A typical dry herb vaporizer has a battery/power supply, an herb chamber, a heating element, a mouthpiece, and buttons/dials for control.
When marijuana is placed in the chamber and the device is turned on, the heating element heats the marijuana to the desired temperature, and the vapor is released and pulled out of the device via the mouthpiece.
There are 3 major types of marijuana vaporizers: desktop vaporizers, portable vaporizers, and vape pens.
Vape pens and portable vaporizers are small portable devices. Vape pens, like the Dr. Dabber Aurora, tend to be used with oil and wax products, while portable vapes, like the Firefly or the PAX 2 are usually compatible with dry herbs.
Desktop or tabletop vaporizers are bigger devices that can produce large quantities of vapor. The most well known is the Volcano vaporizer. Other popular desktop models include the Extreme Q, Vapir Rise and Herbalizer.
These vaporizers work by filling a bag with marijuana vapor, which can then be inhaled through a mouthpiece on the bag.
One major decision any vape user has to make is whether they want a conduction or convection vaporizer. Conduction models apply heat directly to marijuana, while convection models heat the air around the marijuana to warm it indirectly.
Conduction vaporizers are cheaper, but have the drawback of uneven heating. Convection vaporizers are expensive and take longer, but heat more evenly and produce a better result.
(Reprinted from Leaf Science)
