What Is a Vape Pen & How to Use It for THC, CBD and More

Many people like to use vape pens for taking cannabis. This is a relatively simple way to vape, even if you have never done it before. Vape pens were used after the first e-cigarette. Originally, people often used them to vape nicotine. But today, you can use them with CBD vape juice and oil cartridges with other cannabis products in them. 

Because of how versatile vape pens are, you can use many different atomizers in them. That way, you can vape many different substances. It is a good idea to understand each of the kinds of vape pens and how you can use them. 

What Are Vape Pens?

A vape pen is a source of power that will heat up a cartridge or a vape tank to make a vapour. These devices are powered by batteries and can fit in your pocket. You can recharge the batteries. Since they are cylindrical, they are called “pens.” These devices first came out in 2010, and they quickly rose in popularity. 

The vape pen changed the vaping market since it put a new twist on vaping. As newer devices came out, they offered bigger battery capacities, and they could run for a longer period of time. They also let users change out the cartridges and atomizers. Before vape pens came out, e-cigarettes were used, and these were about the same size and shape as a regular cigarette. 

How a Vape Pen Works

There are two main kinds of vape pens, disposable and rechargeable. The rechargeable kind usually has a battery that powers it, and you can use it with several atomizers or cartridges. You will use a USB to plug it in and charge it.

For a disposable vape pen, you have everything in one unit with an internal battery. There is also a tank that is prefilled with a coil. These can’t be refilled or charged again, and once they are depleted, you will just get rid of them. No matter which kind you choose, you also have the option of getting a draw-activated or a push-button pen.

Draw-Activated vs. Push-Button Pens

For a draw-activated pen, you will puff on them to activate them. You do not need to turn them off or on, and there are not any buttons on them. These are easy to use and good for beginners. But if you have been using cannabis for a while, you might want to go with something that offers more functionality, like a push-button pen.

With a push-button pen, you will need to turn it on before you can use it. This will be done by pushing the button several times in a row. With some push-button pens, you can also adjust how much voltage they are putting out. You might do that by pushing the button just three times. With other vape pens, you can also heat them before you use them.

Troubleshooting a Vape Pen

Sometimes, a vape pen will not work when you try to turn it on. For a push-button vape pen, you have to press the button five times, so you might try turning it on again. You have to hold the button down long enough.

In other cases, the cartridge might not be properly connected. It could be too loose to make the best connection to your device. If the cartridge is incompatible, you will just need to get another one. 

In other cases, the battery or coil is defective. It might have just come like this, meaning that the coil will not fire. You can try to turn it on using another battery. 

Once you have used up the cartridge, it will not produce any vapour, so you will need to either replace it or refill it, depending on what kind it is. If the pen will not turn on, then it might just need to be recharged. With some pens, you might have a USB-C or a micro USB charger. Other pens have a standard 510 threaded USB port on them.

Using a THC Vape Pen

Remember that when you get a THC vape cartridge, it is only to be used for vaping. You should never remove the oil for use in your mouth. Today, many people get prefilled cartridges for their vape pens. Many pens work well with 510 threaded cartridges. 

First, you will take off the rubber seal from the bottom of the cartridge. Then, connect it with your battery. The device should be pre-charged and on when you do this. Make sure that you do not press the button until you have started to inhale. You do not want to burn your lips.

Begin with taking a small puff. Then, wait a bit to see how it will affect you, which is especially important if this is your first time vaping with THC. While you might only notice subtle effects at first, it can catch you by surprise. 

If there are multiple settings for the voltage on your device, you will want to go with the lowest one, so you can avoid burned or dry hits. The best range will be around 3.3 to 3.8 volts. With many newer cartridges out there, there are ceramic-based coils. They can give you more voltage without going bad. In fact, you might need to have more voltage if you want to have a satisfying puff. 

Vaping with Wax and Dabs

If you want to try vaping wax or a dab, you will want to find one that is specially designed to use with dabs. These cartridges work with standard vape pens, but many dab pens offer more airflow. Plus, they have atomizers that have quartz or ceramic quicks. They can take the higher temperatures that dabs need. Unlike with oil cartridges, you do not have to worry about whether you press the button before you inhale them.

First, use a dab tool to put a bit of wax in your heating chamber. It is important for you to avoid overloading the chamber, so you do not end up with leaks or clogs. That will make it not perform as well, and you might reduce the lifespan of the coils. Pulse the fire button to prime your coil. That will melt the wax a bit.

Next, hold the button and take a very small puff. This is especially important in the beginning. Some people find that it can get too hot, so pulsing the button while you are inhaling is a good idea. Remember that dabs are especially potent, so you will want to wait a few minutes before taking another puff. 

Vaping with Weed

You can get special attachments for dry herbs, like weed, for your regular vape pen. But these are not highly effective when it comes to vaporization. If you want to properly vape your flower, you will need to have a portable vaporizer or a dedicated pen for cannabis. That way, you can avoid combusting the bud and inhaling the burnt plant material. You will use it in much the same way as with a cartridge. 

Vaping with CBD Cartridges 

Remember that a CBD oil cartridge is good for vaping, but you will not want to use it as an edible. Similarly, a CBD tincture should only be used for your edibles, but you can’t vape it. Nonetheless, getting a prefilled cartridge with CBD is convenient since it allows you to easily enjoy a wide range of CBD oils. 

For instance, you can find CBD distillate and full-spectrum CBD made for vaping. These are similar to THC oil cartridges, and you just have to take off the rubber seal and place the cartridge on the device. If your vape pen is disposable, you only have to open it and begin to puff.

As with any kind of vape pen, you will want to take a few small puffs and then wait to see how it will affect you. If there are several voltage settings, you will want to begin at the lowest setting. The best range will be somewhere around 3.3 to 3.8 volts. For newer cartridges, you might find ones that have ceramic coils in them, which can handle a higher level of voltage.

Using CBD Vape Juice

You can think of vape juice as being similar to the e-liquid made from nicotine. That means that it is easy to use a standard vape pen for your CBD vape juice. You can take an empty cartridge and fill it with your favourite kind of CBD juice, but if you want to have a better vapour production and flavour, you should look for a more modern vape pen that can handle a wide range of e-liquids. That will help you to have the best vaping experience. 

You will want to get a specialized vape pen for e-liquid. You can find mouth-to-lung and direct lung pens. Mouth-to-lung pens are similar to cartridges since they do not take very much time or power to begin to heat. The draw is tighter, meaning you will be inhaling more vapour. 

On the other hand, a direct lung vape pen will give you a looser draw since there is more airflow. It will also need to have more power since its coils have a lower resistance. With some devices, you can do both styles of vaping, depending on the kind of coil you have with it.

It is important for you to vape a CBD vape juice or a cartridge and not a tincture. A mouth-to-lung device is better for lower strengths of CBD while a direct lung pen is better for higher strengths. 

Using the Pen

First, you will want to fill the tank or cartridge with your vape juice and put it on the pen. Wait about 5 to 10 minutes, so the coil can start to absorb the liquid. Take a small puff and wait to see how it will affect you. Do not worry about holding it in since your lungs will quickly absorb all of the vapour. You can just exhale as normal. 

Using Nicotine

A vape pen for a nicotine e-liquid is much different today. The devices on the market give you better performance and flavour than the ones you could get in past years. For example, you can find ones that have more features, such as different options for the coil and a bigger battery capacity. These newer versions are often bigger and wider than a typical vape pen for cannabis, but you can get many styles and sizes, so there is something out there for everyone. 

A nicotine vape pen is either a mouth-to-lung or a direct lung pen. Some pens also offer both styles, depending on the kind of coil that you put in it. With a direct lung vape pen, you can get a larger cloud and can use it with lower levels of nicotine liquid. That might include around 3 to 6 milligrams of liquid. With a mouth-to-lung pen, you will use a higher strength of e-liquid. That will be about 6 milligrams or larger.

Closing Thoughts

You now know how to vape CBD, nicotine, and THC, but you might be wondering how to choose the right vape pen for you. If you want to use CBD and THC, you can get a regular 510 threaded pen. But if you want to go with dabs, dry herb, or nicotine, then you will want to have a more specialized vape pen for that. Ultimately, the best decision will be the one that helps you make the most of your experience. You might want to go with a standard pen to start off and then gradually try other kinds of pens.