Vaporizer (inhalation device)

A vaporization heat wand and vaporization chamber bowl used to deliver vapor through a water pipe

A vaporizer or vaporiser is a device used to vaporize the active ingredients of plant material, commonly cannabis, tobacco, or other herbs or blends for the purpose of inhalation. However, they can be used with pure chemicals when mixed with plant material (e.g. tobacco-free nicotine).

Vaporizers contain various forms of extraction chambers including straight bore, venturi, or sequential venturi, and are made of materials such as metal or glass. The extracted vapor may be collected in an inflatable bag, or inhaled directly through a hose or pipe. With no combustion happening when used properly and cooler temperatures,[1] a significantly better efficiency in extracting the ingredients can be obtained. Hence, the irritating and harmful effects of smoking are heavily reduced,[2][3][4][5][6] as is secondhand smoke.

E-cigarette vaporizers

Main article: Electronic cigarette
Various types of electronic cigarettes.

An electronic cigarette is a battery-powered vaporizer which simulates the feeling of smoking, but without burning tobacco.[7] The three main types of e-cigarettes are cigalikes, eGos, and MODs.[8] Their use is commonly called "vaping".[9] The user activates the e-cigarette by taking a puff or pressing a button.[9][10] They are often cylindrical, but come in many variations.[11] Some look like traditional cigarettes.[12] Most are reusable but there are also disposable versions called first generation cigalikes.[13] There are also second, third, and fourth generation devices.[14][15][16] Instead of cigarette smoke, the user inhales an aerosol, commonly called vapor.[17] E-cigarettes typically have a heating element that atomizes a liquid solution known as e-liquid.[18] E-liquids usually contain propylene glycol, glycerin, water, nicotine, and flavorings.[19] E-liquids are also sold without propylene glycol, without nicotine, or without flavors.[20][21][22]

The benefits and the health risks of e-cigarettes are uncertain.[8][23][24] There is tentative evidence that they can help people quit smoking,[22] but they have not been proven better than regulated medication.[24] As of 2014, their usefulness in tobacco harm reduction is unclear,[25] but they have a potential to be part of the strategy to decrease tobacco related death and disease.[26] Their safety risk to users is similar to that of smokeless tobacco.[27] Regulated US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nicotine replacement products are safer than e-cigarettes,[25] but e-cigarettes are probably safer than smoking.[28]

Marijuana vaporizers

Vaporizers are also used to inhale marijuana. Of the studies about vaporizing marijuana, few have addressed the quality of the vapor extracted and delivered; instead, studies usually focus on the mode of usage of the vaporizers. There are 483 identifiable chemical constituents known to exist in the cannabis plant,[29] and at least 85 different cannabinoids have been isolated from the plant.[30] The aromatic terpenoids begin to vaporize at 126.0 °C (258.8 °F),[31] but the more bio-active tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN) do not vaporize until near their respective boiling points: THC 157 °C (315 °F),[32] CBD 160–180 °C (320–356 °F),[32] and CBN 185 °C (365 °F).[32]

Vaporizing is more efficient than smoking, because approximately 30% of THC in marijuana or hashish cigarettes is destroyed by pyrolysis during smoking.[33]

Medical vaporizers

A forced-air vaporizer. The detachable balloon (top) fills with vapors that are then inhaled.

Studies have shown that vaporizing cannabis exposes the user to lower levels of harmful substances than smoking cannabis.[34][35][36][37] These findings are important for it is estimated that 10–20 percent of patients with chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and HIV/AIDS have admitted to smoking cannabis for therapeutic purposes.[38] For patients, a study found that smoking cannabis sativa reduced daily pain by 34%, a statistically significant amount.[39]

In a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology in May 2008, it was stated that vaporizers were a "suitable method for the administration of THC".[40] A 2007 study by the University of California, San Francisco, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, found that "there was virtually no exposure to harmful combustion products using the vaporizing device".[5] A 2006 study performed by researchers at Leiden University found that vaporizers were "safe and effective cannabinoid delivery system(s)". The study stated that the amount of THC delivered by vaporizers were equivalent to the amount delivered by smoking.[37] Because of those studies and other studies, vaporizers are considered medically sound devices for delivering THC.[41]

Efficiency

The proposed factors affecting output include:[34][37]

Not all those have been scientifically tested. Research using vaporizers found the delivery efficiency highest at around 226 °C (439 °F), falling to about half efficiency at 150 °C (302 °F) to 180 °C (356 °F) degrees depending on material.[37] The purest preparations produced the highest efficiencies, about 56% for pure THC versus 29% for plant material (female flower tops) with 12% THCA content. Besides THC, several other cannabinoids as well as a range of other plant components including terpenoids were detected in the plant material. Using pure THC in the vaporizer, no degradation products (delta-8-THC (D8-THC), cannabinol (CBN), or unknown compounds) were detected by HPLC analysis.[37] The longer vapor is stored, the more THC is lost as it condenses on the surface of the vaporizer or the balloon. This loss may be negligible over a few minutes but may exceed 50% after 90 minutes.[37] The Leiden University study found that as much as 30–40% of inhaled THC was not absorbed by the lungs but simply exhaled. However, they did not find large individual differences in the amounts exhaled.[37]

Culinary application

Vaporizers are sometimes used by chefs as a method of applying controlled heat to herbs and spices to release flavors that are otherwise difficult to titrate or apply, or that might be spoiled by overheating during cooking.[42][43][44] Grant Achatz, chef-proprietor of Alinea in Chicago, "uses the aroma-filled bags as place-mats, punctured when plates are placed in front of the customer".[42]

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vaporizer (inhalation device).
  1. ↑ Stephen A. Greene (2002). Veterinary Anesthesia and Pain Management Secrets. 74: Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 1560534427.
  2. ↑ Earleywine M, Barnwell SS (2007). "Decreased respiratory symptoms in cannabis users who vaporize". Harm Reduction Journal 4: 11. doi:10.1186/1477-7517-4-11. PMC 1853086. PMID 17437626.
  3. ↑ "Vaporizers for Medical Marijuana". www.aids.org. Archived from the original on 2010-07-18. Retrieved 2008-07-28.
  4. ↑ Grotenhermen F (June 2001). "Harm Reduction Associated with Inhalation and Oral Administration of Cannabis and THC". Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics 1 (3 & 4): 133–152. doi:10.1300/J175v01n03_09.
  5. 1 2 Abrams DI, Vizoso HP, Shade SB, Jay C, Kelly ME, Benowitz NL (November 2007). "Vaporization as a smokeless cannabis delivery system: a pilot study" (PDF). Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 82 (5): 572–578. doi:10.1038/sj.clpt.6100200. PMID 17429350.
  6. ↑ "The Centennial Celebration – Washington, D.C. September 13–17, 1948". Science 108 (2800): 205–206. August 1948. doi:10.1126/science.108.2800.205. PMID 17821306.
  7. ↑ Caponnetto, Pasquale; Campagna, Davide; Papale, Gabriella; Russo, Cristina; Polosa, Riccardo (2012). "The emerging phenomenon of electronic cigarettes". Expert Review of Respiratory Medicine 6 (1): 63–74. doi:10.1586/ers.11.92. ISSN 1747-6348. PMID 22283580.
  8. 1 2 Ebbert, Jon O.; Agunwamba, Amenah A.; Rutten, Lila J. (2015). "Counseling Patients on the Use of Electronic Cigarettes". Mayo Clinic Proceedings 90 (1): 128–134. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2014.11.004. ISSN 0025-6196. PMID 25572196.
  9. 1 2 Orellana-Barrios, Menfil A.; Payne, Drew; Mulkey, Zachary; Nugent, Kenneth (2015). "Electronic cigarettes-a narrative review for clinicians". The American Journal of Medicine. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2015.01.033. ISSN 0002-9343. PMID 25731134.
  10. ↑ Rahman MA, Hann N, Wilson A, Worrall-Carter L (2014). "Electronic cigarettes: patterns of use, health effects, use in smoking cessation and regulatory issues". Tob Induc Dis 12 (1): 21. doi:10.1186/1617-9625-12-21. PMC 4350653. PMID 25745382.
  11. ↑ Grana, R; Benowitz, N; Glantz, SA (13 May 2014). "E-cigarettes: a scientific review.". Circulation 129 (19): 1972–86. doi:10.1161/circulationaha.114.007667. PMC 4018182. PMID 24821826.
  12. ↑ Pepper, J. K.; Brewer, N. T. (2013). "Electronic nicotine delivery system (electronic cigarette) awareness, use, reactions and beliefs: a systematic review". Tobacco Control 23 (5): 375–384. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051122. ISSN 0964-4563. PMID 24259045.
  13. ↑ Bhatnagar, A.; Whitsel, L. P.; Ribisl, K. M.; Bullen, C.; Chaloupka, F.; Piano, M. R.; Robertson, R. M.; McAuley, T.; Goff, D.; Benowitz, N. (24 August 2014). "Electronic Cigarettes: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association". Circulation 130 (16): 1418–1436. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000107. PMID 25156991.
  14. ↑ Hayden McRobbie (2014). "Electronic cigarettes" (PDF). National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training. pp. 1–16.
  15. ↑ Farsalinos KE, Spyrou A, Tsimopoulou K, Stefopoulos C, Romagna G, Voudris V (2014). "Nicotine absorption from electronic cigarette use: Comparison between first and new-generation devices". Scientific Reports 4: 4133. doi:10.1038/srep04133. PMC 3935206. PMID 24569565.
  16. ↑ Konstantinos Farsalinos. "Electronic cigarette evolution from the first to fourth generation and beyond" (PDF). gfn.net.co. Global Forum on Nicotine. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  17. ↑ Cheng, T. (2014). "Chemical evaluation of electronic cigarettes". Tobacco Control 23 (Supplement 2): ii11–ii17. doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051482. ISSN 0964-4563. PMC 3995255. PMID 24732157.
  18. ↑ Weaver, Michael; Breland, Alison; Spindle, Tory; Eissenberg, Thomas (2014). "Electronic Cigarettes". Journal of Addiction Medicine 8 (4): 234–240. doi:10.1097/ADM.0000000000000043. ISSN 1932-0620. PMID 25089953.
  19. ↑ Cooke, Andrew; Fergeson, Jennifer; Bulkhi, Adeeb; Casale, Thomas B. (2015). "The Electronic Cigarette: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly". The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice 3 (4): 498–505. doi:10.1016/j.jaip.2015.05.022. ISSN 2213-2198. PMID 26164573.
  20. ↑ Oh, Anne Y.; Kacker, Ashutosh (December 2014). "Do electronic cigarettes impart a lower potential disease burden than conventional tobacco cigarettes?: Review on e-cigarette vapor versus tobacco smoke". The Laryngoscope 124 (12): 2702–2706. doi:10.1002/lary.24750. PMID 25302452.
  21. ↑ Brandon, T. H.; Goniewicz, M. L.; Hanna, N. H.; Hatsukami, D. K.; Herbst, R. S.; Hobin, J. A.; Ostroff, J. S.; Shields, P. G.; Toll, B. A.; Tyne, C. A.; Viswanath, K.; Warren, G. W. (2015). "Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems: A Policy Statement from the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology" (PDF). Clinical Cancer Research 21: 514–525. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-14-2544. ISSN 1078-0432. PMID 25573384.
  22. 1 2 McRobbie, Hayden; Bullen, Chris; Hartmann-Boyce, Jamie; Hajek, Peter; McRobbie, Hayden (2014). "Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation and reduction". The Cochrane Library 12: CD010216. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD010216.pub2. PMID 25515689.
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  24. 1 2 Harrell, PT; Simmons, VN; Correa, JB; Padhya, TA; Brandon, TH (4 June 2014). "Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ("E-cigarettes"): Review of Safety and Smoking Cessation Efficacy.". Otolaryngology—head and neck surgery : official journal of American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery 151: 381–393. doi:10.1177/0194599814536847. PMID 24898072.
  25. 1 2 Drummond, MB; Upson, D (February 2014). "Electronic cigarettes. Potential harms and benefits.". Annals of the American Thoracic Society 11 (2): 236–42. doi:10.1513/annalsats.201311-391fr. PMID 24575993.
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  28. ↑ Golub, Justin S.; Samy, Ravi N. (2015). "Preventing or reducing smoking-related complications in otologic and neurotologic surgery". Current Opinion in Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery 23 (5): 334–340. doi:10.1097/MOO.0000000000000184. ISSN 1068-9508. PMID 26339963.
  29. ↑ "What chemicals are in marijuana and its byproducts?". ProCon.org. 2009. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
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  31. ↑ "Methods of Medicating with Marijuana". evaluationtoday.com. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
  32. 1 2 3 McPartland JM, Russo EB (2001). "Cannabis and cannabis extracts: greater than the sum of their parts?" (PDF). Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics 1 (3/4): 103–132. doi:10.1300/J175v01n03_08.
  33. ↑ Marilyn A. Huestis; Michael L. Smith (2007), "Human Cannabinoid Pharmacokinetics and Interpretation of Cannabinoid Concentrations in Biological Fluids and Tissues", in Mahmoud A. ElSohly, Marijuana and the Cannabinoids, Humana Press, pp. 205–235
  34. 1 2 Gieringer, Dale; St. Laurent, Joseph; Goodrich, Scott (9 February 2004). "Cannabis Vaporizer Combines Efficient Delivery of THC with Effective Suppression of Pyrolytic Compounds" (PDF). Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics (Haworth Press) 4 (1): 7–27. doi:10.1300/J175v04n01_02. Retrieved June 20, 2010.
  35. ↑ "Marijuana Vaporizer Provides Same Level Of THC, Fewer Toxins, Study Shows", Official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology (summarized by Science Daily) (2007-05-16)". Sciencedaily.com. 2007-05-16. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  36. ↑ "Cal NORML/MAPS Study Shows Vaporizer Can Drastically Reduce Toxins in Marijuana Smoke". Canorml.org. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  37. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hazekamp A, Ruhaak R, Zuurman L, van Gerven J, Verpoorte R (June 2006). "Evaluation of a vaporizing device (Volcano) for the pulmonary administration of tetrahydrocannabinol". Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 95 (6): 1308–17. doi:10.1002/jps.20574. PMID 16637053.
  38. ↑ "Biomechanics Of Vaporizers". VN. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  39. ↑ Barohn, Richard (2013). Peripheral Neuropathies, An Issue of Neurologic Clinics. Elsevier. ISBN 978-1455771226.
  40. ↑ Zuurman L; Roy C; Schoemaker RC; et al. (September 2008). "Effect of intrapulmonary tetrahydrocannabinol administration in humans". Journal of Psychopharmacology 22 (7): 707–16. doi:10.1177/0269881108089581. PMID 18515447.
  41. ↑ Gieringer DH (June 2001). "Cannabis 'Vaporization'". Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics 1 (3 & 4): 153–170. doi:10.1300/J175v01n03_10.
  42. 1 2 Bob Gledhill. "Alinea restaurant uses Volcano as flavorizer". Caterersearch.com. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  43. ↑ "Tools for creating aromatic flavors". Chow.com. 2007-01-18. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
  44. ↑ "Volcano used to release nutmeg aroma". Rimag.com. Archived from the original on 2009-01-24. Retrieved 2011-02-23.
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