By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
Electronically driven vaporizers deliver cannabinoids in a relatively safe and reliable manner, according to data published in the journal PLOS ONE.
Swiss investigators evaluated the ability of various types of vaporizer technologies to safely and effectively release THC and CBD (cannabidiol) in vapor. Researchers reported that electronically driven devices, which allow for precise temperature control, were able to provide for relatively safe and uniform dosing. By contrast, gas-powered devices performed in a more unreliable manner and “cannot be recommended for therapeutic purposes.”
Authors concluded, “[T]he four electrically-driven and temperature-controlled vaporizers investigated in this study efficiently decarboxylate acidic cannabinoids and release reliably the corresponding neutral cannabinoids into the vapor. Therefore, they can be considered as a promising application mode for the safe and efficient administration of medicinal cannabis and cannabinoids.”
Vaporizer technology seeks to heat marijuana to a point where cannabinoid vapors form, but below the point of combustion. In clinical trials, investigators have concluded that vaporization “does not result in exposure to combustion gases” and produces higher plasma concentrations of THC compared to smoked cannabis.
The full text of the study, Medicinal Cannabis: “In vitro validation of vaporizers for the smoke-free inhalation of cannabis,” appears online here.
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