Vaping Vs Smoking: Is Vaping More Cost Effective?

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Vape Vs Flower Cost Effectiveness | Vape for Better Value

Vaping is emerging as a popular alternative to smoking. It’s convenient and gives you more control over dosage. You already know why pre-rolls are cheaper than flower but what about vapes?

Cost considerations are important when comparing these two options. Let’s take a closer look at vape vs flower cost to determine which option yields the best value.

How does the vape vs flower compare? Because vaping is a more efficient delivery method, the cost tends to be lower.

How much does vaping cost per gram? Expect to spend $40 to $60 for a cartridge with one gram of concentrated oil.

How much does 1/8 oz of flower cost? Typically, bud with a concentration of 15% THC costs $30 to $45 for an eighth.

Vape Vs Flower Cost Comparison

The cost of these different products will give you an idea of what you can expect to pay for vape cartridges and flower.

Vape Cart (D8 THC)PriceFlower (Delta-8 and HHC Cryo-Infused Flower)Price
Pineapple Express$39.993.5g Pineapple Express$34.99
Skywalker OG$39.997g Skywalker OG$49.99
GSC$39.997g GSC$49.99

Are Vape Cartridges Cheaper Than Flower?

For value-conscious smokers, the cost of flower vs vape pen is an important consideration.

Vaping Could Be Cheaper

The price range for a one-gram vape cartridge is similar to what you would pay for an eighth or 3.5 grams of quality flower.

However, vape cartridges use concentrated cannabis oil that can range from 40 to 80% depending on the brand. Flower typically has a 15 to 20% concentration, with high-quality marijuana reaching 30%.

Due to the higher concentration and more effective delivery method, vaping has an advantage in terms of value.

Consider the Cost Per Gram

The vape vs flower cost is similar when comparing a one-gram cartridge to 3.5 grams of flower. If we establish a per-gram comparison, flower costs less since a single gram costs $10 to $15.

For occasional smokers, flower can help keep costs down due to the lower per-gram cost, and the fact that you can purchase small quantities at once. Plus, it’s cheaper to test different varieties compared to purchasing several brands of cartridges.

Smoking Flower Has Additional Costs

Smokers who prefer flower know there are a few additional ongoing costs to consider:

  • Rolling paper costs $1 to $3 per pack. Flavored papers can cost more.
  • Lighters can cost as much as $10 for a multi-pack and are easy to lose.
  • Other smoking accessories like grinders or rolling sets can add to the cost of smoking.
  • Visiting a dispensary regularly can cost gas money.

Vaping requires the purchase of a pen, but this item can last for several years if you keep it clean. Plus, cartridge prices tend to remain constant since brands set them, while flower prices can fluctuate based on what local dispensaries offer.

Does Smoking Cause More Waste?

No matter how careful you are, you’ll always waste a small quantity of flower when rolling joints. You might accidentally sprinkle some ground-up marijuana outside of the paper, and THC crystals tend to stick to the container or grinder.

Plus, smoking joints means you’re leaving an untouched butt with some flower you don’t smoke.

Vaping also results in waste since there is typically a small quantity of concentrate left at the bottom of the cartridge.

However, vaping is more efficient:

  • A gram of flower will yield two half-gram joints. You can get 30 puffs per joint or 60 puffs per gram.
  • A one-gram cartridge contains 300 puffs on average.

Shelf Life of Vapes Vs Flower

Cannabis flower can last from six months to a year if you store it in a dry and cool place. However, the THC content can decrease over time and it can also get very dry if you don’t use a moisture control pack like Boveda (hint: we put a Boveda pack in every jar of flower we sell).

How long do carts last? Cartridges have a similar shelf life, but cannabinoids can degrade faster due to repeated exposure to heat when you use your vape pen.

You Can Reuse AVB (already vaped buds)

For those who use a dry herb vaporizer rather than rolling joints, flower has a clear advantage over concentrates since you can reuse your AVBs or Already Vaped Buds.

AVB has a lower THC content, but you can recycle these buds by smoking them or using them to make some edibles or AVB tea.

Conclusion

When comparing the vape cartridge vs flower cost, vape cartridges emerge as the winner in terms of efficiency. You can get more puffs for a similar price and a higher concentration of THC.

However, occasional smokers and those who use a dry herb vaporizer might find that flower is more affordable since it’s easier to purchase small quantities or reuse AVBs.

Citations

  1. Cannabis (Marijuana) Potency, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2022, https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/marijuana/cannabis-marijuana-potency
  2. Vaping & Marijuana Concentrates, Department of Justice/Drug Enforcement Administration, 2020, https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Vaping%20and%20Marijuana%20Concentrates-2020.pdf
  3. How to Tell If Cannabis Is Past Its Prime, Adrienne Santos-Longhurst, Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/does-weed-go-bad#shelf-life
  4. Chemistry, Metabolism, and Toxicology of Cannabis: Clinical Implications, Priyamvada Sharma, Ph.D., Pratima Murthy, and M.M. Srinivas Bharath, 2012,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3570572/

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