Since I enjoy vaporizing mainly because of the health benefits, I decided to do a little pseudo-experiment to compare just how much tar gets produced by a vaporizer versus other means of smoking. For this experiment, I decided to use my trusty Extreme Q and small bong with a 14mm downstem. Starting with the bong, I took 5 decent sized hits (the size of my bowl) and then exhaled into a paper towel. Afterwards, I took 5 Extreme Q hits and exhaled into the same paper towel. The results are shown in the photo below:

As you can see, the vaporizer produced no visible buildup, whereas the bong produced a very dark and tarry color. For someone who uses cannabis fairly often, this tar can build up in your lungs as well as irritate your throat. I expect a joint would produce even more tar as it isn’t filtered at all. I also enjoy mixing vaporizers and exercise (as I mentioned in this post) because I notice that vaporizers keep my breathing clear while I’m performing intense workouts. You can also take a look at this vaporizer study by NORML/MAPS which provides research that shows vaporizers can be a healthier alternative to combustion.