use THC, CBD, or any type of medicine found in cannabis to help manage their condition should consider speaking to a trained medical expert who is knowledgeable about using cannabis therapeutically. Massachusetts medical marijuana doctor Jordan Tishler, M.D. sits on the faculty of Harvard Medical School and has years of experience helping patients treat pain and other ailments using cannabis. He and the team at InhaleMD not only stand ready to assist patients determine whether medical marijuana is right for them, but also to guide them towards safe and effective methods of cannabis consumption, as well. If you are interested in learning more, or would like to set up a virtual consultation with the team at InhaleMD, call us at (617) 477-8886 today.