The BMW of Bongs (Or Mercedes Benz depending on your preference)

Being the responsible lot that we are, Crave occasionally posts public service announcements for the benefit of our readers. So here's one for those of you who use cannabis for medicinal purposes only, of course.

The appropriately named "Volcano Vaporizer" is a device that can make your prescription up to four times more potent than the average dosage. The German-made "BMW of bongs," as Uncrate calls it, also helps purify the substance and minimize the accompanying odor. But the Volcano's $540 price tag could be prohibitive--unless you have the most liberal of health insurance.

The Volcano vaporization system releases flavor and active ingredients from plant material through vaporisation by hot air. With the vaporisation technique hot air passes through the plants. During this process the flavoring and active ingredients will be set free through controlled temperature 130°C (266°F) to 230°C (446°F). Due to the specific vaporisation temperature of the plant material the ingredients are released into the air and can subsequently be inhaled.

Smoking or incensing releases ingredients through heat but the temperature is reached through combustion which has several disadvantages. Smoking involves the combustion, incensing the carbonization of plant material, followed by the unavoidable inhalation of toxic combustion by-products, which cause irritation of the respiratory tract as well as noxious odors. In addition, the high and uncontrolled combustion temperature causes the unnecessary destruction of the majority of the ingredients, squandering the original material without any effect.

Vaporizing does the opposite, the ingredients are released in a gentle way and therefore you enjoy both health benefits as well as economic benefits. The plant material doesn't get burned and hence it is possible to vaporize the contents of the filling chamber several times until all the aroma and ingredients are completely dissolved.