THC vs. nicotine vaping involve entirely different devices, liquids, supply chains, people and purposes. One gets you high. The other, according to some experts, helps smokers quit and thus not die. Nicotine is water-soluble, so nicotine vaporizers are designed to produce vapor from water-soluble ‘e-liquids.’ THC dissolves most readily in oil, so THC vaporizers are designed to produce vapor from oils (different heating coils and operating temperatures).
The term ‘e-cigarette’ was originally chosen to entice adult cigarette smokers to switch to what many researchers and consumers believe are vastly safer alternatives. THC vapers do not call their devices ‘e-cigarettes.’ Public perception of ‘e-cigarettes’ is strongly associated with nicotine vaping (not THC).
However, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and some tobacco control researchers, have decided to use ‘e-cigarette’ as a generic term covering both THC vaporizers and nicotine vaporizers. As a consequence, media reports referring to ‘e-cigarettes’ may increase public confusion.
We strongly suggest journalists use the terms ‘nicotine vaporizer’ and ‘THC vaporizer.’ When the term ‘e-cigarette’ is used, it should (on first use) be clarified parenthetical as a ‘(nicotine vaporizer).’
We also strongly suggest that THC vaporizers should never be referred to as ‘e-cigarettes.’ Members of the THC vaping community typically refer to their devices as oil carts, THC carts, cannabis oil carts, weed vapes, oil vapes, cannabis vapes, vape pens or oil pens. Similarly, cannabis smokers never refer to joints, reefers, doobies or jays as ‘cigarettes.’
