If you vape tobacco, you’re familiar with nicotine e-liquids and the cartridges that carry them. But you may not have heard of the marijuana counterpart of these mixtures, commonly referred to as liquid THC or marijuana e-liquid.
So what is cannabis e-liquid, how is it made, and is it worth the bother? Here’s a brief explanation of THC e-liquid.
Also popularly known as THC e-juice, these concoctions are made by stripping THC from dried marijuana bud, refining it, and injecting it into a plastic cartridge. The cartridge is then attached to a vape pen and vaporized, exactly like nicotine e-liquid.
THC liquid is similar to hash oil, which is easier to find and more widely used in the stoner community, but they’re made in different ways and provide somewhat different effects. Hash oil is made by soaking ground pot in a solvent chemical such as rubbing alcohol or butane, and then boiling off the remaining solvent – leaving behind a thick, smokeable resin with high THC concentrations.
Liquid THC is also made using alcohol, but instead of oil, the end product is a liquid tincture made of pot, alcohol, and glycerin. The marijuana bud is soaked in high-proof alcohol and strained, and the remaining liquid is mixed with glycerin to create the final product. A syringe is then used to inject the tincture into a small plastic cartridge that is screwed onto the tip of a vape pen.
Here’s how it works:
First, grind your weed, fine but not to a powder. Then soak the marijuana in a jar of high-proof alcohol (at least 90 percent alcohol by volume) for 10-14 days. Shake the jar once a day for 30-60 seconds. Finally, strain the alcohol through cheesecloth or a double layer of coffee filters.
The resulting tincture should be ready for vaping. Cartridges can be found at legal pot shops or online. They are generally designed to be attached to any standard vape pen on the market.
Some manufacturers add flavoring to their cannabis e-liquid, typically with essential oils, other tinctures, or artificial flavors. But be cautious and do what research you can: Some commercial vape liquids contain carcinogens. This isn’t true of straight marijuana e-liquid, since THC e-juice contains only natural THC, glycerin, and alcohol.
Vaping THC liquid can be a lot of fun. It can also be very effective for medical use, since vaping is easier on the lungs than smoking. The tincture contains highly concentrated THC, which delivers quite a punch.
But don’t expect the same high you’ll get from smoking hash oil through an oil rig. THC concentrations are similar, but the effects of such concentrates are typically stronger when they’re smoked.
If you enjoy vaping your pot, liquid THC is a great choice. It’s easier and more effective than vaping dried bud, which can be quite a hassle. And maybe best of all, you can just stick your pen and cartridge in your pocket and keep it with you all day long.
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Tell us: Have you ever tried liquid THC or standard hash oil? What did you think? Leave a comment below.
