Bongs, vapes, joints, pipes, edibles– these are just a few of the many options available to ingest cannabis today. Every flower enthusiast has a preference. And for those new to weed, it can seem like a dizzying array of options to try. Bongs and vapes tend to be the most common, aside from rolled joints.
Many newcomers think bongs and vaping are similar, which is absolutely not the case. In the following, let’s explore the great debate of bongs vs vaping!
Bongs and vapes: what’s the difference?
The mechanism of how you smoke a bong versus how you smoke a vape is entirely different. Hence, there is actually a totally different high.
With bongs, you place a small bit of dried flower in the bong’s choke, fill the bong with smoke, and inhale. Usually, you finish the whole piece of weed in one or two inhales, and it enters your body quickly. With bongs, you tend to get very high very fast.
Depending on the kind of vaporizer you use, its fast-hitting high might be somewhat similar. For example, there are “volcano vaporizers,” which are created like a giant balloon that fills with smoke, that you then inhale in one or two goes. Like a bong, all the cannabinoids enter your system super rapidly. Many vaporizers are designed to smoke more like a hookah, in which case you have a few minutes to enjoy the bowl of heated weed.
After the bong hit or the volcano vaporizer hit, both take effect quickly,but the resulting effects will be entirely different. While you may use the exact same strain of pot with both accessories, they have a different way of entering the body and binding with endocannabinoid receptors.
In short, a bong has a huge rush of smoke, which carries the cannabinoids and terpenes that flood your system, whereas a vaporizer doesn’t heat and release much of the terpenes. While more research still needs to be conducted on terpenes, it is understood that these cannabis components providing weed’s taste and smell have an actual effect on the high itself. In other words, it’s a different high with a volcano vaporizer than a bong.
Or, you may opt for a vape pen style of vape, which is more like smoking a weed e-cigarette (with no tobacco, of course). This will be entirely different, as not only is the weed only being heated (not burned), but you can puff on it here and there, instead of one big gulp like a bong or volcano vaporizer.
Regardless of the vaporizer type, a vape is going to feel more clear-headed and chill, whereas a bong is going to overwhelm the senses more easily, especially if you’re a weed newbie. In sum, bongs get you incredibly high; whereas vapes have a more refined and subtle high.
What’s in a Bong?
For many deeply committed weed enthusiasts, bongs are the only “true” way to smoke, though many would argue against this. It’s true that cannabis displays its best smoke and taste profile when burned and consumed with a bong. Bongs are also capable of getting you the highest without using a lot of bud, which is why stoners around the world believe that bongs are truly the best.
Some other advantages of bongs are that they have no electrical components, don’t need to be charged, are relatively cheap, easier to clean than volcano vaporizers, and cannabis flower tastes best in them. Disadvantages include that they can be harsh on your lungs, and it also sucks if a glass bong breaks.
What’s in a Vape?
While the actual science is not yet conclusive, it seems that vaporizers are healthier than bongs, which is a major advantage of vapes. Since there is no combustion, and therefore no real smoke with a vape, there are no toxic fumes or burning particles entering your throat and lungs.
And because there is no smoke involved, this also means that vaporizers are much better for your teeth than bongs are. All in all, if you are looking for the healthiest way to ingest cannabis, a vaporizer is bar-none your best bet, as it releases no actual smoke but rather vapor into your body.
What if it’s your First Time Trying Weed?
Many individuals who are trying weed for the first time ask if it’s better to use a bong or a vape. Really, the choice is entirely personal. It’s whatever you feel most comfortable with that is going to provide you with your best first high. The bottom line is that you start low and go slow.
Choose a high quality but low-THC weed strain, and start small and slow in terms of how much you smoke. Take a small hit of a bong or a vaporizer, wait ten minutes, and then go back for more if the vibe feels right. It’s through some curious experimentation over some period of time that you’ll nail your preferred toking style!
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