From Camouflet
Temperature is the entire game in vaporization. Get it right and you unlock everything cannabis has to offer — full flavor, precise effects, efficient extraction. Get it wrong and you're either sipping hot air that does nothing or pushing your material past the point where vapor becomes something closer to smoke. Most temperature guides stop at a chart of cannabinoid boiling points and call it done. That's not enough. Long-time smokers switching to vapor — or experienced vapers trying to dial in a new device — have deeper questions: why does the high feel different, why is their mouth so dry, why does their chest burn even without combustion, why can't they see any vapor at 180°C? This guide answers all of it, including material-specific settings for flower, hash, concentrates, ABV, and CBD-dominant material.
Why Temperature Is the Single Most Important Variable in Vaping
Cannabis isn't one compound. It's a matrix of cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids, plant waxes, chlorophyll, and moisture — each with its own boiling point, each contributing something different to the experience. Vaporization works by heating material to a target range where volatile compounds convert from solid or liquid phase to vapor without igniting the plant matter itself. Combustion starts around 230°C / 446°F, and everything you want happens well below that threshold.
But the difference between 170°C and 220°C isn't just "hotter equals stronger." It's a fundamentally different extraction. You're selecting which compounds leave the material and enter your lungs. Lower temperatures favor terpenes and lighter cannabinoids. Higher temperatures extract heavier, slower-boiling compounds — including some you may not want. The set temperature on your device is the single lever controlling all of this.
The complication: your set temperature and your actual vapor temperature are rarely the same thing. More on that when we get to conduction vs. convection.
The Full Spectrum — Boiling Points for Cannabinoids, Terpenes, and Compounds You Want to Avoid
These numbers give you the map. Not every compound matters equally, but knowing the landscape changes how you think about your temperature dial.
- Myrcene (terpene): ~167°C / 332°F — earthy, musky, potently sedating
- THC (Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol): ~157°C / 315°F — but meaningful vapor density requires higher temps
- CBD (cannabidiol): ~160–180°C / 320–356°F
- Limonene (terpene): ~176°C / 349°F — citrus, uplifting, anti-anxiety
- β-Caryophyllene (terpene): ~130°C / 266°F — spicy, anti-inflammatory, CB2 agonist
- Linalool (terpene): ~198°C / 388°F — floral, calming
- CBN (cannabinol): ~185°C / 365°F — sedating, sleep-associated
- CBC (cannabichromene): ~220°C / 428°F — near the combustion threshold
- THCV: ~220°C / 428°F — energetic, suppresses appetite at lower doses
- Terpinolene (terpene): ~186°C / 367°F — piney, floral, found in sativas
- Chlorophyll: begins degrading and volatilizing above ~200°C / 392°F — responsible for harsh, "green" vapor at high temps
The practical takeaway from this chart: if you're running at 165°C, you're capturing some terpenes and light cannabinoids, but THC vapor density is low. If you're pushing 220°C+, you're extracting CBN and CBC — which contribute to body heaviness — but you're also approaching chlorophyll territory, which means harsher hits. The sweet spot for most users sits between these extremes, not at either end.
The Three Temperature Zones and What Each One Delivers
Low Range (325–370°F / 163–188°C) — Flavor, Clarity, and CBD
This is terpene-forward territory. At these temperatures, the volatile aromatic compounds leave the material first, giving you flavor that's often richer and more distinct than anything you'd get from combustion. The high is lighter — clear-headed, functional, often described as "the ceiling of feeling something" by users who just switched from smoking. Some people find low-temp sessions genuinely useful for daytime work. Others find them unsatisfying as a standalone approach.
CBD-dominant material hits its stride here. CBD's boiling point clusters between 160–180°C, and the terpenes that tend to accompany high-CBD cultivars — including linalool and limonene — extract cleanly in this range without the heavier-body compounds that come along at higher temps. If you're working with CBD flower specifically, staying in this zone gives you a fuller terpene profile alongside the CBD itself, rather than just extracting isolated cannabidiol.
One real frustration in this range: you often can't see the vapor. This trips up new vapers constantly. The density of visible vapor is partially a function of particle size and temperature — cooler vapor condenses less visibly. The fact that you can't see it doesn't mean nothing is happening. You'll feel it within 10–15 minutes. If you're not feeling anything after multiple draws from low-temp sessions on well-loaded, quality material, the issue is usually your device's actual chamber temperature, not your set temperature.
Mid Range (370–400°F / 188–204°C) — The Sweet Spot for Most Users
This is where the majority of experienced vapers spend most of their time, and for good reason. You're capturing THC at meaningful vapor densities, hitting CBN as it starts to volatilize, and still preserving a reasonable terpene profile. Vapor is visibly denser here — more satisfying pulls, more pronounced effects. The balance between flavor and potency is at its best.
For dry flower especially, 185–195°C tends to be the zone where the material expresses itself most fully. You'll notice the difference between cultivars more distinctly here than at high temperatures, where the heavy extraction starts to homogenize things. If you're trying to understand what a specific strain actually does, the mid-range is where to do the evaluation.
Session vapers often run the full range during a session: start at 180°C for flavor and light extraction, step up to 195–200°C in the middle, then finish at 210–215°C to exhaust what's left. This approach extracts more efficiently and captures the full compound spectrum in sequence.
High Range (400–445°F / 204–229°C) — Intensity, Sedation, and ABV Management
High-range vaping extracts the heavier, slower-volatilizing compounds: CBN, CBC, THCV, higher-boiling terpenes like linalool. The effect profile shifts noticeably toward body sensation and sedation. This is also where vapor gets harsher — chlorophyll begins volatilizing, and hot vapor itself becomes an irritant even without combustion products.
The combustion threshold sits around 230°C / 446°F. Most devices with honest temperature accuracy give you some buffer below this. But here's the problem: not all devices are accurate. A device claiming 220°C may have hot spots — particularly in conduction designs — where material is actually hitting 235°C+. This is where knowing your device matters more than trusting the number on the display.
High temps are most useful for finishing off already-vaped material (ABV) or for users who specifically want the sedating CBN-heavy profile. For standard sessions, most experienced users don't stay here long — they use it as a finishing step, not a starting point.
Why the Vaping High Feels Different From Smoking (It's Not Just the Temperature)
This is the question long-time smokers ask most. You switch to vapor, the numbers say you're getting THC — so why does it feel different? Several things are happening simultaneously.
Combustion byproducts are missing. When you smoke, you're inhaling carbon monoxide, benzene, and a range of other combustion products that have pharmacological effects. CO in particular binds to hemoglobin and affects oxygen delivery. Some of the "headiness" of a smoked joint is partially oxygen deprivation and combustion byproduct effects — not pure cannabinoid action. Without those, the same dose of THC can feel cleaner but also lighter to some users.
The terpene profile is different. Combustion destroys most terpenes before they reach you. Vapor at 185°C preserves them. This changes the entourage effect — the synergistic interaction between cannabinoids and terpenes. Users switching from smoking sometimes find that vapor sessions produce clearer, less anxious effects because terpenes that temper THC (like myrcene, CBD from the plant, linalool) are actually making it through.
Bioavailability differences are real but often overstated. Vaporized cannabis does have somewhat higher bioavailability than smoked cannabis in controlled studies — you're getting more cannabinoids per unit of plant material. This means your existing tolerance is calibrated for smoked cannabis, and equal amounts of herb vaped can feel differently dosed. Some users initially underdose when switching, and others overdose because they assume more visible vapor equals more effect.
The onset and arc of the experience is different. Vapor tends to peak slightly earlier and, for some users, resolves more cleanly without the long sedating tail that combustion sometimes produces. Others find the opposite. This varies significantly by material temperature, device type, and individual metabolism.
Give yourself two to three weeks of consistent vaping before drawing conclusions about whether it works for you. The first week is recalibration.
Temperature Settings for Different Materials — Herb, Hash, Concentrates, and ABV
Dry Flower
The baseline. Most temperature guides are written with dry flower in mind, and the zones above apply directly. Key variables specific to flower: moisture content matters enormously. Fresh, improperly cured, or humid material won't vaporize efficiently at any temperature — moisture has to leave before the compounds do, which means more energy goes into drying rather than extracting. Properly dried and cured flower (around 55–62% RH before storage) vaporizes most efficiently and cleanly.
Grind consistency also affects temperature. A fine, even grind increases surface area and improves contact with hot air — particularly important in convection devices. Over-ground flower that's powdery can restrict airflow and create uneven extraction. Aim for a medium-fine grind: the texture of coarse sea salt, not flour.
Hash and Pressed Concentrates (Including QWISO and BHO)
Traditional hash — both dry-sift and hand-rubbed — typically requires slightly lower temperatures than flower, around 170–190°C, because the terpene-rich resin heads volatilize more readily than bound plant material. The challenge with hash in a vaporizer is contact surface and melt behavior. Hash melts before it vaporizes, which means it needs a surface to melt onto — or it runs and creates a mess. Common techniques include sandwiching hash between layers of flower (the "sandwich" or "volcano bag" method), using a liquid pad or stainless mesh insert, or using a dedicated concentrate-capable device.
QWISO (quick-wash isopropyl oil) and BHO (butane hash oil) concentrate the cannabinoids significantly. Start lower than you think — 175–185°C — and step up carefully. These materials can become harsh quickly at high temps, and the density of compound per unit of material means overshoot is more consequential. The FC community found repeatedly that "swamp oil" — dark, heavily processed oil with high ABV content — benefited from a slow, lower-temperature approach rather than attempting to combust it at high heat.
If you're using a device that claims to handle concentrates, verify whether it uses a dedicated concentrate cup or relies on a bowl insert. The Camouflet Banger is designed as a dedicated heating accessory for exactly this use case within the Camouflet ecosystem — worth considering if you're regularly working with hash and concentrates alongside flower.
Cannabis Oil and Distillate
Cannabis oil and distillate require a different approach entirely. Distillate is nearly pure cannabinoids with minimal terpenes (unless re-infused), so temperature affects intensity rather than flavor profile. Most distillates vaporize cleanly at 180–200°C. Carrier-oil-based cannabis oils (MCT, hemp seed oil) are not designed for inhalation and should not be vaped — this distinction matters for safety. Only properly formulated inhalable cannabis oil belongs in a vaporizer.
Already Been Vaped (ABV) Material
ABV is what's left after a standard vaporizer session — typically brown to dark brown material that still contains residual cannabinoids, primarily CBN and any THC that survived the session. How much is left depends almost entirely on your original temperature and session length. Material vaped to 210°C and exhausted will have very little left. Material that was lightly vaped at 170–180°C can still be surprisingly potent.
If you want to re-vape ABV: run it at 200–215°C. Don't expect a pleasant terpene experience — those are long gone. What you'll get is heavy, sedating, CBN-dominant vapor that many users find useful for sleep specifically. The vapor will be harsh; water cooling helps. If ABV comes out dark enough to look almost black or smells like burned toast, there's nothing worth extracting — use it for edibles instead.
How to minimize ABV waste: step your temperatures up in a session rather than starting high. Start at 180°C, move to 195°C, finish at 210°C. This extracts the full compound spectrum sequentially and leaves ABV that's genuinely spent rather than partially extracted.
CBD-Dominant Flower and Isolates
CBD flower performs best in the 160–185°C range where its boiling point clusters. Many users run CBD flower exclusively at low temperatures for functional daytime use — anxiety management, inflammation, focus — and find that going higher produces unwanted heaviness without additional benefit. CBD isolate powder can be vaped but requires a device with a surface it can adhere to. CBD distillate behaves similarly to THC distillate in temperature terms.
Why You Might Not See Vapor (and When That's Actually Fine)
Invisible or near-invisible vapor is one of the most common complaints from new vapers, and it causes unnecessary panic. Here's what's actually happening.
Visible vapor is condensed aerosol — tiny droplets that scatter light. At lower temperatures, vapor is hot enough that it stays in gaseous phase longer after leaving the device, only condensing (and becoming visible) when it meets cooler air. The vapor is real; the particles are just too fine and dispersed to see clearly. This is especially pronounced below 185°C.
Situations where invisible vapor indicates a real problem: device not reaching temperature, poor seal between mouthpiece and lips creating dilution, material that's too moist or improperly ground, clogged airpath, or a device that simply doesn't perform well at stated temperatures. If you feel nothing after 15–20 minutes and multiple draws, it's a device or technique issue, not invisible vapor doing its job.
The Camouflet Convector V2 and Convector XL V2 use butane convection — meaning the actual airflow temperature is determined by draw technique and flame intensity rather than a display. Some users initially see thin vapor before they learn that a slower, longer draw at the correct flame height produces denser, more satisfying pulls. The feedback is haptic and sensory, not numerical, which some users prefer and others find frustrating until the technique clicks.
Coughing, Lung Burn, and Dry Mouth — What Temperature Has to Do With It
Vaping doesn't combust plant material, but that doesn't mean it's easy on your airways. Several mechanisms cause coughing and lung irritation with vapor specifically.
Vapor temperature. Hot vapor — above roughly 60°C at the point of inhalation — is a direct airway irritant even without combustion products. Devices that deliver vapor at high set temperatures without cooling can cause bronchial irritation that feels similar to, though chemically distinct from, smoke irritation. Water cooling drops vapor temperature significantly — often 20–30°C — which is why experienced vapers using high temperatures almost always run water.
Vapor density. High-density vapor hits airways harder. Some users find that reducing temperature by 10–15°C drops vapor density to a level they can take full, deep draws from without coughing — even if the effect is slightly less intense.
Chlorophyll and plant wax volatilization at high temperatures produces aromatic compounds that irritate airways specifically. This is why high-temp sessions often cause more coughing than mid-temp sessions even with cooled vapor — you're inhaling different chemistry, not just hotter aerosol.
Dry mouth is notably worse with vaping than smoking for many users, and the mechanism is well understood: vapor draws moisture out of mucous membranes directly. The aerosol particles are hygroscopic — they absorb moisture from your airways and mouth as they pass through. This effect is worse at higher temperatures and with denser vapor. Hydration during sessions helps. Some users find that adding water filtration reduces dry mouth noticeably — the vapor picks up some humidity from the water before reaching the mouth.
Sinus irritation is also common with dry herb vaping. Unlike smoke, which is primarily carbon compounds, vapor from cannabis includes terpene aerosols that can irritate nasal passages in sensitive users. This is often confused with a cold or allergy reaction. If it's persistent, try lower temperatures and/or water filtering.
Conduction vs Convection — Why Your Set Temp Isn't Always Your Actual Vapor Temp
This is where device knowledge becomes essential. Two devices set to the same temperature can deliver fundamentally different vapor because of how heat is applied to the material.
Conduction heating uses direct contact — material touches a heated surface. Advantages: fast heat-up, simple design, often cheaper. Disadvantages: uneven heating (material touching the surface heats faster than material in the center), surface contact can exceed the set temperature at the actual contact point, and material continues heating between draws (called "soak" or "passive heat"). The set temperature on a conduction device is the temperature of the oven wall, not of the vapor leaving the bowl.
Convection heating moves hot air through the material. The heat-carrying medium is the air, not a surface. This means material only heats when you draw — more precise extraction, more even heating, no passive heating between draws. The set temperature (or in butane devices, the controlled flame output) more closely corresponds to actual vapor temperature. Flavor is typically better, especially at lower temperatures, because heat is applied to the full surface area of the material simultaneously.
Camouflet builds exclusively convection devices — the Convector V2, Convector XL V2, Ceramo XL, and Fuji all use convection-only heat delivery. This matters for temperature accuracy: when a Camouflet device is set to or tuned for a particular heat range, the vapor it produces actually reflects that range. You're not compensating for surface-contact hot spots or passive conduction heat soak between draws.
The practical implication for temperature settings: if you're moving from a conduction device to a convection device, expect that the same set temperature will feel different. Convection at 195°C may feel lighter than conduction at 195°C because the conduction device was actually delivering hotter material contact even if the display said otherwise. Adjust expectations and temperature upward initially, then dial back as you learn the device.
Does Vaping Through Water Change the Temperature Equation?
Yes, and meaningfully so. Water filtration cools vapor before inhalation — typically dropping vapor temperature by 20–30°C depending on the path length and water volume. This directly reduces airway irritation at high temperatures and makes high-temp sessions far more comfortable. The FC community consistently recommended water adapters or bubblers for this reason, especially for users doing high-temperature extraction or working with concentrates.
The tradeoff: water filtration removes some water-soluble compounds, including some terpenes and possibly some cannabinoids. Studies on bong water after cannabis use have found measurable cannabinoid content in the water, which suggests some extraction loss. For pure efficiency, dry inhalation with lower temperatures is more efficient. For comfort at higher temperatures, the loss is generally considered acceptable by most users — and the ability to actually take full draws without coughing likely increases net extraction more than the filtration loss reduces it.
Water also adds drag to the draw. This matters for convection devices specifically, where draw rate affects vapor temperature and density. If your bubbler has significant resistance, slow down your draw further to maintain appropriate airflow through the heating element.
What the Research Says About Vaping Temperature and Health
The research base is growing but still limited, and honest assessment requires acknowledging both what's established and what isn't.
What's established: Studies — including Earleywine and Barnwell (2007) and the oft-cited Abrams et al. Volcano study — consistently show that vaporized cannabis produces significantly fewer combustion byproducts than smoked cannabis. Carbon monoxide exposure is dramatically reduced. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) — known carcinogens — are substantially lower in vapor than smoke at temperatures below 200°C. Users who switch from smoking to vaping report improved respiratory symptoms.
What's not established: Long-term health outcomes for dry herb vaping specifically are not well studied. The 2019 EVALI crisis (lung injuries from vitamin E acetate in illicit vape cartridges) created significant public confusion between dry herb vapor and oil-based e-liquid vaping — these are not the same thing. EVALI has not been associated with dry herb vaporizers. That said, "less harmful than combustion" is not the same as "harmless," and long-term studies haven't yet established the 20-year outcome profile for regular dry herb vapor inhalation.
Temperature-specific findings: Vapor produced below 200°C contains significantly fewer potentially harmful compounds than vapor above 200°C. Chlorophyll volatilization products, some terpene oxidation compounds, and particle size distribution all shift unfavorably above this threshold. This doesn't mean high-temp vaping is equivalent to smoking — it isn't — but lower temperatures appear genuinely better from a harm-reduction perspective, not just a marketing perspective.
Practical Tips for Dialing In Your Device
New device, known material, clean airpath. Start here:
- Start at 185°C and work up.