A canabis vapes is a cannabis device that heats the mind-altering compounds found in the plant to just above their boiling point, turning them into vapor that is then inhaled. The process eliminates burning of the plant material and reduces the toxic carcinogens that are produced when the plant is combusted by smoking.

The popularity of cannabis vaping among youth has been driven by many factors. These include youth-friendly designs, aggressive marketing by e-cigarette and cannabis companies, increased access due to legalization, and low perceived risk as compared to smoking or inhaling carcinogenic smoke (1,2).

The Art of Cannabis Vaping: A Beginner’s Guide to Vaping Cannabis and Choosing the Right Vape

Vaping devices typically come with prefilled cartridges that contain either cannabis oil or nicotine (e-cigarettes) (2,3) and can also be used to consume other psychoactive substances such as synthetic cannabis (K2/’spice’), LSD, and bath salts (4,5).

There are various types of canabis vapes that differ in how the vapor is produced, and how they work (3,6). The most popular vaping device is a portable vaporizer that uses conduction or convection heating to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis material. Some also utilize a combination of both techniques to produce vapor with varying viscosity and flavor (3,6).

There is a growing body of evidence that shows that cannabis vaping may not be as safe as smoking for youth. It has been linked to a higher rate of EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping-associated lung injury) in young people (5,6). EVALI can cause severe lung symptoms such as cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, and constitutional symptoms such as fever and chills (7,8).