Vaping vs. Smoking Cannabis: Which is Better?

Fact: vaping cannabis is just as popular as the classic sparking of a joint or blunt.  In fact, vaping weed is fast, easy, and much more discreet than giving off that all-too-familiar weed smell.  The question remains, however, which consumption method is superior?  Vaping or smoking?

To help you figure this out, we've taken everything we know about the two consumption methods and placed them in a head-to-head match up.  In today's guide, let's break down which option produces a better high, which is better for stealth blazing, which is the best bang for your buck, and much more.  So let's find our favorite BLVK Label strain and get right into it!

VAPING VS. SMOKING WEED: THE ULTIMATE FACE OFF

THE FLAVOR EXPERIENCE

While we are a vaping company, we'll try to keep this as unbiased as possible.  After all, we're fundamentally stoners that enjoy a good buzz regardless of how we go about consuming it.  When it comes to flavor, vaping tends to provide a more balanced and distinct flavor than smoking can provide.  Combustion of burning anything tends to destroy the subtleties and taste of each individual strain.  And the higher temperatures used while smoking depletes terpenes that give your favorite strains its distinct taste and smell.

By vaping cannabis concentrates, whether it's distillate like BLVK Label or some of the live resin varieties you'd typically find at dispensaries, you should find it easier to pick up on the different terpenes and flavor profiles of the strain.

THE HIGH EXPERIENCE

Let's just get this out of the way: if you are consuming cannabis, you will get high.  It doesn't matter how it's consumed - if you smoke it, vape it, eat it, rub it on your skin, or take it sublingually, you will experience the psychoactive high the THC consistently delivers.  This being said, whether you choose to vape it or smoke it, you will experience an incredible, but vastly different high between the two.

When vaping cannabis, the high feels cleaner and lighter of a high.  Sure, you'll be faded, but you won't be debilitatingly glued to the couch.  Some of the more high-functioning stoners prefer vaping as you're still able to retain a degree of functionality despite being high.

Now, this not necessarily a knock on smoking cannabis.  Sometimes, people simply like smoking dry herb because of the high they're trying to achieve.  Smoking bud typically delivers intense and euphoric feelings that come on significantly faster than vaping.  This is because those same higher temperatures of burning cannabis equates to sacrificing flavor, while simultaneously firing off all the cannabinoids, thus getting you higher, faster.

If your preference is to get as high as a kite in a relatively short amount of time, smoking is your best bet.

THE DISCREET EXPERIENCE

THE SOCIAL EXPERIENCE

Let's be real: blazing with your homies is significantly more fun than blazing it solo.  The ritual of grinding your bud, packing it into a bowl, then puffing passing around the piece in a circle is a very sacred experience - and quite frankly, if you don't do this, are you really a stoner?

Unfortunately, the social experience of sharing your weed isn't much of a thing when it comes to vaping.  Sure, vaping delivers a tastier and more discreet experience.  But there's something about sharing your bud amongst your close homies that truly takes the cake.  And sure, the discreet experience is completely off the table if you're smoking in a circle, but at that point, who cares what you're doing as long as you're with your friends, right?

THE MAINTENANCE EXPERIENCE

Despite all of the vaping benefits we listed above, the preference doesn't come without its drawbacks.  This is where smoking cannabis really shines.  After all, all you'd really need to worry about is how to dispose of your roach or clean out your bowl after you're done.  When it comes to vaping cannabis, the maintenance expectation tends to turn people off.

Just vaping alone you run the risk of your cartridge clogging, leaking, or having the battery die when you need it most.  Should you be using a dry herb vaporizer, cleaning the insides of the machine needs to be done in such a way that wouldn't compromise the functionality of the device.  Despite the maintenance requirement of the hardware, the act itself isn't difficult but rather, much more tedious to go about doing so.

THE FINANCIAL EXPERIENCE

There isn't much of a difference between vaping and smoking when it comes to physically getting the products.  Assuming you are purchasing your cannabis from licensed dispensaries in whatever state that legalizes it, you could be hit with a series of taxes that would make the entire activity of acquisition a little more expensive over buying it illegally off the streets.  And this uptick in costs accounts for both smokable flower and vapeable cannabis concentrates.

How much this weed ends up costing you really comes down to how much you are consuming and how frequently you are blazing at any one time.  Smoking flower typically works out to be slightly cheaper than vaping mainly because of the items required to engage in your smoking routine are significantly less expensive.  For example, if you prefer smoking joints, all you'd need is the flower from a dispensary, rolling papers, and a lighter.

While vaping cannabis is a tastier and more discreet experience, the cost of acquiring a BLVK Label disposable or even your run-of-the-mill THC cartridges tend to lean a little higher to account for the hardware.  The cost difference isn't too drastic, but if money is tight, it might not be wise to blow your funds on a vape.

THE HEALTH IMPACT EXPERIENCE

There is a very clear winner when it comes to comparing the long-term effects of consuming cannabis.  While the plant itself does not produce any adverse side effects that can jeopardize your health, the way in which you consume weed can leave a lasting impact on your health.

Smoking fundamentally burns cannabis.  From there you would inhale the smoke to achieve your high.  While cannabis itself doesn't produce any adverse side effects the way in which smoking tobacco can, the actual act of smoking anything still puts enormous strain on your lungs and respiratory system.

Technically speaking, while vaping may be safer in that you are inhaling vapor as opposed to smoke, there are still health risks associated with it.  Respiratory issues will always exist should you choose to inhale anything; so please exercise a degree of discretion if and when you start to notice anything out of the ordinary when it comes to your blazing habit.

the clear winner: it depends

While vaping cannabis tends to have its benefits over smoking, there is no clear winner of which consumption method is superior.  It simply comes down to preference!  There are some days where vaping on BLVK Label is the move.  But there are other days where I'm feeling like exploring down a rabbit hole of endless Netflix shows while enjoying Seth Rogen's HOUSEPLANT flower.  People's cannabis routines are vastly different from one another, so regardless of where your loyalties lie, at least now you have all the information you need to make a conscious decision to enjoy high-quality cannabis from reputable brands.

If you've been on the fence about living a cannabis-laden lifestyle, here if your invitation to check out BLVK Label.  We have six exotic strain crosses, each delivering a top-tier cannabis experience suitable for virtually any lifestyle.  Find us at your local dispensary all across Oklahoma now!