Ways You Can Vape Delta 8: A Comprehensive Guide

Right off the bat, this isn’t about promoting Delta 8 or telling you it’s some miracle compound. Actually, it’s the opposite. Too many people are trying this stuff without knowing what they’re doing, ending up in emergency rooms or worse. If you’re going to experiment with Delta 8 despite the risks (and there are plenty), at least know the proper methods so you don’t hurt yourself with sketchy techniques you found on Reddit.

Here’s the thing about Delta 8 – it’s not worth it for most people. The temporary buzz isn’t worth the potential lung damage, the unregulated products, or the fact that you’re basically guinea-pigging yourself with something that barely has any long-term studies. But education beats ignorance every time.

Before We Start: Know Quickly About Delta 8 THC

Delta 8 THC isn’t the innocent “diet weed” we’re being led to believe by Instagram ads. Sure, it’s technically it is a cannabinoid found in cannabis plants and it falls into this weird legal gray area, but that doesn’t make it safe. Those flashy social media posts of people having the time of their lives? They’re not saying something about the anxiety attacks, or their racing heart, or how some batches are contaminated with heavy metals because there’s basically zero regulation. The temporary benefits people go after – mild euphoria, maybe some pain relief – come with a laundry list of downsides. We’re talking respiratory irritation, potential addiction (yes, despite what our Delta 8 enthusiasts will have you believe) and the lovely fact that most Delta 8 products contain who-knows-what because the industry is about as regulated as a backwoods moonshine operation. A 2022 analysis found that 76% of Delta 8 products contained unlisted compounds, including Delta 9 THC levels way above legal limits (U.S. Cannabis Council testing data).

Ways to Vape Delta 8

1. Delta 8 Cartridges

Cartridges are probably what most people think of – those little glass or plastic cylinders filled with thick, honey-colored oil. You screw them onto a battery (usually a 510-thread), press a button, and inhale. Simple, right?

Except here’s what actually happens: The battery heats a tiny coil inside the cartridge to around 315-400°F, vaporizing the Delta 8 distillate mixed with terpenes and whatever else the manufacturer threw in there. The problem? Cheap cartridges use ceramic coils that can break down and release metal particles. You’re literally inhaling microscopic metal fragments because you saved ten bucks on a cart.

Most cartridges hold 0.5ml to 1ml of distillate. They’ll last anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks depending on how hard you’re hitting them. And no, warming them with a hair dryer when they clog isn’t a great idea – you’re just degrading the oil faster.

2. Disposable Delta 8 Vapes

Disposable Delta 8 vape the fast food of Delta 8 – convenient, wasteful, and usually lower quality. Everything’s built into one unit: battery, heating element, and oil chamber. Use it until it dies, then toss it. Can’t recharge most of them, can’t refill them, can’t even see how much oil is left half the time.

These things typically pack 1-2 grams of distillate and a battery rated for maybe 300-400 puffs. The manufacturers claim they’re perfect for beginners, but honestly? They’re perfect for people who don’t care about throwing lithium batteries in the trash every week. The automatic draw activation means no buttons – just inhale and hope the sensor works. When it doesn’t (and it won’t after a while), you’re stuck sucking on a dead pen like an idiot.

3. Delta 8 Pods

Pods are basically cartridges with commitment issues. Instead of universal 510 threading, they’re designed for specific devices – think JUUL but for Delta 8. You pop the pod into its designated device, and magnets or clips hold it in place.

The closed system means better quality control in theory, but it also means you’re locked into one brand’s ecosystem. Run out of pods for your specific device? Too bad. Found cheaper pods that look similar? Won’t fit. It’s the printer ink model applied to getting high. Some pods are refillable, which sounds great until you realize refilling them is messier than changing oil in your car and the seals fail after three refills anyway.

4. Refillable Delta 8 Vape Pens

Now we’re getting into DIY territory. Refillable pens let you buy Delta 8 distillate separately and fill your own tanks or cartridges. Sounds economical, and it can be if you don’t mind handling syringes full of sticky distillate that gets everywhere.

The process goes like this: heat your distillate (because it’s thick as honey at room temperature), carefully fill your tank without creating air bubbles, wait for the wicking material to saturate, then hope you didn’t overfill and flood the coil. Most people mess this up the first five times. You’ll waste product, make a mess, and probably burn a coil or two learning the process. The tanks need specific resistance coils – too low and you’ll burn the oil, too high and nothing vaporizes properly.

5. Dabbing Delta 8 Concentrates

Dabbing is where things get serious – and seriously sketchy if you don’t know what you’re doing. You’re using a torch or e-nail to heat a glass, quartz, or titanium surface (called a nail or banger) to 400-600°F, then dropping Delta 8 concentrate onto it while inhaling through a water pipe.

The concentrates come as shatter (glass-like sheets), wax (soft, moldable), or diamonds (crystalline). You need a dab rig, a torch or e-nail, a dabber tool, and ideally a carb cap. Oh, and a timer because heating for 30 seconds versus 45 seconds is the difference between a smooth hit and coughing up a lung.

Temperature matters more than people realize. Too hot (over 600°F) and you’re destroying compounds while creating harmful byproducts. Too cool (under 400°F) and you’re wasting product. Most people can’t eyeball 450°F accurately, which is why half of dabbing experiences end badly. E-nails solve this with digital temperature control, but now you’re dropping $200+ just to consume something that probably shouldn’t be consumed in the first place.

The whole dabbing setup looks like something from a chemistry lab, and that’s not far off. One wrong move with a hot torch and you’ve got burns or worse. Inhaling concentrate vapor that’s too hot can cause lipoid pneumonia – your lungs literally can’t process the oils properly.

References

• U.S. Cannabis Council. (2022). Delta-8 THC Products: Testing Results and Public Safety Concerns. Industry analysis of 16 Delta-8 products revealing contamination and mislabeling issues.