Volcano Vaporizer

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Volcano Vaporization System

The Volcano Vaporizer is a device used to vaporize substances, including eucalyptus, hops, chamomile, lavender, lemon balm, sage, thyme, cannabis as well as other herbs and liquids. It is manufactured by Storz & Bickel, a German company.
The Volcano Vaporization System established itself as the standard device for the professional administration of active ingredients of herbs. Though it is not a medical device it is used for all scientific research within the boundaries of vaporization.

1 Vaporization
- 1.1 Health Benefits
- 1.2 Efficiency
2 External links
3 Footnotes

[edit] Vaporization

Instead of combusting the material, the VOLCANO Vaporization System pumps very hot air heated with an aluminum heating element through the substance, which causes the release of the herb's active ingredients.

From left to right: Valve, Filling Chamber & Mouthpiece

The VOLCANO has completely variable temperature control from 130 °C (266 °F) to 226 °C (439 °F) -- high enough to release the active substances and aromas, but insufficient to cause the material to combust. Nine set points are indicated on the housing to aid in temperature selection ^[1]. The VOLCANO introduced a novel approach to stored vapor delivery in its utilization of a balloon (actually a heat-resistant oven bag) with an attached check valve to hold the vapor. Once the balloon is filled it is removed from the chamber and the mouthpiece is attached for vapor inhalation. This novel balloon approach, in addition to the very accurate temperature control of the VOLCANO, revolutionized vaporization by providing consistent results and making the vaporization experience more social.

[edit] Health Benefits

Due to the sub-combustion temperatures, the vaporizer user is not exposed to the same level of pollutants and cancer-causing agents as smoking, e.g., carbon monoxide and other combustion by-products^[2]. The reduction of toxic combustion by-products makes the Volcano interesting as an alternative delivery system with rapid onset and an efficient extraction of active ingredients.

Overview of plants suitable for vaporization in the Volcano:

Plant Name	Part of plant to be used	Temperature setting
Eucalyptus	leaves	130°C (266°F)
Hops	cones	154°C (309°F)
Chamomile	blossoms	190°C (374°F)
Lavender	blossoms	130°C (266°F)
Lemon Balm	leaves	142°C (288°F)
Sage	leaves	190°C (374°F)
Thyme	herb	190°C (374°F)
Cannabis	herb	180°C (356°F)

All vapor is stored in the balloon

Furthermore, a study conducted by marijuana law reform group NORML found that when used with cannabis, the VOLCANO produced "high THC concentration" with only "minimal" toxins ^[3]. The perfect temperature to set free THC is about 180 °C (356 °F), about 5,5 points on the VOLCANO scale.

[edit] Efficiency

The manufacturer, Storz & Bickel, claims that the VOLCANO is "3-4 times" more efficient in its exploitation of active ingredients than smoking ^[4][5].

Cannabis after it has been vaporized with a Volcano

A NORML-MAPS study^[6] published May 2, 2003 found that the VOLCANO Vaporizer was remarkably clean, its vapor consisting 95% of THC with traces of cannabinol (CBN), another cannabinoid. The remaining 5% consisted of small amounts of three other components: one suspected cannabinoid relative, one suspected PAH, and caryophyllene, a fragrant oil in cannabis and other plants. Despite the high efficiency of the Volcano, the used product still contains relatively high contents of constituents. This can be observed when using it to cook traditional marijuana food recipes.