Choosing the best temperature to vape weed is one of the most unclear and controversial topics in dry herb vaping. It turns out, there is no single best temperature to vape weed.
The best temperature to vape your herb is fully dependent on what effects you’re looking for, but it oscillates between 320°F(160°C) and 446°F(230°C).
And in today’s post, I’m going to show you exactly what temperature is best for achieving your desired effects.
What’s the best temperature for vaping weed?
One of the major advantages to vaping weed or hemp flower is having control over the temperature. When you smoke, there is nothing stopping that bud from reaching temperatures as high as 4000° F (or 2200° C)! You also lose most of the flavor and the subtleties of each strain. The only problem is, what’s the best temperature for weed? In this guide, we detail three main temperature ranges, highlighting their differences and advantages. Each range provides a different experience, so it also depends on what you want to get out of it.
Keep in mind that everyone’s experience can vary based on a few key factors. For example, two weed vaporizers set to the same temperature can sometimes produce a different type of vapor. Additionally, each strain contains different levels of terpenes and cannabinoids, which contribute to their smell, taste and effects. These organic compounds volatilize at various temperatures and will alter the experience.
Don’t worry, you won’t need to graduate weed college for this. Just use this guide and play around with different settings. See how they make you feel. Eventually, you will find the best temperature for you.
Why vaporizer temperature matters for cannabis
The cannabis plant is an organic chemical factory. Its flowers produce small, mushroom-shaped outgrowths called trichomes. These tiny structures pump out resin loaded with psychoactive and medicinal molecules. Among this repertoire are over 100 cannabinoids, more than 100 terpenes, and numerous flavonoids. By modifying vaporization temperature, cannabis users can optimise the concentration of specific molecules in each hit.
Every cultivar contains varying levels of cannabinoids and terpenes. THC—one of the most common cannabinoids—provides a psychotropic high and a long list of therapeutic qualities. In contrast, CBD offers powerful therapeutic qualities without any psychotropic effect. Most modern strains offer high levels of THC. However, breeders have recently developed strains containing high levels of CBD, or strains with a 1:1 ratio of the two cannabinoids.
Science is starting to pay more attention to other major and minor cannabinoids. Research has already confirmed that CBG (cannabigerol) offers painkilling and anti-inflammatory effects. THCV (tetrahydrocannabivarin) can help to suppress the effects of THC and may combat pain and inflammation. CBC (cannabichromene) appears to reduce swelling and preserve mammalian brain cells. This is just the tip of the iceberg! As the science progresses, more data will surely begin to surface.
Lightly toasted (325-350°F / 163-177°C)
THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis has a boiling point of 315° F (157° C). You don’t want to go much lower than 325° F (163° C), especially if you want to really feel something. Low temps might appeal to you if you want the best flavor from your bud. It produces a fresh taste, with citrusy and/or piney undertones.
The vapor will also be much cooler, and less harsh on the throat, so you probably won’t cough as much. The possible side effects like paranoia, red eyes and cotton mouth will be less severe. If you’re a wake and baker, low temp vaping can give you the feeling you want, without burning you out for the day. This is also the ideal setting for newcomers and lightweights who don’t want to get too intoxicated.
- Light euphoria, calming, invigorating
- Intense terpene flavor, fresh, citrusy, piney
- Cooler vapor, less coughing
- Decreased side effects (lethargy, anxiety, red eyes, dry mouth etc.)
- Best suited for newcomers, lightweights or flavor chasers
- Better suited for getting chores done
Terpenes: A-pinene, β-caryophyllene, β-myrcene, d-limonene, citronellol
Cannabinoids: Δ8THC, Δ9THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, THCa, CBDa
Half baked (350-400°F / 177-204°C)
This is a safe place to start while you’re still experimenting with marijuana or legal CBD cannabis. In this range, you still get plenty of terpenes, but now with more access to cannabinoids. The vapor is thicker and warmer. You’ll also taste more of the cannabinoids, which can give it a richer flavor. The warm vapor is satisfying for transitioning smokers.
The psychoactive effects will be noticeably stronger at these temperatures mostly because more THC is being volatilized. It can be relaxing, euphoric and put you in a meditative state without feeling drowsy. This temp range is an excellent middle ground for the best of both worlds between effects and flavor.
- Relaxing, euphoric, meditative but not sleepy
- Flavorful and rich, terpenes plus cannabinoids
- Warmer vapor, can be satisfying for smokers
- More THC gets volatilized
- Can experience minor side effects
- Increased cannabinoid availability
Terpenes: d-limonene, terpinolene, linalool, humulene
Cannabinoids: Δ8THC, Δ9THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, CBC, THCa, CBDa
Fully baked (400-430°F / 204-221°C)
For maximum cannabinoid extraction (THC, CBG, or CBD extraction), this is the range to be in. The vapor will be hotter and less flavorful, but you will feel the strongest psychotropic effects. This range is best suited for night time sessions because of its ability to induce lethargy, also called the dreaded “couch-lock”. The activation of compounds THCv and humulene can actually suppress appetite and prolong the inevitable munchies.
At these temperatures, many terpenes will be depleted fast. If you’re a real terp connoisseur, then you might want to reserve this range for the end of your sessions, for when you really want to blast off. This is the closest you can get to combustion without actually smoking, though it can still induce coughing.
- Intense effects, strong euphoria, lethargy, “couch-lock”
- Maximum THC volatilization
- Hotter vapor, may cause coughing
- Less terpenes, higher cannabinoid extraction
- Activates THCv and humulene, appetite suppressants that can prolong “the munchies”
- Closest experience to smoke/combustion
Terpenes: humulene, phytol, caryophyllene oxide
Cannabinoids: Δ8 THC, Δ9THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, CBC, THCa, CBDa, THCv
Vaping temperature chart
Here are the average boiling points for THC, CBD and the most common terpenes and cannabinoids found in cannabis. Each organic compound has its own unique function, so you can check the profile of your strain and decide the perfect temperature is for exactly what you’re trying to achieve with it.
The chemical structure and pharmacological effects of cannabis explained
If there’s one cannabinoid in marijuana that everyone seems to know it must be THC. Marijuana often gets equalized with THC.
What most people don’t know, however, is that the Cannabis plant contains over 70 known cannabinoids and THC is just one of them.
Why does this matter?
Each and every cannabinoid has its own chemical structure and pharmacological effects. On top of the 70-plus known cannabinoids, the Cannabis plant contains many other types of compounds like:
- 120 different terpenoids, and;
- 23 different flavonoids,
Each having its own chemical structure and pharmacological effects.
To complicate things further, studies like this one suggest that all of the cannabinoids, terpenoids, and flavonoids in Cannabis influence each other and their pharmacological effects, enhancing each other’s effects and mitigating each other’s side-effects.
Cannabis really is a ‘synergistic shotgun’, where hundreds (probably thousands) of different compounds work together to produce a particular pharmacological effect.
In short:
Don’t reduce Cannabis to one single cannabinoid (THC). The Cannabis plant is a very complex plant containing thousands of different compounds that all have their unique characteristics and effects.
We always want to simplify things, but simplifying the Cannabis plant to THC is going to hinder you in finding your best vaping temperature as you’ll learn now.
I simply want to find a video or article to show me a newbee how to properly vape cannabis, length of time and way to inhale properly etc. I am trying this for the first time and I have no clue on how to.