I always appreciate when a member wants to share his or her perspective.  In this case, GreenRushColorado takes a look at how vape pens are changing the cannabis scene in Colorado, where he lives:

The Rapid Growth of Vape Pens

Colorado’s legal marijuana industry is still in a stage of infancy as 2014 and legalization are ready to roll out January 1st. Marijuana has always been a part of Colorado’s culture but the way people are consuming the plant has changed drastically over the years to meet consumer demand. Instead of smoking a joint or roasting a bowl  cannabis lovers are finding new alternative ways to consume THC and CBD without inhaling burning plant matter. The market in Colorado has become saturated with concentrated oils, edibles infused with THC/CBD, cannabis beverages, vaporizers, and portable devices called vape pens.

These alternate methods of consumption allow users to experience the same high or medicinal benefits without inhaling burning plant matter traditionally associated with smoking weed. These new methods of medication are catching on quickly in Colorado and providing consumers with healthier more discreet methods of using Marijuana. All these methods of consumption are useful but none is catching on faster than the vape pen which is similar to an e-cigarette(for marijuana).

There are two different types of vape pens:

•  Vape pen: is a small vaporizer that looks like a pen which allows the user to load their weed into a chamber, heat the plant matter to around 350 degrees which releases THC and CBD particles without burning the plant matter. These pens are extremely discreet and the smell produced by the vaped weed is practically nothing compared to burning the plant which creates a distinct potent smell.

•  Oil pen: Oil pens are similar but instead of using weed these pens come with cartridges that are filled with concentrated oil. Since you don’t need any actual weed these pens are even more discreet than traditional vape pens and produce little to no odor. These pens give users a strong potent high from one or two hits without needing any Cannabis save the cartridge filled with concentrate.

Most vape pens are powered by lithium ion batteries and work best when they are fully charged. Currently these pens are most popular among college kids and young adults who have access to the medical marijuana system. In Colorado these pens are a common sight at concerts, house parties, and even on college campuses. However, these pens are quickly becoming popular with working professionals as they allow them a discreet easy way to get high. These pens truly resemble regular pens and when used they produce much less odor than traditional methods of smoking weed.

(mCig version 1)

Since the first time I saw one of these pens (2011) they have exploded onto the market and become increasingly popular as technology has improved. Pens can betaken anywhere and produce little to no odor depending on which type of pen you have. Currently in the publicly traded market there are only two companies who are focusing on producing these pens and tackling this rapid growth segment: MCIG and PLPE (soon to be VAPE). MCIG has been around longer than PLPE but they have yet to achieve a significant foothold in the Colorado market since they sold out of their initial product extremely fast. MCIG is currently working on a second generation pen which will hopefully be able to keep up with demand and stay on the shelves. PLPE is a relatively new company called Vape Holdings,little is known about this recent startup except that former Growlife President Kyle Tracey is CEO. These companies look to take advantage of the endless demand for vape pens in Colorado and other Cannabis hotspots like California and Washington.

Vape pens allow the user to get medicated in a quick discreet manor that is also healthier and easier to conceal compared to smoking the plant. With legalization coming in Colorado soon everyone will be able to purchase a vape pen instead of being strictly available for medical marijuana patients. This will open up the market introducing a whole new customer base which will allow pens to expand at a much faster rate. These pens are typically fairly affordable and it might only be a matter of time till stoners across the country lose their rolling papers, pipes, and bongs in favor of a healthier, more discreet method of consumption.