A Breakdown of Weed Pen Types: Which One Suits You?

A Breakdown of Weed Pen Types: Which One Suits You?

Using marijuana is one of those activities that is still in a societal gray area, especially when you take it for recreation. To prevent awkward conversations and unnecessary explanations, the industrious cannabis market has produced many discrete methods to enjoy cannabis. And weed pens remain one of the most popular choices for enjoying weed discreetly.

In this article, we will be doing a breakdown of what a weed pen is, why it works so well in helping people enjoy weed discreetly, and all you need to know to choose the right one for you.

What is a Weed Pen?

Weed pen, vaporizer pen, and vape pen are all different names that mean the same product. They are small devices that are often shaped like a pen (a fat pen) that vaporizes cannabis extracts for us to inhale.

They work through a simple system that uses a coil, the heating element to heat cannabis oil or concentrate to release THC, CBD, and terpenes in vapor form for you to inhale. A battery in the pen supplies the power needed to provide the heat. Additionally, there’s a heating chamber or a cartridge that holds the cannabis extract or e-liquid and a mouthpiece that you can inhale through.

All vaporizers work in the same way, but weed pens are particularly designed to be portable and inconspicuous.

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Are THC Vape Pens and Weed Pens the same?

In your search for a vape pen, you will often see THC vape pens and weed vape pens used interchangeably. THC means tetrahydrocannabinol, and it is one of the psychoactive compounds found in weed buds.

THC is primarily responsible for the ‘high’ experience of weed. It gives an intense feeling of joy, alters the perception of space and time and enhances the enjoyment of food, music, etc.

Since weed pens tend to be used for recreation when you are hanging out with friends or at parties — people tend to use THC oils with their pens. Therefore, the name THC pens tends to be used in place of weed pens. Plus, doesn’t “pass me the THC pen” sound more discreet than “pass me the weed pen?”

What are the different types of weed pens?

It’s time to introduce the different types of weed pens on the market. They mostly differ in the type of cannabis extract they work with, e.g., oil vs wax or their method of operations, e.g., disposable vs refillable vape pens. Before you ask, we will discuss each of them and how they differ from the rest.

Oil Cartridge Vape Pens

The most popular vape pens for weed are oil cartridge vape pens. And the cartridge in the name is the star of the show. The cartridges hold the oil (an extract of weed) and can be easily swapped out of the vape pen for a new one when it runs out of oil.

As you can imagine, oil cartridge vape pens are very convenient to use as you don’t have to touch the oils or ground up weed to feed the heating chamber. And you can enjoy a consistent vaping experience and flavor with no fuss.

Wax Pen Vaporizers

Wax vape pens let you enjoy stronger hits and deeper flavors of cannabis by using concentrated extracts called wax. They are also called dab pens and also work with other cannabis concentrates like shatter and budder.

Unlike oil cartridge pens that vaporize a liquid, wax pens heat up solid concentrates to release vapor directly. Wax pens are favorites of experienced users who seek specific intensity of highs and enjoy the experience of the strong cannabis flavors it releases.

Dry Herb Vaporizers

Rather than extracts like oils or wax, dry herb vapes use good old cannabis flowers. The flowers/buds are then ground and fed into the heating chamber to be vaporized.

This is a process that requires more prep to process the weed buds and then move ground buds into buds. Therefore, you might ask why anyone would not rather opt for the convenience and tidiness of oil and wax pens, and the answer is simple — the flavor.

Humans prioritize flavors in every drink and food we take in. Cannabis has a rich and natural herb flavor that users often find themselves missing with vaporizers. Dry herb vapes solve that problem by still offering vape pens’ discretion without sacrificing the inhaling’s richness.

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Pod Vape Pens

Pod vape pens are for those who want to take discretion in the highest regard. They are way more simple and are often much smaller than other vape pens.

While there are refillable pod vape pens, disposable ones are the most common. They use a “draw-activated” mechanism where the extract is vaporized by the action of your drawing on its mouthpiece. Therefore, they need smaller batteries which in turn makes it possible to design them in very small and thin shapes.

The sleekness of pod vape pens comes at a bit of a cost, though, as they are often harder to source; you can check out Vert dispensaries online to get one though.

How long does a weed pen last?

You can expect a weed pen to last several months to several years before you might need to repair or change it. And the duration depends on several factors. For one, cheaply made pens would not last as long as they would break down faster.

The frequency of your usage as well as maintenance, and storage, also contributes a lot to how long your vape pen lasts. Cleaning the parts regularly, ideally after every use, will help you get the most out of your smoking pen — you need to pay attention to the battery connections and clean out the heating chamber.

The quality of the herb or oils you use can also affect the longevity of vape pens since high-quality concentrates and buds leave behind less buildup.

How to Pick the Best Weed Pen for You

Now that you are caught up on what a weed pen is and how it works, we should touch on how to go about picking the best weed vape for you. While the variety of vape pens available gives us options, you still cannot have it all, and choosing one requires you to be aware of your priorities. Here are a few factors that can help you narrow down those options:

Cannabis Extracts

Do you have any major preferences on the types of extract your pen uses? If you are coming from smoking joints and you have a soft spot for the natural flavors you might end up missing it if you opt for an oil cartridge or wax pen.

On the other hand, if you are familiar with tinctures or have a history with concentrates, you might not be satisfied with the experience of oils and dry buds, in which case you should stick to wax vape pens.

Discretion

Where do you intend to primarily use your weed pen? If you are getting one for use in social gatherings, then you should prioritize smaller sizes and sleeker designs. However, this often comes at the expense of advanced features.

Convenience

Do you have time to feed your heating chamber with dry herbs after grinding it? Or are you taking your vape on a trip where you might not have access to electricity? These are some of the conveniences you should take into consideration before buying a vape pen.

For example, if you tend to take your vape pen on trips, you might want to consider buying one with a bigger battery. On the other hand, wax vape pens deliver stronger hits per drag and, therefore, require less power to get you high. But you need experience to know how much you can handle before trying out wax and other concentrates.