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How to Use a Vape Pen


Everything you need to know to start using a vape pen, including how to turn it on, how to load it, and how to choose the best heat setting.

More and more, consumers are turning to vape pens as their preferred method for enjoying their favorite dry herb or botanical extracts. However, with a wide variety of vaporizers available on the market, many beginners are unsure of where to begin. Here we cover some of the basics of vaporizing and give you some tips for using your vape pen for the best results.

What is Vaporizing?

Vaporizing, at its most basic, is heating a vape material (dry herb, botanical extract, e-liquid, etc.) to its vaporization point, a temperature below the point when combustion occurs but hot enough to turn the active ingredients in your vape material into an inhalable vapor.

Using a vape pen allows you to take advantage of the active ingredients in your vape material without burning it, avoiding many of the toxins and carcinogens that are released by combustion when smoking.

Vaporizers use a heating source, usually called an atomizer, to turn electrical power into heat, which is then applied to your vape material to create vapor.

Advantages of a Vape Pen

One of the main benefits of a vape pen is that it allows you to enjoy your favorite botanicals without combustion, removing much of the risk from toxins and carcinogens that are released into smoke. With a vaporizer, the heat levels don’t reach high enough to burn your vape material, so the vapor you inhale contains without the same levels of harmful chemicals as smoking.

Vaporizers are also incredibly discreet compared to smoking. Because they produce vapor, instead of smoke, vapes avoid the smell of burnt botanicals that can linger in rooms and on clothes and hair that others might find offensive. Vape pens are also small, hand-held products that can be used without raising the attention of others. Since they are so small, these vapes can slide easily into your pocket, purse, or bag for use wherever vaping is allowed.

buying vape partsTypes of Vape Pens

Vape pens come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes with a number of options like variable heat, choices in atomizers, and more, meaning that there is likely a vape that would work best for you in the Medical Marijuana, Inc. store.

What is being vaped?

Vape pens are typically categorized by what type of material they are compatible with (dry herb, wax, oil, or liquid), so knowing what you intend to vape helps you choose your best vaporizer. Unsure of what type of material you will use or want a vape pen that fills multiple roles? Some vape pens are able to vape more than one type of vape material thanks to interchangeable tanks and atomizers.

Ideal heat settings

There has long been a debate over the best temperature for vaping. Low heat provides greater flavor but may lack potency. High heat increases potency at the cost of less pleasant flavor and an increased level of harmful chemicals entering your vapor. Ultimately, it is up to you what kind of vaping experience you prefer.

Some vape pens have a single, predetermined power output or heat setting. While this takes some of the thought out of vaping (making them good for beginners) variable heat settings allow you to customize your vapor to meet your preferences.

These variable heat vapes usually have a series of heat settings (usually 3-5 choices) that you can select based on the type of vapor you like. Some higher end vapes allow closer customization by allowing you to choose a specific temperature.

Button vs Buttonless Vapes

Buttonless vapes, sometimes referred to as autodraw vapes, are activated simply by taking a puff or “draw” on your vape’s mouthpiece. As you take your draw, pulling air through the vape, it will automatically activate your vape’s atomizer, heating your vape material to produce vapor. Once you stop drawing from the vape pen, it will shut off again. These types of vapes are great for beginners, and the lack of a button keeps it from accidentally turning on while in your pocket or bag.

Vapes with a button require you to push it while inhaling in order to activate the atomizer and create vapor. If your vape features variable heat, you will likely push this button a series of times to switch between heat settings. A similar series of button presses will turn your vape on and off.

first time vaping

How to Use a Vape Pen

The first thing you need to do before using your vape pen is to ensure that it is loaded with your chosen vape material. You can find how to do this in your vape’s user manual. Be sure not to overload your vape to prevent leaking.

Are you using one of our Dixie Botanicals® CBD Vape Liquid bundles? You can learn how to fill these vapes here.

You can also use a prefilled cartridge, like those sold in the Medical Marijuana, Inc. store, removing the need to fill your vape. These disposable cartridges are preloaded and contain the atomizer as part of a single unit. These cartridges can be screwed on to most 510 thread vape pens.  

Next, if your vape uses a button functionality, you might need to turn it on by clicking the button a series of times (usually 3-5). If it is an autodraw battery, then this isn’t a concern. First time using your battery? You might need to charge it before use.

When you are ready to vape, bring the vape pen up to your lips and inhale from the mouthpiece while pressing the button. If it is an autodraw battery, just inhale. After taking your puff, exhale the vapor. Some dry herb pens will need to fully heat to their specific temperature before you can inhale the vapor (usually a few minutes) and will stay hot until your dry herb is fully vaped. Be sure to read your vape’s user manual fully to understand your vape’s specific steps for use.

Some vape pens, like certain wax and dry herb vape, will need to be reloaded after each use. Others can carry enough vape material for multiple uses. The vapes in our CBD Vape Liquid bundles hold 1ml of vape liquid, enough for possibly a hundred puffs or more, depending on the length of time of each draw.

Want to Learn More About Vaping?

Visit our complete beginner’s guide to vaping here for a more in depth look at vaping, or get more from a range of topics like home cultivation, choosing the best consumption method for you, how to inhale vapor, vaporizer parts and troubleshooting, and similar topics on our education page.
