How to Vape CBD Flower
Vaping CBD doesn’t have to involve cartridges and batteries — you can also vape CBD flower, one of the most natural and enjoyable ways to inhale CBD. In this guide, learn the different types of CBD flower vapes, and find step-by-step instructions for using the most popular CBD flower vaping tools. Let’s dive in:
Can you vape CBD flower?
Yes, it’s certainly possible to vape CBD flower — you don’t have to vape this cannabinoid in the form of purified extract contained inside a vape cartridge. It’s possible to raise plant products like CBD-rich hemp flower to temperatures at which the oils inside evaporate but the plant matter does not incinerate, resulting in a smoother — and potentially more potent — inhaled cannabinoid experience.
How do you inhale CBD flowers using a vape?
Generally speaking, you inhale CBD flower with a vape by grinding the flower, placing it in the vape’s bowl, igniting the vape, and inhaling. The process varies significantly depending on the type of dry herb vape you’re using, so take a moment to familiarize yourself with the three most common options below:
— Dry herb vape pens
These are among the simplest and most convenient tools for vaping CBD flower, but they also have notoriously low life expectancies. Dry herb vape pens are a bit bulkier than your average CBD extract vape, but they serve the same basic purpose: A built-in battery provides power to a chamber that produces cannabinoid-rich vapor.
The major difference between a dry herb vape and a conventional vape is that, instead of coils, dry herb vapes have chambers sometimes called “ovens.” It’s inside these ovens that ground-up CBD flowers are placed, and the oils inside are vaporized as the oven is heated.
Dry herb vape pens are convenient, but they aren’t ideal for home use. Relatively messy and underpowered compared to tabletop vapes, dry herb vape pens are ideal for taking with you on hikes, to festivals, and in other situations in which you won’t be home for a while.
— Tabletop dry herb vaporizers
These types of vapes for CBD flower are among the most reliable, but they’re also bulky and practically impossible to take with you. The most iconic tabletop dry herb vape is the Volcano Classic by German vaporizer manufacturer Storz & Bickel. Costing nearly $500 for an average model, however, the Volcano is somewhat outside the price range of most casual cannabis users.
Alternatives to the Volcano are much cheaper, but they often provide inferior results. One excellent compromise is the Plenty vape by Storz & Bickel, which costs about half the price of a Volcano Classic and which offers a comfortable mixture of handheld convenience and plug-in power.
— DIY CBD flower vapes
Whether it’s a magnifying glass, a light bulb (not recommended), or some other stroke of stoner genius you’ve developed, there are plenty of household items you can use to render the oils in CBD flower into vapor in a pinch. The primary advantage of DIY CBD flower vapes over conventional tabletop or dry herb vape models is the reduced cost, but as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.
DIY vapes will never provide the performance of a vaping device you paid good money for, and if you make your vape the wrong way or use it incorrectly, there’s a strong chance you might hurt yourself. Overall, it’s probably better if you simply leave the vaping technology to the professionals.
How do you vape CBD flower for beginners?
First time vaping CBD flower? Follow these simple instructions to get started:
1. Grind your buds
First, it’s important to thoroughly grind your CBD-rich hemp buds with a proper grinder. You don’t have to spend a lot, but you do need an actual grinder that’s designed to work with cannabis.
2. Load your vape
Place the ground-up CBD hemp flower into the bowl of your vape. It’s generally best to pack the bowl quite tightly for airflow reasons.
3. Turn it on & inhale
Find the ignition mechanism on your CBD flower vape, and activate it. Regardless of the type of vape you’re using, it takes a while for CBD flowers to reach vaporizing temperature, so start inhaling once you see the faintest tendrils of vapor begin to escape from your vape’s mouthpiece.
How do you vape CBD flower with a Volcano?
Since it’s one of the most popular models on the market, it’s important to provide instructions specifically for vaping CBD flower with a Volcano Classic or Hybrid vape as well:
1. Fill the Volcano’s bowl
Volcano vapes feature high-volume screw-apart bowls. Pack the bowl nearly to the top with ground-up CBD hemp flower.
2. Set the temperature & wait
With Volcano vapes, you set the temperature ahead of time, and then you wait for the vape to reach the designated heat. Only then do you attach the bowl, slide on the hose, and inhale from the mouthpiece. After putting the bowl in place, wait to inhale until you see vapor filling the tube and coming out of the mouthpiece.
3. Place the bowl on the Volcano
Once your Volcano has reached temperature, make sure the bowl is securely clipped to the top of the heating element. You’ll also need to start your Volcano’s fan for vapor to begin moving through the hose.
4. Attach the mouthpiece & inhale
With the mouthpiece clipped onto the bowl, allow the fan to blow deep inhalations of CBD vapor into your lungs. Individual hits of Volcano vapor are pretty weak, but they don’t hurt your throat, so you can take 3-5 at a time. Make sure to turn off both the fan and the heating element on your Volcano when you’re done, and never leave the bowl resting on the heating element.
How to clean a CBD flower vape
When you’re done with it, you’ll need to know how to clean your CBD flower vape. CBD flower doesn’t turn to ash when you vape it, but it does become the consistency of dirt or sand, and getting rid of your used-up flower can be tricky since it smells strongly like weed.
One approach some CBD flower vapers use is storing their vaped-up buds in a resealable jar. Once the jar is full, you can use the buds to make edibles. They won’t taste that great, and they won’t be remarkably potent. At least, though, your used-up CBD flowers won’t be wasted.
Here are the steps you’ll need to take to get fully vaped CBD hemp flower from the bowl of your vape and into a receptacle of your choosing:
- Grab a small paintbrush, a sewing needle, or even a small stick you can use to clear your dry herb vape’s bowl
- Turning the bowl on its side over a suitable receptacle, use your tool to gently remove the sand-like vaped flower from the bowl
- Once the major mass of the flower has been removed, use your tool to dislodge any leftover flower that might be clinging to the edges of the bowl
Most dry herb vapes feature screen filters that become clogged over time. Before you load another bowl of flower, make sure your filter isn’t completely clogged with resin, or you won’t get satisfying hits from your next bowl.
Vaping CBD flower FAQ
1. Is CBD flower safe to vape?
There do not appear to be any inherent dangers associated with inhaling cannabinoids, and CBD overall is considered to be very well-tolerated. Since it avoids ash, tar, and other combustion-related materials, vaping may be the superior method for inhaling CBD along with all other cannabinoids.
2. Is vaping CBD flower addictive?
There is no evidence that vaping CBD flower is habit-forming. On the contrary, CBD has been extensively researched for its potential ability to help with dependence on other drugs.
3. Does vaping CBD flower cause lung damage?
CBD flower itself does not appear to have any properties that cause lung damage. The quality of your product plays a big role here, though — check third-party lab reports for the specific product you’re considering to determine if it contains any harmful contaminants.
4. How many hits of CBD flower vape should I take?
Regardless of which method you use, vaping CBD flower produces relatively weak hits since the point is to not burn the plant matter. As a result, you might want to take 3-5 hits of CBD flower vapor for every hit of CBD flower smoke you would usually take.
5. How long do you inhale CBD when vaping?
When vaping, there doesn’t appear to be any clear reason to immediately exhale your hit, so many users hold clouds of CBD vapor in their lungs for as long as 3-10 seconds before slowly exhaling.