The future of cannabis consumption is here, and it comes in the form of a laser vaporizer, also known as a laser bong.
While every aspect of our lives is moving forward with the aid of ever-evolving technologies, from entertainment to food preparation to communication, there’s no reason devices for smoking dry flowers and other herbal options shouldn’t evolve as well. And with more states legalizing the recreational use of the green herb, the technology behind how it is being consumed has significantly advanced, especially in recent years.
One area of advancement for the dry herb vaporizer, water bong, and dab rig is in the combustion technology, or more specifically, how the dry herb is being burned or vaporized. In this case, we are using a laser. Yes, we are in the age of the laser herb vaporizer, and it is looking good.
In recent years, we have seen an explosion of new devices in the market designed for consuming dry flowers and other herbal alternatives, including portable vaporizers for cannabis flowers. And as more new devices enter the market, we are discovering cleaner, safer, and healthier ways to consume our favorite greens. The newest of these devices, of course, is the device that uses a laser for smoking herbs. But what is it, exactly? And how does it work?
What exactly is a laser vaporizer?
A laser vaporizer, also referred to as a laser bong, is not that dissimilar to traditional vaporizers and bongs in the sense that they have the same basic components. Their functionality is the same as well.
The main difference between laser bongs and traditional bongs is in how the flower or herb is heated and vaporized. Traditional bongs and vaporizers either use an open flame or some type of heating element to combust the dry herb so it produces the smoke that is then consumed through inhalation.
With laser bongs, on the other hand, there is typically a 3-part cylinder that holds a small water chamber, a bowl, or some type of chamber that holds the dry flower or other herbal option, and the technological innovation that everyone is going crazy about—the laser igniter. Yes, instead of an open flame or a heating element, laser vaporizers use high concentrations of light to vaporize your mighty green salad.
Looks-wise, laser bongs are cool. They’re three fire emojis cool. But this is not just about the cool factor or the appearance of the device. The use of lasers to ignite the smoking material is more than a gimmick; there are advantages to using lasers rather than traditional open flames and heating elements to vaporize dry herbs.
This is not like the plasma bong, which is designed to provide an admittedly impressive light show to cannabis enthusiasts. Laser bong technology offers something more practical in terms of functionality and efficiency.
The so-called health benefits of traditional dry herb vaporizers
There is no doubt whatsoever that dry herb or extract vaping has some health benefits and that it is safer than the traditional means of cannabis consumption, which is combustion. Smoking anything by burning it is just not healthy. You’re inhaling anything and everything through the smoke, including chemicals and byproducts that are just not good for you. And for that reason, vaping is indeed safer when compared to smoking.
Now, even though dry herb and extract vaping has health benefits, current vaporizer technologies typically use some type of heating element made of either ceramics or metal alloys to vaporize the dry flower. This heating process is known as conduction heating. While the process is indeed safer compared to smoking through combustion, some metal alloys can release lead and other hazardous heavy metals when heated to a specific temperature.
Ingesting small quantities of heavy metals, while not immediately fatal, can lead to various health problems such as high blood pressure, kidney disease, and even brain damage according to health studies. Additionally, certain studies have also shown that terpenes can naturally dissolve even quality metals and metal alloys, resulting in the release of heavy metal toxins that can be harmful to your health.
As such, cannabis concentrates and extracts that contain higher levels of terpenes have the most potential to release significant levels of heavy metal toxins into your lungs through metal coils, plates, and bowls. While not immediate, this adverse effect can take hold over time with extended periods of contact.
Finally, in addition to heating metal alloys and releasing potentially harmful chemicals and other toxins, many conventional dab rigs, which are high-temperature devices used for vaporizing solid or waxy concentrates, can reach significantly high temperatures of up to 500° Celsius or 932° Fahrenheit. Reaching these high temperatures is quite possible, especially if you’re not using an electric nail that has built-in temp control. If you’re only using a blow torch to heat your nail, then you have no way of knowing the kind of temperatures you’re exposing yourself to.
So why is 500° Celsius important? Well, it’s important because it’s hot enough for the terpenes contained in your cannabis concentrate or extracts to be converted into benzene and other hazardous poisons. These chemicals, at high levels, can cause immune system failure, blood disease, and cancer.
The benefits of laser vaporizers and why they’re so popular
Cannabis and lasers are two things that you would never think to put together. They just seem so far apart that combining them would be absurd, don’t you think? But the fact of the matter is it works. Cannabis and lasers do belong together, with the laser serving as the heat source for vaporizing dry flowers, extracts, and other herbal options.
The following are some of the benefits of using laser vaporizers. These are the reasons why they are so popular among cannabis enthusiasts nowadays:
They provide a much cleaner vaping experience
One of the biggest challenges that traditional bong users face is the almost immediate residue build-up on the interior surface of their bong. This happens with water pipes and conventional dry herb vaporizers as well. This can lead to an unpleasant experience for everyone.
Using a laser beam in place of a heating element or a torch to vaporize extracts and dry herbs can make an enormous difference in terms of the overall experience. The result is cleaner vapor and a bong interior surface that is far easier to clean since you don’t have to deal with thick residue build-up and gunk.
They allow for safer cannabis consumption
Conventional dry herb vaporizers are already safer than open-flame bongs and dab rigs, but laser vaporizers offer an additional layer of safety in the sense that they use light instead of fire to vaporize extracts and herbs.
Butane fumes are often present in traditional bongs that require butane torches for combustion or dab rigs that require torches to heat the nail. Butane fumes can cause eye irritations as well as lung tissue damage when inhaled.
Laser bongs don’t need butane torches to heat up whatever material is placed in the heating chamber. This means users can benefit from a healthier alternative for consuming their favorite herb variety or extract. It also allows them to avoid inhaling unwanted chemicals.
They offer a clean and pure flavor experience
If you’re the kind of person who enjoys tasting herbs and likes to pick the flavors apart and enjoy them, then laser vaporizers should be on your wish list. Laser light doesn’t produce any aftertaste. It doesn’t affect or change the natural flavors that are inherent to your variety of herbs or extracts. All it does is project a concentrated beam of light to the material to vaporize it, so the natural flavors and aroma of your cannabis will be released, in vapor form.
Laser bongs provide you with the pleasure of experiencing the pure flavors and aroma of your favorite strain, without the aftertaste or the irritating odor of butane fumes.
They are environmentally friendly
Yes, laser bongs are environmentally friendly in a sense. They don’t use butane torches that produce harmful chemicals into the air and they don’t combust dry materials that also produce harmful toxins and chemicals into the air.
Laser bongs are designed to be efficient and are powered by rechargeable batteries with quick charging capabilities. A single charge can provide up to 250 or 280 uses, depending on the make and model. For example, Hitoki’s Trident laser bong can be charged to 100% in less than two hours. And it can provide more than 280 uses on a single charge. That is how efficient these devices are, and they will continue to become better as the technology continues to evolve.
They are innovative and aesthetically pleasing
Traditional glass bongs, water pipes, and dab rigs look cool. There is no denying that. But laser vaporizers, with their sleek design and refreshing aesthetics, just look way cooler in my opinion. The innovation and sophistication that comes with these modern devices are impressive, but the best part is that they’re not that complicated to use. Yes, they can be a bit intimidating to a new user, but once you figure out how they work and how to operate them, it’s happy sailing from there.
So, there you go. Those are the main benefits of laser bongs, benefits that could also be the reason such devices have become so popular among cannabis enthusiasts. If you’re looking for a good device to begin your journey of switching from traditional butane bongs to laser bongs, check out the Hitoki Trident. It is expensive, not gonna lie. But it is worth the investment.
Sources:
https://herb.co/guides/5-reasons-to-switch-to-laser-bongs/
https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/20/23500415/laser-bong-420-nice-hitoki-saber
https://hitoki.com/blogs/news/why-laser-bongs-are-now-the-best-way-to-smoke
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