There are a number of different reasons why marijuana users, particularly those using the drug for medical purposes, are making the switch to vaporizers in place of joints. The most obvious reason is that marijuana vaporizers are discrete, and can be used in places where smoking is not usually permitted. That’s as good a reason as any to invest in a vaporizer, but the most important reason may have to do with health as opposed to convenience. Studies have routinely shown that the vapor created when using a marijuana vaporizer is potentially less harmful than the smoke that is inhaled when puffing on a joint.

One of the earliest forms of research into this particular subject was published by California NORML way back in 2001, and the results that they delivered were considered something of a game changer. Research showed that high levels of THC could be drawn from marijuana through vaporization, a process that stopped short of heating the herb enough for it to combust and create smoke. While marijuana has long been viewed as an effective treatment for a variety of different ailments, the production of smoke when using a joint created the potential for other health concerns.

The main reason that NORML, in conjunction with MAPS, decided to sponsor this research was in response to a 1999 report that suggested marijuana may not be the best choice for medical treatment due to the health concerns brought on by the smoke. The one thing that the report clearly did not touch on was the use of marijuana vaporizers, which advocates of medical marijuana knew could make a major difference. In order to win that argument, though, concrete evidence had to be delivered, and that is exactly what happened when this research was finally published.

During the course of the study, a vaporizer known as the M1 Volatizer, which was originally used for aromatherapy purposes, was the device of choice. This marijuana vaporizer has the herb loaded into a bowl at the bottom of the unit, with a heat source from above heating up the weed to create a vapor similar to smoke. The vapor produced was thin in nature, unlike the smoke from a joint, which tends to be very thick and cloying. The study also showed that you didn’t need high temperatures to activate the THC, which meant that combustion was actually a little akin to total overkill.

A growing number of states are legalizing medical marijuana, and that means more patients looking for ways to administer their treatment in as safe a manner as possible. For some, that means going the edibles route, but for most, it is marijuana vaporizers that are the perfect solution. They get a great little device that is both stylish as well as being an effective delivery system for the marijuana that can provide the health benefits people need to feel better. The science is in, and now the technology is doing all it can to keep pace.