If you browse through your local Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) in Florida, you’ll find tons of different varieties and brands of marijuana. With so many options, it’s no wonder why medical marijuana patients rarely ask their board-certified medical marijuana physicians about the difference between smoking and vaping cannabis flower.

However, due to recent events, there has been increased focus on the difference between smoking marijuana flower and vaping it. Read on to learn how smoking or vaping can lead to a completely different experience while indulging in medical marijuana in Florida.

The Impact on Flavor

Many medical marijuana patients didn’t overly enjoy the taste of their cannabis before it was legalized as a medicine. But now they have a multitude of options to choose from. When smoking flowers, the best way to get flavorful vapor is by vaping them. Because vaporizers don’t destroy the terpenes contained within weed, you’ll experience each one with full effect.

Medical marijuana patients often find it difficult to comprehend flavors of terpenes once they learn each strain has its own unique mix. Many patients have reported being speechless after learning this information. Some of the most common terpenes in medical marijuana include pinene, limonene, myrcene and caryophyllene.

Smoking cannabis flowers provides a robust flavor— but not compared to vaporizing marijuana. Because smoking cannabis requires combustion, all the terpenes in the flower are destroyed. Cannabis terpenes are delicate compounds, and you’ll need a vaporizer to fine-tune the temperature to experience the exquisite taste that terpenes provide.

What is the difference in strength?

Many Floridians looking to obtain a medical marijuana card search for the most potent strains. However, is vaping or smoking more effective at increasing the strength of a high? Because vaporizers heat your medical marijuana to a specific temperature, they produce the most potent results. Vaporizing medical marijuana concentrates or buds doesn’t temper their natural terpenes; instead, it just emits its vape.

Smoking cannabis flower quickly dissipates the potency of terpenes thanks to its high temperature. Depending on the type of vaporizer, vaping medical marijuana concentrates is the most potent method of all.

How Does Smoking or Vaping Affect Health?

Another significant difference between smoking and vaping cannabis flowers is your lung health. Despite the fact that medical marijuana isn’t as harmful to your health as cigarettes, it’s still unhealthy to smoke it. Any form of cannabis smoking is unhealthy, no matter the circumstances. It a common fact that smoking causes lungs to become inflamed, resulting in coughing and irritation.

Furthermore, smoking produces carcinogens that damage cells and lead to health issues. Smoking can damage lung tissue and reduce overall oxygen intake. Although smoking cannabis is one of the most popular methods to use, it doesn’t come without risk.

When choosing an alternative to smoking marijuana, vaporizing cannabis instead is the safest option. Since vaporizers generate a vapor rather than smoke, the temperature used is significantly lower than that used in smoking. But vaping medical marijuana isn’t without risk either, due to the tiny particles that are released while vaping which may irritate the lungs, especially for those who suffer from asthma.