The Meteoric Rise of the Vaporizer

Just a decade ago, you would have been hard pressed to find a decent vaping device online. Now they seem to be practically everywhere. There’s no doubt that this meteoric rise has been delivered in part to help people give up smoking. For cannabis users, however, it’s also provided the perfect mechanism for their cannabis to deliver a great high or help with a specific medical problem. Way back in 2009, the sale of e-cigarettes and vaping devices totalled just over £360 million. The market has expanded dramatically since then – by 2015 that turnover had reached £6 billion, a growth of over 15,000%. No other industry has seen such a change in such a short time in recent years. Cannabis users have taken to vapers naturally – they can be used with a variety of substances including herbs and concentrates and they are a reliable and clean form of delivery. Over the last few years, the sale of ready-made oil cartridges has risen by about 400%. Companies in the US who have seen this sea change in delivery mechanisms point to the fact that their customers find it a clean and healthy method of taking cannabis and it’s simply not as messy as using herbs in a joint or options such as dabbing. For those who use cannabis to provide therapeutic relief, the rise of vaping devices has been a godsend also. Not only is it healthier than smoking with tobacco, CBD concentrates are becoming more readily available for those who don’t want to be faced with growing their own. Another reason for the success of vaping devices is that you can control the temperature which, in turn, influences the amount of THC and CBD which is consumed. There are also a range of different vaping devices, including:

• Dry herb vapers: All you need to do is grind up your cannabis herb and put it into the chamber or tank of your vaper. This is becoming quite popular among cannabis connoisseurs who like the idea of having a portable device they can take anywhere with them and which is easy to use.
• Oil/concentrate vapers: There are a wide range of different vaping devices that are suitable for the consumption of concentrates such as shatter and crumble.

While many users go for portable devices, there are a growing number who are switching to the desktop variety which allows for better control of heating and, according to connoisseurs, a much better taste and aroma. These can collect the vapour either through a tube or by filling a balloon. While it doesn’t have the benefit of being portable, their increasing popularity among many cannabis users is not doubted. The rise of vaping has also been driven by the increasing decriminalisation of cannabis. Over the last few decades, attitudes have certainly begun to change. Much of this is to do with the growing awareness of the benefits of medical cannabis. Breeders, particularly in the US, are now producing more strains that are low in THC and high in CBD. Vaping has also been supported widely by the medical community. While there are some health issues surrounding vaping, most doctors and health care practitioners agree that it is a lot better for you than smoking. We could, of course, find that there are long term health impacts for those who vape further down the line but until that time most users are happy to indulge their hobby using this method. The growth of the industry has been astronomic both in UK and Europe and across the United States and the proliferation of online e-commerce stores has been no less encouraging. The future of vaping seems to be assured and will no doubt continue to provide cannabis users with a safe and effective delivery system for some time to come.