With the rapid acceptance and use of medical marijuana to treat a variety of conditions, some patients have expressed concern over smoke inhalation. Smoking medication is a new concept and many doctors have been reluctant to prescribe it. For this reason, many patients are turning to vaporizing the medication to avoid any associated risks from smoking it.
Vaporization is the act of extracting the active ingredients from the plant material and containing it in containers like inflatable bags or jars. The process produces virtually no smoke and is a carcinogen-free. Vaporizing marijuana delivers the same THC levels to patients and provides the same biological effects while eliminating the harmful toxins that are inhaled when cannabis is burned.
One recent study showed that the vapor emissions from cannabis are 95% smoke free, but when combusted, the gases have 88% non-cannabinoids, which include the toxic carcinogenic polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in common tobacco smoke.
Vaporizers on the market today have a sleek, technologically advanced look. Some are portable and look a bit like a portable razor while others are desktop models that range in price up to $1,200.
Even the manufacturers of medical marijuana are getting on board with the idea of vaporizing instead of smoking. Anton Mattadeen, chief strategy officer at MediJean, a bio-pharmaceutical company making medical marijuana in Canada, has said, “I absolutely recommend [vaporization] over smoking.” He endorses it because it lacks combustibles and avoids issues with tars. “With vaporization, you’re simply heating up the substance until it releases the natural oils. It doesn’t have any negative effect on your lungs, as opposed to when people smoke… it creates real potential health issues,” he explained.
