Updated on September 15th, 2023
Finding the best dry herb vape temperature for weed is very important. To a beginner, temperature settings may seem trivial; however, savvy vapers know better.
The reality is that vaping weed at specific temperatures not only changes the smoking experience but alters the high as well. Considering how picky we are about our weed preferences, we must understand the best vape temperature for our needs.
Let’s see what vaping is about and why temperature is essential.
What is Vaping?
To understand the best dry herb vape temperature for weed, we need to see how it ties into the whole vaping process. We focus in this article on vaping dry herbs as opposed to THC infused vape e-liquids.
A newer form of cannabis product, clear THC distillate, can also be vaped with a special vape pen.
How Does Vaping Work?
Vaping is the best way to inhale weed. With combustion, we generate tons of hydrocarbons, chemicals, and particles from the dry herb. Vaping takes those extras out of the equation, providing a direct bridge between ourselves and the THC.
Cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds in herb, boil at much lower temperatures than with combustion. Vapes take advantage of this. Instead of a flame, they use a heating element to generate a high enough heat to boil the compounds.
Once boiled, these chemicals vaporize into an inhalable aerosol.
All this leaves behind is a chamber of browned weed. Since we inhale vaporized material rather than burnt plant matter, it offers a cleaner, smoother, and – most importantly – safer experience.
What are the Benefits of Vaping?
Aside from discovering the best vape temperature for our strains and saving our lungs a lot of trouble, there are other great reasons to vape.
Vaping is Flavorful
One of the benefits of vaping is enjoying delicious flavors. Whatever flavor profile you crave, there is a matching vaping flavor out there. Some of the most popular and flavorful strains to vape are –
- Bubblegum OG – Tastes very fruity, with sweet berry flavors and lemon undertones.
- Gelato – Sweet and fruity taste.
- Lemon OG – Sweet lemon and pine.
- Pineapple Express – Tastes like pineapple, pine, and cedar.
- Sour Diesel – Tastes distinctly sharp and pungent, with a strong herbal flavor.
Vaping is More Efficient
Joints, bongs, and pipes take a decent amount to fill, while cannabis edibles require a truckload of herb. Vaping is the golden ticket. Out of all the previous options, vapes use the least amount of dry herb.
Anyone who’s vaped knows that vaping makes you higher, faster, with less herb. This is because we get more THC in a single hit from a vape. When lit on fire, many of the cannabinoids and terpenes evaporate, never to be inhaled.
This translates to lost potency when smoking. But since vapes only heat up enough to boil – but not evaporate – the compounds, we get every milligram the small bowl can muster.
However, CBD cigarettes’ private label can anyway be attractive for larger companies.
Vaping is More Discreet
One of the biggest problems with weed is the smell it leaves behind. It can be a real pain to those around you and a dead giveaway about what you’re doing.
While vapes do leave behind a mild scent, it’s incredibly short-lived. This lets people medicate almost anywhere without raising any alarms.
For complete discreteness, there are THC gummy bears for sale. Nobody will notice you’re taking cannabis. However, you cannot control the terpenes you get by regulating the decarboxylation temperature.
Vaping is More Convenient
Using weed always requires some tools. Lighters, rolling papers, pipes, and bongs take more effort or are too cumbersome (you can’t exactly light up a bong in public) to go out in public. Joint and pipe smokers might be able to take their weed outside, but not without letting the smell put a target on their backs.
Vapes require no extra tools – just the device and some dry herb. Many are tiny and easy to hide in purses or pockets, while most handheld models are small enough to hide effectively.
You can buy cannabis online in Quebec or any other place where it is legal. In the United States, marijuana cannot (yet) be sold online.
Other Cannabinoids & Their Benefits
THC isn’t the only cannabinoid relevant to vaping. The impact of some additional ones dictates what you feel is the best vape temperature. Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabigerol (CBG), cannabichromene (CBC), Cannabinol (CBN), and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) all have different recreational and medical effects.
Although these substances occur in low concentrations (typically around 1% for most strains), they can make a substantial difference. We recommend that you look for organic CBD oil for sale and avoid any artificial flavorings etc.
CBD
CBD is arguably the second most commonly known cannabinoid, next to THC. Its lack of intoxicating effects, coupled with many health benefits, took consumers and patients by storm.
Most notably, the research found promise for CBD as an effective treatment for severe epilepsy, resulting in the introduction of Epidiolex. Produced in the UK, this is the first CBD pharmaceutical drug.
Aside from anticonvulsant properties, CBD is known to inhibit the growth of tumors, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, treat pain, and help with gastrointestinal issues – to name a few.
CBD’s boiling point is 180˚C (356˚F).
CBG
CBG is a non-intoxicating cannabinoid and usually is sold CBG oil or isolate. Even in its low concentration, it shows tremendous benefits. These include treatment for glaucoma, inflammation, neurological degenerative diseases, cancer inhibition, and appetite stimulation.
CBG’s boiling point is 52˚C (126˚F), giving it the lowest boiling point of all the four cannabinoids on our list. This compound will even vaporize long before THC or CBD.
CBC
Another underrated cannabinoid, CBC, is also non-intoxicating. Although research into this is relatively light, CBC shows promise in a lot of ways. CBC may be an effective cancer-fighter, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, neuroprotectant, neuro stimulant, and antidepressant from what we know so far. It’s even effective at combating acne.
CBC has a boiling point of 220˚C (428˚F) – the highest on our list. Only high-temperature devices will be able to harness this compound.
CBN
Unlike CBG and CBC, CBN has intoxicating effects, just like THC; however, the intoxication is relatively weak compared to the potency of THC. It does, however, promote mental sedation. As a result, it provides a relaxing experience for recreational users and helps with conditions like stress, insomnia, anxiety, and PTSD.
The boiling point of CBN is 185˚C (365˚F).
THCV
THCV is molecularly similar to THC, causing it to induce intoxication; however, its other benefits radically differ from THC.
One notable difference is that THCV is an appetite suppressant, while THC tends to stimulate hunger. Medical users who suffer from nausea or appetite loss need to avoid using strains high in THCV (above 0.3%).
THCV also helps regulate blood sugar, calm anxiety, promote bone growth, and mitigate Alzheimer’s symptoms.
THCV’s boiling point is the same as CBC’s, at 220˚C (428˚F).
Cannabinoids & Terpenes Vape Temperature Chart
Due to its popularity, let’s take a moment to examine vaping CBD in more detail. As we’ve seen, CBD has some essential therapeutic benefits. More importantly, we now have documented cases of patients showing dramatic improvement with certain conditions after using CBD.
If you use cannabis for CBD’s therapeutic purposes, then it’s essential to take note of this study from BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology. The study examined the impact of temperature differences on CBD vaporization.
They vaporized separate batches of CBD at 210oC (410oF) and 230oC (446oF). After repeating the experiment several times, they found that CBD yield was higher at 230oC.
The experiment also showed that simply adding a higher amount of CBD did nothing to improve yield, as it merely saturated the area and coagulated as resin in the vaporizer’s balloon. This shows that temperature matters much more than dosage.
It also means you can’t influence the effects as the producer decarboxylated it at a specific temperature.
What is the best vaping CBD oil for anxiety? We answer this question in our separate CBD oil comparison for anxiety.
What we can learn is that, although CBD’s boiling point is much lower, patients relying on CBD should set their vapes to 230oC (446oF) for maximum benefit.
Terpenes
A lot of smokers feel that terpenes determine the dry herb’s flavor. While this is undoubtedly true, it’s also just the tip of the iceberg. Terpenes play a vital role in the therapeutic and recreational effects of cannabis.
Terpenes are oily compounds found throughout the plant kingdom. Like cannabinoids, each terpene has a specific boiling point that vapers need to keep in mind.
If you are looking for a CBD oil with terpenes, check out our Funky Farms CBD review.
B-Caryophyllene
B-caryophyllene is known to give dry herb a spicy flavor akin to black pepper. It’s also highly beneficial against inflammation, depression, pain, anxiety, and cancer.
Caryophyllene’s boiling point is 199oC (390oF).
Alpha-Pinene
Alpha-pinene provides a dominant flavor reminiscent of pine trees. Its benefits include fighting things like inflammation and asthma while supporting memory and increasing alertness.
Pinene boils at 155oC (311oF)
Myrcene
Myrcene gives individual plants a strong scent, such as mangoes, basil, or lemongrass; however, people particularly like it for its anti-cancer, sedative, analgesic, antibiotic, and anti-inflammatory effects.
Myrcene vaporizes at 166oC (330.8oF).
Terpineol
Terpineol gives off a pine-like, floral, herbal aroma. It’s also effective at causing sedation. At the same time, terpineol helps fight germs and cancer while functioning as an antioxidant.
Terpineol evaporates at 217oC (422.6oF).
Limonene
Limonene is most commonly found in citrus fruits, giving them their “citrusy” taste and smell. It also happens to help as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer, and metabolism booster.
Limonene vaporizes at 177oC (350.6oF).
Linalool
Linalool has a distinct lavender aroma with a hint of spice. This terpene is particularly effective against epilepsy. Additionally, it fights bacteria, anxiety, and depression.
Linalool boils at 198oC (388.4oF).
Terpinolene
Terpinolene’s flavor is a mix of floral, citrus, and pine. Its therapeutic benefits include fighting cancer, bacteria, and fungus, in addition to sedative and antioxidant properties.
Terpinolene vaporizes at 184oC (363.2oF).
Nerolidol
Nerolidol’s aromas are fruity and floral. It specializes in fighting microorganisms, such as fungus, parasites, and bacteria.
Nerolidol’s boiling point is 122oC (251.6oF)
Ocimene
Ocimene has a rather complex aroma – wood-like and herbal, yet sweet. It has powerful applications against infections, fighting viruses, bacteria, and fungi as an antiseptic. People also seek out Ocimene for its decongestant properties.
Ocimene reaches a boiling state at 100oC (212oF)
Guaiol
Guaiol has a pine aroma similar to pinene. Research suggests that you can harness this compound as an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic.
Guaiol boils at the extremely low temperature of 92oC (197.6oF)
So What’s the Best Dry Herb Vape Temperature?
This question is difficult to answer – mainly because the answer itself depends on individual needs. A temperature that one user enjoys can be too intense for another.
With this in mind, the question shouldn’t be, “what is the best vape temperature?” Instead, the real issue is, “what is the best vape temperature for me?”
As we saw earlier, there are several cannabinoids at play that we don’t know as much about. Each requires a specific minimum temperature to vaporize. Adjusting a vape’s heat accordingly allows you to include or exclude certain compounds.
Below, we’ll examine the temperature ranges for dry herb vaping, along with their recreational and therapeutic benefits.
Low
157˚C (315˚F) to 180˚C (356˚F)
Ideal for a mild high that leaves users feeling productive and alert but euphoric and relaxed.
This is essentially the bare minimum. Users who want the benefits of THC need a minimum of 157˚C (315˚F). By 180˚C (356˚F), CBD vape evaporates, like with disposable CBD vape pens.
As a result, the high will consist of THC alone; or THC and CBD. CBG will also be present, considering we are long past its boiling point.
Ultimately, this low range is best for flavor and mild mental intoxication. Physical effects or “couchlock” won’t be an issue, so most people will still be able to function.
˚F
Moderate
180˚C (356˚F) – 219˚C (426˚F)
Best for moderate intoxication, increased sensations, mood enhancement, and relaxation without total functional impairment.
At this point, there are some noticeable differences. First, the vapor will feel hotter and harsher. Second, the flavor will still be good but not the same quality as lower settings.
Most importantly, however, the addition of CBN will slightly increase the high while causing physical sedation. This medium range is a good balance of cerebral effects and body high. It’s still possible to get through the day after vaping at this temperature, but expect to feel at least slightly slowed down.
˚F
High
220˚C (428˚F) and Above
For strong intoxication, euphoria, sleep, and relaxation
At this point, every relevant cannabinoid gets involved, bringing a slew of recreational experiences and therapeutic benefits. The most noticeable immediate difference is flavor and temperature. The taste will be comparatively muted, and the vapor is quite harsh.
However, CBC and the intoxicating THCV boil, resulting in the most potent sedating high a strain can offer. At this point, users become incapacitated by the high, making normal function very difficult.
˚F
At What Temperature Will All of the Weed be Fully Vaped?
As we’ve seen, cannabinoids and terpenes boil at different temperatures. Some of these compounds will remain inert if your vape isn’t set to the appropriate heat level. Put simply; there’s only one way to efficiently use up all of the weed in your chamber and get enough “bang for your buck”.
The only way to obtain every possible drop of vapor is to ensure that all cannabinoids and terpenes vaporize. Achieving this requires you to vape at a temperature of 230oC (428oF). This just surpasses the boiling points of every compound while keeping the temperature safely below combustion levels.
Choosing the Right Strain vs. Choosing the Right Temperature
It’s probably clear by now that vaping isn’t for the faint of heart. A perfect, customized experience requires in-depth knowledge about compounds and boiling points.
But frankly, there’s an easier way to find the right balance. While vaping at different temperatures will affect the strength and nuances of your high, the most significant driver in this regard is the strain.
Every strain exhibits its unique behaviors – even if they’re minor. Some hit hard, even at low temperatures, while others require a lot of heat for a satisfying high. Others take effect quickly, but some are delayed (“creeper weed”).
Then, of course, we have the uplifting/sedating effects of different strains. While boiling certain terpenes and cannabinoids may add specific effects, the dry herb’s general nature is what dictates your experience. This is where the whole “Indica/Sativa” categorization comes from (although not scientifically valid).
In the end, if you vape a strain that’s known to be primarily sedating or uplifting, then you’ll experience those effects accordingly. The temperature will have minimal impact.
The only instance in which temperature should matter is if individuals use cannabis for treating a specific medical condition. In this case, choosing a strain with the right terpenes and cannabinoid levels is essential, but so is, vaporizing it at the correct temperature to harness these compounds.
You can use this information to choose the best CBD oil for cancer pain treatment, for example. Ideally, it holds as many components as possible that fight cancer, such as CBG, CBC, B-Caryophyllene, Myrcene, etc.
Sources
Sources:
https://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm484109.htm
https://bmcpharmacoltoxicol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2050-6511-15-58