About Vaping: 101

1. What’s the difference between vaping, vaporizing, and smoking cannabis?

‘Smoking’ cannabis is the process of lighting dried cannabis flower and inhaling it, typically by using a pipe or a joint.

‘Vaporizing’ refers to the combustion of dried flower, using a vaporizer. Only the trichomes (including the cannabinoids and terpenes) are turned into vapour and inhaled, not the plant matter itself.

‘Vaping’ occurs when a cannabis liquid extract is heated up at a precise temperature and produces a vapour which is inhaled using a vape. Since combustion does not take place when you vape, the lower temperature showcases the terpenes or flavours present in a vape.

2. What’s the difference between full spectrum and distillate (High THC) vapes?

Full spectrum extract delivers the full range and widest variety of naturally occurring compounds, including cannabinoids and terpenes, found in the original dried flower. This results in a product which features a flavourful experience derived from the original dried flower.

Distillate is product resulting from the further processing (distillation) of cannabis extract. This process increases the concentration of cannabinoids and often removes any undesirable plant matter, including tanins and waxes. Flavonoids, terpenes, and other compounds characteristics of the original dried flower are removed in favour of concentrating CBD or THC. This results in a product which is high in potency of cannabinoids.

3. Does vaping cannabis smell?

Since there is no combustion used in the vaping process, vaping cannabis extract produces a vapour rather than smoke. If you’re vaping a full spectrum vape, you may notice a faint terpene-fragrant odour depending on how large of a draw you take. So, yes, it can produce a smell, but it’s less than when dried flower is smoked.

4. What is the average onset time for vaping? Is there a difference in onset time between a full spectrum vs. distillate (High THC) vape?

When cannabis is inhaled, it’s absorbed directly into the bloodstream and its effects are felt within seconds to minutes. Since there is a higher concentration of cannabinoids in distillate (High THC) vapes, the average onset time may be quicker than vaping a full spectrum product.

It’s important to remember that everyone’s body reacts differently to cannabis products, and extracts may have stronger effects than those of dried flower because of their concentration. The strength of an individual pull may also affect how much is inhaled per puff, which will also affect onset time.

5. How long will my vape cartridge last?

There is no sure way of knowing how long a vape cartridge will last because each person puffs differently. Some people might draw longer and harder, while others might prefer taking shorter, less intense pulls.

6. Why is there no vapour when I take my first draw?

Your first draw on the vape pen activates the heating elements, so it might create less vapour initially. But once the device starts to heat up, you’ll notice a difference.

7. Is there any maintenance required to keep my vape working at its best?

After you’ve threaded the vape cartridge (clockwise) onto a compatible 510 cannabis vaping battery, you’re ready to start. To keep your vape working at its best, it’s important to store your device in the upright position (mouthpiece upwards) at room temperature, allowing it to cool down entirely between uses, so it does not overheat the hardware.

8. Is vaping safe?

Health Canada governs the primary rules for testing and quality control for cannabis vapes to ensure harmful substances are kept out of each step of manufacturing. Furthermore, each province and territory in Canada has its own set of regulations licensed producers are required to follow in vape manufacturing to ensure safety.

Health Canada advises Canadians who use vaping products to monitor themselves for symptoms of pulmonary illness (e.g., cough, shortness of breath, chest pain) and to seek medical attention promptly if they have concerns about their health.

About Pure Sunfarms Vapes

9. Why is Pure Sunfarms not offering batteries for vape cartridges?

We aim to keep it simple for you. Pure Sunfarms vape cartridges are universally compatible with a standard 510 battery made for cannabis vaping, which are widely available at licensed cannabis retailers online and in your community. Please ensure your battery voltage is at 3.7v or lower for optimal performance.

10. How do I dispose of my Pure Sunfarms vape cartridge? Is it recyclable?

Rather than throwing them in the garbage, the best way to dispose of your vape cartridges and dead batteries is through your local electronic waste drop-off location. Or better yet, many local cannabis retailers participate in a vape cartridge recycling program – you can recycle them there.

11. Does Pure Sunfarms use Vitamin E acetate in vape products?

No. You will not find Vitamin E acetate in our products. Otherwise known as alpha-Tocopheryl acetate, Vitamin E acetate is a synthetic form of Vitamin E, often found in unregulated vaping liquids to dilute the oil.

About Full Spectrum Vapes

12. What Full Spectrum Vapes does Pure Sunfarms offer?

Pure Sunfarms is excited to offer Full Spectrum 510 Thread Cartridges made with strain-specific, BC-grown, whole flower. Each cartridge features 0.5g of White Rhino, Island Honey, Headband, Pennywise 1:1 or Pure Sun CBD full spectrum extract.

13. What’s in Pure Sunfarms Full Spectrum Vapes?

Pure Sunfarms Full Spectrum Vapes include one ingredient, and one ingredient only: BC-grown, whole flower extract. The cannabis oil in our full spectrum vapes is never reformulated, drawing the naturally-occurring components (cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc.) from the original dried flower, and nothing else. Just pure BC cannabis, providing smooth, clean flavour with every pull.

Our 510 Thread Cartridges feature stainless steel, a glass reservoir, and a ceramic coil, including a tapered ceramic mouthpiece to minimize heat transfer while maintaining flavour.

14. What is “full spectrum”?

At Pure Sunfarms, we define ‘full spectrum’ as cannabis oil that is never reformulated after undergoing the extraction process. This definition encompasses a few important criteria for Pure Sunfarms:

The initial input going into extraction begins with strain-specific, whole dried flower,
The resulting cannabis oil draws the naturally-occurring components (i.e. cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc.) from the original dried flower,
There is no reformulation of the cannabis oil after extraction, and
Nothing is added into the final product (i.e. no botanical ingredients, no flavouring agents, no thinning agents, no additional cannabinoids).

Because there is no official definition of ‘full spectrum’ provided by regulators in Canada, there can be differing opinions regarding how this term is used across the cannabis industry. At Pure Sunfarms, we care deeply about this topic. Our extraction scientists have developed our definition of full spectrum from an in-depth analysis of peer-reviewed scientific articles. We’ve listed a few here for those are interested in digging deeper on this subject:

15. What extraction method is used for Pure Sunfarms Full Spectrum Vapes?

There are several different methods used to concentrate the chemical compounds from a cannabis plant. We are currently transitioning the production of our Full Spectrum Vapes from a co-manufacturing partner to our in-house extraction team. Extraction performed in-house at Pure Sunfarms for vape products uses a C02 extraction method while our co-manufacturing partner uses ethanol extraction.

While we undergo this transition, you can identify which extraction method has been used based on the manufacturer of your Full Spectrum product on the packaging label.

About High THC Vapes

16. What High THC Vapes does Pure Sunfarms offer?

Pure Sunfarms offers a High THC Vape with 890-950mg/g of THC. Each High THC Vape features cannabis distillate with a high concentration of cannabinoids, and nothing else – no alternative botanical ingredients, no flavouring agents, no thinning agents, and no additional cannabinoids. Available in 0.5g and 1g 510 cartridges.

17. What’s in Pure Sunfarms High THC Vape?

Pure Sunfarms High THC Vape includes one ingredient, and one ingredient only: pure cannabis distillate. Our cartridges feature stainless steel, a glass reservoir, and a ceramic coil, and include a tapered ceramic mouthpiece to minimize heat transfer.

18. What extraction method is used for Pure Sunfarms High THC Vape?

There are several different methods used to concentrate the chemical compounds from a cannabis plant. We currently work with a third party to co-manufacture our High THC Vape. The extraction process all starts with dried flower as raw material. We use a cold ethanol extraction process, and then further refine the cannabis extract through distillation to increase the concentration of cannabinoids and remove plant matter (including tanins, waxes, flavonoids, terpenes, and other compounds). This results in a distillate product which is high in potency of THC.

19. Are you reintroducing terpenes back in?

No. We do not reintroduce natural terpenes from the original dried flower back into our High THC Vape. Plant components such as terpenes and flavonoids are removed during the extraction and distillation process to ensure the highest concentration of cannabinoids for each High THC Vape. If you’re looking for a more flavourful distillate experience, check our our Infused High THC Vapes.

About Infused High THC Vapes

20. Are infused High THC Vapes flavoured?

Pure Sunfarms is pleased to offer Black Cherry Punch and Blueberry Kush High THC Vapes for those seeking a high THC experience with great flavour. Each Infused High THC Vape features cannabis distillate with a high concentration of THC, blended with botanical terpenes inspired by the strains we grow here in our greenhouse to deliver a flavourful experience.

21. What Infused High THC Vapes does Pure Sunfarms offer?

Pure Sunfarms currently offers two Infused High THC Vapes: Black Cherry Punch & Blueberry Kush High THC Vapes with 830-900mg/g of THC. Both are available in 1g cartridges.

22. Will you be offering Infused High THC Vapes in any other strains/flavours?

Currently we are pleased to offer our Infused High THC Vapes in Black Cherry Punch and Blueberry Kush. We’re always innovating and looking for ways to expand on product offerings, so you never know what might be possible in future.

23. How are your Infused High THC Vapes different from your Full Spectrum Vapes?

Our Full Spectrum Vapes are essentially, single strain cannabis in vape format, which offers a convenient alternative to smoking dried flower. They contain pure cannabis extract, preserving the naturally occurring components (cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, etc.) found in the original dried flower.

Our Infused High THC Vapes offer a higher potency vaping experience with great flavour, perfect for those seeking a distillate high but also looking for an enhanced flavour profile. We’ve taken the most prominent terpenes found in Black Cherry Punch and Blueberry Kush, and concentrated them in precise and intentional amount to create a flavourful experience inspired by the strain.

Still have questions? Drop us a note at hello@puresunfarms.com and we’d be happy to help.

Some strains mentioned may currently not be growing in the greenhouse. We may grow them again one day, and if there’s one you miss, please let us know. To stay up to date with what’s currently flowering, please sign up for our newsletter.

This article was amended on October 1, 2021.