1 puff from Vape pen VS 1 puff from bowl or joint?

[ColoradoBoy90]

If you had the exact same strain in a Vape pen VS hitting it from a Bowl, is it possible to determine how equal they are? Is 1 hit from a pre-filled Vape cartridge going to be equal to 1 hit from a Bowl (using the same strain) ? This is just a basic pre-filled cartridge for like $25-$30 so its not an extreme vape pen. Just a pre-filled one from the store. Also I ONLY have it set to low (one time medium) using the 3 clicks thing as I simply don’t know if these are more potent on a hit per hit basis. I don’t want to jack up tolerance on accident.

Here’s all it says for the pre filled cartridge:
72% THC
0% CBD
360mg THC
Indica MK ULTRA
3 clicks to adjust voltage: Red 3.6V
blue 3.1V
White 2.7V
It also says 2 clicks to preheat hold for 15 seconds. Preheat voltage: 1.8v. I dunno what that whole preheating thing is but I don’t use it.
(I use white 2.7v)
I don’t really know what any of that means besides the Strain type MK is one of the strongest Indicas. None of the stores here ever have the flower strain of MK ULTRA in stock, but I wanted to try it and it was only available in these pre-filled vape pen things. So I just bought it and don’t know a thing about capes or cartridges.

As normally smoke daily from a BOWL. I’ve never used a cartridge or vape of any kind. All I know is then it on, set it to low, and hold for a few seconds and inhale. I assume that’s how you use these. I have zero knowledge on these.

The last strain I used in a bowl (only bowl nothing else) regularly is:
Strain: Mazar-Sh
THC: 25.2% CBD 0%

So is it possible to figure out a rough estimate of how many puffs from the Vape pen (set to either medium 3.1v or low 2.7v) is equal to how many puffs from a bowl using the regular flower with 25.2% THC I mentioned above?
I only have to hold the button down for a few seconds while inhaling to produce the “same hit feeling in the lungs” as I would feel if taking a hit from a regular bowl.
On the Vape pen I hold button for a few seconds while inhaling.
Using a bowl I light the bud for a couple seconds per hit (I might be wasting some but that’s just how I do it) but I just want to know a semi accurate equivalence between the vape VS bowl per hit.

It seems like 1 puff from the Vape pen is equal to 2-3 hits from a bowl (even though they are different strains in this situation) but I could be totally wrong that’s just a pure guess so if anyone knows how to figure it out please let me know

 

[phenethylo J]

Well 360mgs would be 72% 500mgs some companies just like to be bitches use the total weight of the oil for the product name and you got to read the small print on the side to see how much thc it has it in. The shop I've got them from will use the total amount of thc in the product name which is the way it should be done.

Some 1 gram 80% thc vape carts that I have got from my shop are labeled as lasting for 320 3 second draws; I can't comment on how accurate it is sine I never kept track but it is a reputable place that I trust actually properly tested it.

 

[ColoradoBoy90]

It was advertised at the store as 500 mg cartridge MK ULTRA. Although the paper inside says 360mg. Lame.

BUT... How do I properly compare 1 hit (low 2.7volt holding for just a few seconds) from the MK ULTRA Vape pen cartridge to 1 hit of the M-Staff strain of flower with 25.2% THC?

 

[phenethylo J]

It'd just start with a small 2-3
It's hard the accurately exactly what you are getting in a single hit which is why I prefer just using extract in a dabber over a cart since I can lay out what I need for a single dose and know the amount I'm taking. A single rice grain sized piece should be enough to get you the same place as as an average sized bowl of good weed. I'd stay away from carts since lots of times they are mixed with other oils which help it work better in the device but are really bad for your lungs to vape also they tend to be pricer than just buying the straight oil in a container. A gram of 80-90% oil here cost a little more than the standard price for an 1/8th of bud while carts cost about twice as much for the same amount of thc. If you don't want to use a dab rig you could always just buy a loadable pen for oil.

 

[ColoradoBoy90]

So are you saying 2-3 hits from the Vape cartridge on low is roughly equal to 2-3 hits from a Bowl (with the 25% THC for the stuff in the bowl and MK ULTRA for the cartridge) ?

 

[Jibult]

idk any exact mathematical terms but 1-3 hits from a bowl is almost always going to hit me harder than 1-3 hits of a vape pen. When I say vape pen, though, I'm specifically referring to cartridges. A single hit from a dab pen is going to be stronger than a hit from a bowlpiece.

I've always felt the cartridge hits were a little weak... but they more than make up for it with how easy and convenient they are to use, so even though the individual hits are less potent I tend to end up higher by taking more hits that are easier on my lungs than if I'd been smoking.


side-note: if you're unsatisfied with the way you're doing it, TRY THE PREHEAT OPTION. the hits'll come heavier and harder, but you might end up going through the cartridge a little more quickly than you usually do.

 

[Mafioso]

Depends on what metrics you want to use, but if you're going off of THC, then you'd base it off of mg of THC intake. So smoking 1 gram of 20% thc flower would result in .2g THC consumption, assuming there is 0% loss.

Smoking 1g of 70% oil will result in .7g THC consumption, assuming no loss.

So really, the variable that needs to be determined is how many licks does it take to get to the center of the tootsie pop? Oh sorry, I mean, how many hits does it take to consume a gram of each. Is one hit of oil the same weight as one hit of flower? My guess is that, by weight, one hit of flower would be greater to fill lungs to capacity compared to oil.

If you are trying to figure out how many mg THC you are getting per hit of vape cart, figure how many hits it takes you to consume 1 gram, or 1/2 gram(or any accurately measured amount), then use the same equation above(weight of product in grams x thc percentage = thc weight in grams) and divide the thc weight by the amounts of hits it took to consume. This will give you an average of how much THC you are consuming per hit, but keep in mind, the size of the hit will always vary so it's only an average. I suppose you could get technical and remove as many variables as possible except time, then base your dose size on the draw length. But no way to regulate how hard you inhale, or simple way(that I know of) to monitor this on the fly.

But yeah, you can figure an average, then from there figure low, medium, and high doses based on hit size. But again, it will be all pretty rough averages at best.

 

[Mafioso]

if you are looking for accuracy of dose, I'd look for some form of decarbed extract, that has been tested for potency, to put into capsules so dose can be ensured. Or just buy the premade capsules if it's within budget.

Also, probably a lot more variables with flower, as I doubt the THC content is evenly distributed throughout the flower, or that the thc content is the same as the joint/bowl burns(heat degrades cannabinoids, etc).

And if it's homemade vape, the mix prob isn't completely homogenized so kind of same type of variable where some hits will be stronger and some will be weaker, although degradation doesn't seem to be much of a problem in standard carts to me)).

 

[ColoradoBoy90]

It’s a pre-filled vape cartridge (size of a pen) that the stores sell. Marijuana is fully legal both medically and recreationally where I am. So nothing is homemade and the store has a good reputation.

But for the pre-heat “hold button for 15 seconds” is there really a use for it? Unless you want bigger hits at the expense of the cartridge running out much sooner?
From what I read online some people say never to use the preheat option, unless it’s really cold outside and/or you are having issues taking a normal hit. I read some people say it will make the cartridge run out much faster, which makes sense as it produces a much stronger hit (I tried it once and it was much stronger) but I assume at the expense of wasting a lot more of the oil?
Since not doing the preheat and rather just simply holding the button down for 3-5 seconds seems to be long enough to get a hit.
So if you preheat for 15 seconds that is 3+ times longer then holding it down normally in my case. So wouldn’t it burn through oil at 3 times the rate?

Also I don’t understand how it says the preheat Voltage is 1.8v. As the lowest setting is 2.7v and the highest is 3.6v. So I thought preheating would be the highest voltage, not the lowest? Unless they mean by preheating it’s adding an ADDITIONAL 1.8 volts on top of whatever setting you choose. I dunno how that works.
And is the dispensary worker correct when he told me “However long an 8th of flower would normally last you, that’s about how long the pre-filled cartridges should last you” ?

 

[Jibult]

You actually made some good points about the preheat option. Most of my experience with this stuff comes from vaping flowers (PAX3) and it's essential that I preheat. After reading your reply, though, I looked into it regarding cartridges and found some decent info on Reddit:

If you have a Vape710 cart for example, on a battery that does a 15 second pre-heat with double click (1.8v for 15 seconds)... then yes, you will waste oil and maybe burn out cart. Because it's not designed for pre-heat, so vapor/smoke comes out of the air intake holes right away!!

But on a cart that has either a pre-heating coil or a coil that supports low voltages for long fires, then you can use the double click preheat if your battery supports it and no vapor will be produced, even if you draw on it during this pre-heat

Then, when you fire normally after preheating, you will get really good clouds right away - but you can feel the noticeable heat building up on the cart/into the oil.

Probably only necessary for winter... I'm using raw distillate which is extremely thick (ie. it doesn't move if you turn it upside down and leave it there for hours) and I don't NEED to preheat on carts, I just do sometimes on ones that support it if I want huge clouds. (Right now, using Itsuwa X5 on one of their MAX batteries with preheat)

To tag onto this. Usually preheat is only needed during the winter or if your in a cold enviorment. Like I usually store mine in the room with the AC cranked and need to use the preheat the first few hits (but that's cuz it's only like 55°f in the room lol)

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

I never used a vape pen but I did use a vaporizer twice. The vaporizer high was a lot more strong than smoking a small single hit from a bowl, joint, one hitter, or bong. Also the vape high lasted for 8 hours, and while I did not get the body load like from smoking Indica herb, the high was more psychedelic. I should add that when I would smoke pot I almost always had a tolerance, and when I vaped herb I had not used any THC or anything in five or six years.

 

[Mafioso]

Marijuana is fully legal both medically and recreationally where I am. So nothing is homemade and the store has a good reputation.

unfortunately, that doesn't mean it's not cut. Many legal cart companies were using legal cutting agents- the whole game was to find a cheap, odorless, flavorless terpenes that could be used to either increase profits, increase cart performance, or both. There is also a patent out for use of Vit E in carts by a legal and licensed cannabis company.... so.... yeah. kinda sucks- don't mean to make you paranoid. If it burns your throat or hurts your lungs beyond what is "normal" for a joint, it's likely cut with some agent or a heavy amount of terps were used(most terps are harsh on the throat, and vaping should be far less harsh than smoking a joint).

for the pre-heat “hold button for 15 seconds” is there really a use for it?

well, back in my day....(like 2012ish) when carts were just starting to become popular, following dabs, it was very common practice to use 30-60% cut of PG or something similar. The oil was very runny, similar to nicotine vape fluid. Then as the market grew, things became more competitive and companies started advertising "no PG, etc" and "only cannabis and disty, 90% thc, etc", and some really would. PSA: Pure ~95% THC distillate at room temperature is nearly solid. It will blow away Dairy Queen's "Blizzard test", not moving in a upturned jar for 20 min plus at~ 65F.

So as companies become more competitive in attempts to gain their foothold, and consumers become more educated, the oil in carts became thicker, and this is where the "bubble test" comes from. After prop 64 passed in CA, which supposedly exported about 80% of the cannabis grown here at one time, many of these companies didn't get licensed and new ones started popping up all over. This is about the time people learned it's not that hard to fill them yourselves(couple thousand and now you can be a black market cart company) as well as China catching onto the trend and pumping out knock-off packaging, as they were already producing the hardware and even legit packaging for a lot of legal companies.

Long story short(sort of), there was once a time where legit oil was too thick to flow into the cart, especially in the cold but even at room temp on a warm day. This was before terpene companies really existed(large scale in the cannabis space at least), and before there were multiple products on the market like "viscosity" and "uber thicc". So if you got a legit cart, you'd need to preheat- and before they started making the preheat function standard, I used to use a lighter. The lower voltage is so it just warms the oil, not actually vaporizing it which would probably be a waste or just degrade. Most, if not all, cutting agents are not tested for, so vit E carts or squalene carts could pass CAT3 testing(highest level in CA pretty sure), although the THC % would be curiously low. Hopefully that will change, rather than just an all out ban.

If anyone is curious, or currently using products .like True Terpenes Vistcosity, I strongly recommend you read through the threads called something like "True Terpenes Viscosity is Mineral Oil" on reddit, icmag, and future4200. They were exposed as selling a product used for thinning distillate, claiming it's 100% odorless and flavorless terpenes, when really the test results were closer to mineral oil(a wide mix of compounds). And if you think this kind of fuckery is limited to 1 of the most popular terp companies, well, I also have beach front property in arizona for sell as well....

Hope this helps... and yeah it's kinda scary shit, but def major fear mongering. Truth is tho, most don't know what they are smoking with the carts. Pesticides and mold aren't really the major concern here, imo, as people have been smoking those things in flower and hash for years. There are pretty much always ways around testing... even with pesticides, herbicides and PGRS, which are tested for... just use ones that aren't tested for, as it's not a secret what they are testing for. Hopefully the end results of all this is clearly and honestly labeled ingredients, as well specifiying what can and can't go in it. But if big tobacco has anyhting to do with it, a warning label will suffice so long as acute deaths aren't happening.

 

[w01fg4ng]

back in my day....(like 2012ish) when carts were just starting to become popular

Such an epic year for the legalization movement. Good lord there was no selection back then, and what little we had it was completely overpriced.

Carts weren't even on sale recreationally until just a few years ago...

 

[Mafioso]

Such an epic year for the legalization movement. Good lord there was no selection back then, and what little we had it was completely overpriced.

Carts weren't even on sale recreationally until just a few years ago...

Yeah so much has changed so quickly. A lot of it is companies trying to survive with the dropping prices, as a lot of companies were only able to profit and exist because of the massive mark up/over price.

All things considered, **no prices** THC isn't all that bad of a deal, considering legal top shelf goes for about the same, sometimes even more, and is not only far less refined, but will probably have less THC content overall. Then again, that's assuming THC is what we are after. Looking to the future though, I don't think carts will be simply a competition of highest THC content, as a ton of research is being put into the other naturally occurring cannabinoids and methods for isolating them have already been developing, and continues to advance. Legit clean carts are so much cleaner and safer for the lungs... oh well /rant.

 

[w01fg4ng]

Yeah so much has changed so quickly. A lot of it is companies trying to survive with the dropping prices, as a lot of companies were only able to profit and exist because of the massive mark up/over price.

Yep. Flower and concentrates (with the exception of legit carts) are extremely inexpensive now.

All things considered, **no prices** THC isn't all that bad of a deal, considering legal top shelf goes for about the same, sometimes even more, and is not only far less refined, but will probably have less THC content overall. Then again, that's assuming THC is what we are after.

I strongly disagree here. **no prices please** If THC content is all the OP is concerned with, I don't understand why he is even fucking with carts at all $$$

Legit clean carts are so much cleaner and safer for the lungs... oh well /rant.

When compared to the blackmarket carts, I 100% agree with you.

 

[Mafioso]

strongly disagree here. For comparison, legit killer wax at 90% THC is about **no prices** 1/5th of the price compared to the cart. If THC content is all the OP is concerned with, I don't understand why he is even fucking with carts at all $

yeah real 90% thc extracts are priced around the same as distillate here in CA, if not far more. Even far less refined ice wax **no prices please**, it's either very fairly priced or not nearly as bad as a deal as most people think. Most wax on shelves that is around 60-70% THC would still need several stages of refining, and would be considered crude in a disty lab basically, not to mention the added hardware and equipment. Markets vary heavily from state to state currently though.

But I'm not sure how it could be 90%+ and still be "wax", either way, if it's 90%+ that's a great deal.

When compared to the blackmarket carts,

When compared to CAT3 flower, rosin, ice wax, and the majority of cannabis products meant for inhaling. Although the safety of inhaling THC is speculative on my part, it's well known that inhaling things like lipids and other compounds typically found in extracts isn't healthy. My logic is that less impurities = safer, which has some evidence behind it but it is still debatable, as it could turn out it's safer to smoke some compounds considered contaminants rather than THC itself. But we can save that debate for another thread, as not to derail any further.

 

[w01fg4ng]

But I'm not sure how it could be 90%+ and still be "wax", either way, if it's 90%+ that's a great deal.

Most wax at that price in Colorado is closer to around 80%, but I've picked some up before that was 90. You sound like you're getting ripped off in CA.

Also, that was two years ago. If the market trends continued reducing prices, it's probably even more inexpensive today.

 

[Mafioso]

10% is a pretty big difference in purity.. but even 80% would be hard to achieve without removing the "waxes", so idk what you mean by "wax". All the stuff I've seen about 70% has been "dewaxed". But w/e, I get it wolf, CO weed scene is the dopest in the nation, although I do seem to remember a time when CO once had the highest prices in the nation due to something called "pot tourism".... guess things change(like CO is no longer the only med/rec state near the bible belt), and believe it or not... cannabis prices are trending down overall, just each state currently has a unique market of supply and demand until interstate commerce is allowed, which Oregon is already working towards. But even then, prices will always vary from city to city and state to state, just like the cost of living, wages, and pretty much all commodities and services....

And all prices discussed were legal, and information is readily available to public and advertised all over on sites like weedmaps or the vendors themselves... but I guess it's still too early to discuss weed economics here.

 

[w01fg4ng]

I guess it's still too early to discuss weed economics here.

I get it, too. No harm, no foul.