THC Vape Juice: What It Is and How to Use It

Vaping has been a very popular method of smoking in the last several years, but some might only associate vapes with nicotine as an alternative to cigarettes. But there are also vapes designed to smoke cannabis, usually in the form of THC vape juice. The legalization of marijuana has made it possible for the regulation of exciting new methods of marijuana consumption, and vaping is just one of them. If you’re new to vaping, there are a few things you should know so that you can get the equipment and vape juice that’s right for you.

What Is Vaping?

If you’ve smoked cannabis before in a joint or pipe, you used combustion to create smoke that you inhaled. Combustion occurs with a direct flame to the plant material. Vaping involves an entirely different process. Instead of burning plant material, which may feel harsh on your lungs, vapes use controlled heat to turn liquid into vapour. The most desired qualities are extracted from the cannabis plant, allowing for a huge variety of potential effects and the addition of delicious flavours for you to enjoy.

What Is THC Vape Juice?

Tinctures have been used for ceremonial and medicinal purposes for centuries. A tincture is made by infusing herbs into a liquid, usually for oral use. Vape juice is a kind of tincture that is inhaled. THC oil is made by soaking marijuana plant material in alcohol or cooking oil to extract THC and other elements of cannabis. THC oil is a very pure version of cannabis, so there’s no wonder why it’s such a popular product for smokers. The oil used in vape juice is made from either glycerin or high-grade alcohol. Once the desired elements are absorbed into the oil, it is purified and infused with delicious flavours. Because of the control you have over the potency and possible effects of THC vape juice, there are hundreds of choices available. 

Vaping Equipment

Different forms of cannabis require different devices. There are many forms of cannabis these days. You can use flowers, edibles, wax, hash, kief, or oil. When using vapes, you need THC in the form of e-juice, or vape oil.

If you already use a DNA vape for nicotine vape juice, you can buy specially-made THC e-juice to put in the vape you already have. Not all vapes are limited to THC oil, though. You can find vapes that are made for ground cannabis flowers, and even some that can handle both oil and buds. But if you’re trying to smoke your cannabis in its original form, a plant, you’ll need to purchase an atomizer that you can attach to your DNA mod, adapting the vape for cannabis use. You can also buy an atomizer vape that is specially designed for ground-up cannabis plant material. 

The other option to consider is a vape pen. All you need is a rechargeable vape pen battery and a THC oil cartridge. You can buy a variety of disposable cartridges with different potencies and flavours. These are perfect for vaping on-the-go. They’re simple, sleek, and subtle. You can also buy entire vape pens that are disposable. With these, there’s no need to buy a battery pack. They’re ready to smoke as soon as they’re in your hand. 

All this information can be a lot to take in. If you’re lost and don’t know where to start, don’t worry. Professionals have done the hard work for you. You can buy a THC vape starter kit, which will have everything you need to start with no confusion. 

How Vapes Work

Now you know that vapes don’t use combustion, so what do they use? There are a couple of different vaporizing techniques used in vapes: convection and conduction. There are pros and cons to both, so it’s important to do your research to find the vape that’s best for you. 

Conduction requires a battery to heat a material that separates the heat source from the cannabis oil. A more popular method of vaping, but also a more expensive method, is convection. Convection vapes use hot air to heat the THC vape juice or plant material, making it much more even and avoiding overheating. Convection is a much more complicated technique, so you’ll pay the price investing in one of these vapes. Many seem to think it’s worth the cost. The most important thing is that you have quality THC juice in your vape. 

DIY THC Vape Juice at Home

For those who are new to vaping, you should start by buying your THC vape juice from a reputable dispensary. But if you’re already familiar with vaping THC and want to give yourself a new challenge, try making your very own batch of THC vape juice at home. It is a complicated process, but you will definitely impress all your cannabis-loving friends and maybe pick up a new hobby. 

There are a few compelling reasons to make your own e-liquid. First of all, if you love making your own edibles or cooking in general, creating your very own THC vape juice can give you the same satisfaction. Additionally, like with making anything from scratch, you’ll know exactly what you’re putting in your body. There really is no sure way to account for everything in prepackaged THC vape juice. When you do it yourself, you can be sure that only the safest ingredients are going into your oil. Making THC vape juice at home does require a lot of time and patience. If you’re dedicated and do it right, you can make this a regular recipe in your kitchen.

Decarboxylation

Of course, to start this process, you need high-quality weed. You want to have at least 7 grams to get a decent amount of vape juice. Any strain will work, so pick your favorite. You can switch it up and make a few different batches with a variety of strains. 

Now, it’s time to decarboxylate your cannabis. Decarboxylation is the process of converting THCA into THC. THCA is essentially deactivated THC, which means it doesn’t cause the feeling of being high. When you smoke marijuana buds, the THCA becomes THC. The heat activates the THC, causing the effects associated with cannabis consumption. That’s why you can’t just eat the flowers. It won’t affect you much, except for maybe a stomach-ache. If you’re not using combustion to smoke, you’ll need to decarboxylate your cannabis by using heat in another way.

There are a few different ways you could decarboxylate, or decarb, your cannabis effectively. The first method is to simply bake it in the oven. For this, you don’t want to grind your weed finely. Just break it up with your fingers into small pieces, about the size of peas. Place your marijuana on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Then, slightly crumple another piece of aluminum foil to cover the top of the cannabis. This protects it from getting too much heat and burning. Finally, place it on the center rack in your oven at 105 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes. Once it’s done, your cannabis should be toasted to a golden-brown colour.

Another way to decarb your cannabis is to use the mason jar method. This method is often preferred over the simpler oven because it reduces the risk of burning the cannabis, emits a less poignant odour, and allows you to save terpenes that escape during the decarboxylation process. The mason jar method starts similarly to the baking method. Break up your cannabis in the same way, but this time, place it in a mason jar and seal the lid. Place a damp rag on a baking sheet and rest the mason jar on top of it. Place the tray and jar in the oven set at 104-115 degrees Celsius for an hour. Take the jar out every 15 minutes and shake it to make sure you get an even toasting. 

Sous vide is the final way to decarb your marijuana. This is more effective than the other methods, which makes it a popular choice. It is a little more complicated and expensive, but the results are worth the investment. You will need to buy an immersion circulator for this decarb process. You also need to have a large pot or plastic tub, a freezer bag, and marijuana, obviously. Fill the container with water and place the immersion circulator in, set at 95 degrees Celsius. You will grind the weed finely for this method because you want to maximize the surface area. Sous vide doesn’t ruin flavour or terpenes, so grinding the weed finely won’t make you lose any potency. Seal the ground-up cannabis in the freezer bag. Make sure you get as much air out of the bag as possible, making a vacuum-tight seal. You should also make sure the cannabis is dispersed evenly in the bag to maximize the surface area even more. Soak the cannabis-filled bag in the sous vide bath for an hour and a half.

Making THC Vape Juice

After you’ve decarboxylated your marijuana, you need to get something to extract the THC and other components from the cannabis flowers. Because vape juice is meant for inhalation, make sure you only use food-grade products. Non-food grade alcohol or propylene glycol is toxic and should not be inhaled. As long as it’s food-grade, you’re in the clear. You need about 2-4 ounces of 180 proof alcohol (or higher). Most people use vodka because it doesn’t have a strong flavour on its own. You also need about 2-4 ounces of glycerin. This also needs to be food-grade. It is recommended that you only use 100% USP food-grade vegetable glycerin, which will make more vapour when you smoke. The only other things you need to start making your THC vape juice are two canning jars with plastic lid sealers and a cheesecloth.

Fill one jar halfway with your decarboxylated cannabis and add alcohol until it is about a couple of centimetres above the cannabis. Place the lid on the jar tightly, so that the cannabis doesn’t develop mould over time. Shake the mixture vigorously and place it in a dark location for about two weeks. Every day, shake the jar more. If you notice that the alcohol has evaporated and no longer covers the cannabis, add more alcohol as needed. Remember to always keep it sealed and shake it daily. 

After two weeks, your concoction should be ready to strain. Place the cheesecloth over the second mason jar and pour the liquid in, separating the oil from the plant material. Next, add the vegetable glycerin, seal the jar, and shake it vigorously for a few minutes. Now, you have amazing THC vape juice to use at your leisure. It’s not as hard as it initially seems. As long as you have an oven, jars, cheesecloth, a few grams of weed, and some booze, you can do this all on your own without having to leave the house. 

Making your own THC vape juice can be a very fun and satisfying experience. You will appreciate every hit even more since you put in the time and energy to make your own oil. This can be a go-to recipe in your kitchen, or it may just be something for special occasions. Do you have a THC lover in your life? A new THC vaporizer and homemade THC vape juice is a wonderful way to make an ordinary gift much more meaningful.

Not interested in putting in that much effort? That’s not a problem. You can always buy ready-to-go THC vape juice that will do just the trick. No matter how you obtain your vape juice or what is in your vape, the important thing is to find something you can enjoy. Vaping isn’t just a fad. It’s a very popular new smoking method that will just keep growing as technology improves and more people make the switch to vapes. If you haven’t already, give it a shot. There are so many options, you’re sure to find a vape and THC vape juice that’s perfect for you.