Wanna vape your weed instead of smoking it? You’re gonna need at least two things: a vape pen and some THC vape juice. In this article, the experts at Honest Marijuana reveal everything you need to know about THC vape juice so that you understand what it is and how to use it.
Along the way, we’ll even show you how to make your own THC vape juice and how to gauge the dosage for the best high possible. Let’s get started.
What Is Vape Juice?
Vape juice (a.k.a. e-juice or e-liquid) is a mixture of water, sometimes alcohol, sometimes nicotine, food-grade flavoring, and propylene glycol (PG) or vegetable glycerin (VG).
Vape juice first popped onto the scene when e-cigarettes were introduced as an alternative to regular cigarettes. For that reason, those in the know usually reserve the term “vape juice” (by itself) to refer to a liquid that:
- Contains nicotine
- Is used as a replacement for smoking cigarettes
So, just like some of the other slang in the cannabis community, it’s not OK to say vape juice when you actually mean THC vape juice. If you do, those who know better may get confused…or at the very least, think you’re a tool.
If you’re talking about a replacement for cigarettes (with or without added nicotine), say vape juice. If you’re talking about vaping to get high, say THC vape juice.
What Is THC Vape Juice?
THC vape juice is basically the same thing as vape juice — it’s water (or alcohol), flavoring, and PG or VG — except that THC vape juice also contains … wait for it … a THC concentrate.
The most common forms of THC concentrate are:
- CO2 extraction
- Liquid THC
- Tincture
You can also use cannabis oil (a.k.a. Rick Simpson oil) as long as you dilute it before applying heat. We’ll explain all that in greater detail in the Can You Make Your Own THC Vape Juice? section later in this article.
What Are The Effects Of THC Vape Juice?
Because THC vape juice is basically concentrated THC, the effects will be the same as you’d experience when smoking a high-THC strain. Common effects of THC vape juice include:
- Distortion of time
- Increased receptivity to stimuli
- Drowsiness
- Euphoria
- Hunger (a.k.a. the munchies)
The intensity of those effects depends in large part on your metabolism, body composition, and a whole host of other factors.
That means the amount of THC vape juice (or the number of tokes) that sends you into the stratosphere may only send your friend to the top of the Empire State Building (metaphorically speaking, of course).
Recipe 1 – WEED Vape Juice
This method a pretty easy method but isn’t very popular because it takes a long time. It is difficult to mess up and only requires you to grind your cannabis buds, decarboxylate them, then mix it with your PG/VG and leave it to sit for three months, mixing every now and again.Sponsored
Here’s what you need!
- Cannabis flowers – As a rule of thumb you can mix approx 1/4 (7grams) of an ounce with approx 80ml of liquid (adjust as required for different strengths).
- Food grade Vegetable Glycerin (VG) and Propylene Glycol (PG) Mix
- Baking tray or Pyrex oven safe bowl
- Aluminum Foil
- Oven
- Freezer
- Glass Jar with an airtight lid
- Rice press
- Cheesecloth
- Stirring spoon
- Syringe
- Bottle
The steps
1. Set your oven to 250℉ (121℃).
2. Next thing we need to do is grind up your cannabis buds, try to make the grind quite coarse but as even as possible.
3. Following that, you will get your baking tray and spread the ground up cannabis evenly across it, then cover with foil.
4. Once the oven has heated, place the baking tray inside.
5. Next, get your PG/VG, if you bought it separately you will need to mix it. You can mix this to whatever percentage you like really. But, I’d recommend a minimum of 50% VG. However, just remember PG brings out more of the flavor which is why I tend to buy a mix of 60/40 in favor of VG.
40% is near the maximum PG levels I’d ever use because it can be quite harsh for some people, myself included.
6. After 40 minutes remove the cannabis from the oven and allow it to cool. (this decarboxylation step is crucial for converting THCa to THC)
7. Once the buds have cooled place them into your jar, then add your PG/VG mix until the buds are saturated.
Make sure there is enough to completely cover all the cannabis.
8. Next, give your mix a stir, put the lid on tight and put the jar away in a cool dark cupboard for three months. I take mine out and stir it every two weeks. When doing so, I add some extra PG/VG mix if and when required.
9. After three months are up, remove the mixture from the cupboard and give it a little stir.
10. Place your rice press over another glass jar or jug and line it with a couple of layers of cheesecloth.
11. Pour your mixture into the rice press, cover with some more cheesecloth then squeeze until your heart is content. Your mix should run into the jar leaving a clean THC vape juice.
12. Syringe up into a bottle, add to your e-cig, and enjoy.
Recipe 2 – Cannabis Vape Juice (Short term extraction)
This method is very similar to the first, with the addition of heat to speed the process up. In short, we will mix the cannabis with the PG/VG mix then add the jar to the pot with water and slowly extract the THC from the cannabis into the mixture using heat.
1. Follow method 1 up to step 7 then come back here.
Additional Equipment.
8. Pour your water into the bigger pot or double boiler, approximately half an inch deep, then add some water to the second pot and place it inside as seen in the photo.
(there are many ways to do this and this is how I do it).
Then add the pot to the stovetop and allow it to heat until you reach a constant temperature of 220℉(105℃). This is where your accurate thermometer comes in handy.
9. Add your Cannabis mix in the jar to the water in the pot and allow it to heat up to 180℉(85℃). Once you reach this heat, you need to maintain it without going over.
This step is crucial as it allows the THC to fuse with the PG/VG mix without destroying quality.
10. Once the temperature inside the jar has reached 180℉(85℃), you want to leave it on the stove for a minimum of 1-hour some recommend 2, 3 or even 4 for more potency. As long as you keep it in the safe at a decent temperature you are free to experiment with the time.
Remember to keep mixing frequently and adding more PG/VG if it looks to dry. Don’t add too much though as it will weaken your mixture.
11. Once you are happy, it is time to remove the mix from the pot and set it aside to cool a little.
12. With the mixture still warm enough that it still flows nicely, take your rice press and cheesecloth. Line the press with 2-3 layers of cheesecloth.
Hover it over a bowl or Jug. Pour your mixture into the press. and alow it to strain through.
Allow as much as possible to drain, then cover the top with more cloth and squeeze the rest of the mix out into the bowl.
This is what you should be left with.
13. The final step is to use the syringe to remove the liquid from the jar and add it to your e-liquid bottle. Now you can add it to your favorite e-cig and enjoy a vape.
