In an innovation sure to please patients who can’t afford to, well, cough up almost $700 for a Volcano vaporizer, one San Francisco medical marijuana delivery service is now offering the top-shelf vaporizers for rental.

Volcanoes, like other vaporizers, gently heat the herbal material without burning it, so you get pure flavor and aroma without smoke. Vaporization creates a fine mist, similar to steam, with the result being what many say is better flavor, increased purity, and greater effect.

Many patients who find cannabis smoke to be irritating report effective relief through inhaling vapor.

But with the latest digital model of the Volcano retailing for $669, many patients couldn’t afford to experience the healthy luxury of German vaporizer engineering (the Volcano is manufactured by the German firm of Storz & Bickel).

The Green Cross , a nonprofit collective delivery service permitted and regulated by the San Francisco Department of Health in accordance with state and local laws, is now offering members Volcanos for rent in both classic and digital models.