Do Dab Pens Smell? Why or Why Not? Learn!
Do dab pens smell? The answer is, yes and no. Since you are reading this article, I am going to assume that you know what a dab pen is. If not, think of a vape pen but with cannabis concentrates instead of e-juice or dried herb.
They heat up your concentrates to the point where they become an inhalable vapor. Easy enough, right? So now that you know what a dab pen is, I’m going to tell you if they smell or not and the reasons why.
Do Dab Pens Really Smell?
Most vape pens utilize either e-juice or dried herbs in order for you to vape. Cannabis oils are too thick (and potentially hazardous) to handle with standard vape pen atomizers.
The only way you could vape cannabis concentrates in a standard e-cig is if it had a cartridge specifically made for cannabis oils (which most don’t). In this case, the answer to our question would be no; because there’s nothing to burn and therefore there should be no smell.
On the other hand, dab pens are designed specifically to handle cannabis oils with ease. This is because they utilize a coil element that heats up and vaporizes the oil in seconds.
The true question here would be if the heating coils ever get hot enough to combust or burn your concentrates? The answer, again, is yes and no.
Most coil elements found within a dab pen are ceramic or titanium-based. Both of these materials cease to emit vapor at a temperature lower than their combustion point which is around 2500 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your dab pen has coils made from either of these two materials, you should be fine and there is no risk for smoke inhalation when it comes to the scent that your pen gives off.
However, there are some vape pens that have coils made from quartz or silicon carbide. These materials tend to heat up much more quickly and therefore become hotter than their ceramic counterparts. This makes them emit a smell when using your dab pen; which is not a good thing at all!
What’s the best way to know if your dab pen has a quartz or silicon carbide coil?
This is a great question and one that doesn’t have an easy answer. Quartz coils are becoming more popular in the dab pen market, but I’m not sure why.
They emit a strong scent of burnt popcorn when your concentrate combusts at too high of a temperature.
That’s just my personal experience though; so I can’t say for sure that all quartz coils smell like that.
Silicon carbide, on the other hand, is a material found in sandpaper and it emits an even stronger scent of burnt popcorn than quartz.
Vaping cannabis concentrates is already controversial enough without having to worry about combusting your oils or waxes.
Although the instances of that happening are low, you should be worried about the potential dangers.
Smoking any substance creates carcinogens and tar in your lungs which can lead to cancer; even more so with cannabis (which is already known for causing lung cancer).
Does that seem like enough reason to stay away from combusting your concentrates don’t you think? I sure think so.
Tips to reduce the smell from wax pens:
Some vape pens are made to look like a traditional pen while others are designed to be cylindrical in shape. The design of your wax pen will determine what tips you can use for covering up the smell.
For smaller and more compact, cylindrical devices it’s best to cover them with your hand when taking a hit.
This way the only scent that’s emitted is that of the hand lotion or cream you’re wearing. You’ve probably heard of people putting their dab pens in a drawer full of loose change after they take a hit; this reduces the smell as well, but not by much.
There are also some key things to avoid when using your wax pen. Don’t leave the cap or top open while you’re not using it.
Most wax pens are made to be as inconspicuous as possible and this just defeats that purpose. Avoid taking hits in windy areas as well because the breeze will blow your scents away from your body, which reduces its potency.
Conclusion – Does vaping reduce the smell of cannabis?
Yes, when using a vape pen you will not emit much of a smell at all. However, if you use this technology for vaping cannabis concentrates and oils, the scent will be very pungent.
The best method to avoid emitting strong odors is by using quartz or silicon carbide coils as they’re known to heat up slowly and not combust your materials as quickly.
I hope this answers the question of whether or not vaping reduces the smell associated with cannabis use completely. As always, if anyone has any questions feel free to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you ASAP!