The popularity of vaporizer pens has skyrocketed in the last few years because they are cost-effective, discreet, and can be used anywhere. In particular, when it comes to wax pens for concentrates (also called “dabs”), there are a lot of misperceptions about what is best for your health and how to use it properly. In this article we will address some common concerns about vaporizer pen for wax, then provide tips on how to correctly use a portable vaporizer for wax at home or on the go.
Contrary to popular belief, there are many better ways to use a wax pen. A vaporizer is typically used for concentrates but should not be confused with a joint.
Instead of inhaling smoke or burning your material, vaporizers heat certain materials in the chamber to vaporize them. This process produces a clean and consistent smoke-like experience that allows you to enjoy the aroma and effects of different concentrates without burning or losing the medicinal properties found in marijuana concentrates like wax, shatter and budder.
There are also some unique advantages to using a vaporizer over traditional smoking methods:
No smoke smell: Vaping produces zero secondhand smoke, and there is no odor associated with vape pens. If you are using a portable vaporizer pen for wax, there is little chance of getting that lingering and distinct pot smell on your hands or clothes after use.
No danger of fire hazards: A single flame lighter is capable of setting entire trees on fire, but the type of heating element in a vape pen simply can’t catch anything else on fire. The battery for a vape pen is also enclosed inside the vaporizer unit and is not vulnerable to being shorted out from damaged cables or connectors.
No harmful side effects: You will be much more confident when using a portable vaporizer for wax than with a traditional joint because you will not be inhaling anything other than the concentrate that you are using. Unlike smoking, you will not be inhaling ash or any other toxic material from the pipe or rolling papers, therefore avoiding the tar and carcinogens that are present in smoke.
Better flavor: The vaporizer pen delivers all the flavor of your concentrates without any of the nasty taste associated with smoking (e.g., ash).
If you are interested in learning how to use a wax pen at home, check out our article on How to Use a Vaporizer.
vaporizer pen for waxIn order to get the most out of your wax pen, however, it is important to understand common mistakes that can be made when using a vaporizer for wax. One of the biggest mistakes people make when using a wax pen is thinking that they can use the same type of “tobacco” grinders and rolling papers that may be associated with smoking from a pipe or joint.
Many people assume that because they read an online article about vaporizer pens or saw someone else doing it, they can handle their marijuana concentrates correctly. This assumption that using a vaporizer pen is in any way similar to smoking is dangerous and can lead to serious health problems and contaminated cannabis.
The best ways to use a wax pen for potency and flavor, then, are through a vaporizer with a ceramic plate or quartz rod heating element. Ceramic or quartz heaters provide the most efficient heating of the material while vaporizing it at the same time, producing little heat on your fingers when you are using your pen.
There are also a growing number of new third-party companies manufacturing wax vaporizers that have a quartz heating element. We recommend checking out this company’s products because they are made with the highest quality materials and are exceptionally durable.
How to use your wax pen correctly:
A portable vaporizer should always be used according to manufacturer’s instructions. Generally, this means that you should only vape at the temperature set for your material, wait for it to fully melt (usually between 5-10 seconds), and inhale slowly until you reach your desired level of potency. As always, it is important to use caution when using any new device that produces smoke or requires flame.
Additionally, it is important to use a vaporizer exclusively for wax. Contrary to popular belief, there are many people who think that they can use a vape pen for concentrates and not have their cannabis end up looking like “smoke” when they exhale. While this is theoretically possible, it is much less likely to happen when using a portable vaporizer for wax.
It is also important to note that while you can technically use these devices for cannabis extracts in many cases (see the second point below), we highly advise against doing so because of potential health risks associated with using unsafe additives in concentrates.
How to use a wax pen with cannabis:
If you decide that you want to experiment with using a vaporizer for marijuana, then there are some clear advantages of doing so. For one, the taste and flavor of your concentrate will not be altered at all by the vaping process. This is quite different from smoking or cooking with it where its taste may be altered greatly depending on how much and what type of additive is used.
Vaping also provides an easy way to medicate in public without letting passers-by know that you are consuming cannabis. This is especially useful when traveling across state lines into states where marijuana is illegal but may be difficult to detect.