Best Temperature to Vape CBD Oil and Flower

A tailor made smoking experience

Vaping is a very enjoyable and popular method of consuming CBD and cannabis and depending on the device you buy, it is possible to vape flower, oil, or concentrate. 

Some vaping devices (usually cheaper vape pens used for oils) don’t have temperature settings, so you don’t need to concern yourself with ideal vaping temperatures. But as you become a more experienced vaper, then you may wish to upgrade to a device on which you can control the vaping temperature, so that you can tailor your vaping experience.

Vaping temperatures 101

In my opinion, the best temperature to vape CBD oil and flower is between 370 and 400F. Concentrates generally require much higher temperatures, but regardless of whether you’re vaping CBD buds, oil, or concentrate, a basic rule can generally be applied to all forms of vaping, which is:

Lower temperatures generate better flavors, while higher temperatures result in increased potency.

When it comes to vaping CBD flower and oil, some people like to choose their vaping temperature depending on what specific cannabinoids and/or terpenes they’re vaping. By looking at the boiling points of each cannabinoid and hemp terpene, you can estimate the right vaping temperature by making sure you’re exceeding the boiling points of the compounds you want to experience the most by around 10F or 5.5°C.

Temperature chart

Cannabinoid boiling points & vaping temperatures

Note that you want to hit a temperature that allows you to get the full-spectrum experience so even if you smoke CBD flower, you will want to hit around between 370°F and 400°F

Terpene boiling points

Best temperature for vaping flower or oil

One of the advantages of vaping CBD flower over smoking is that you have control over the temperature. A dry herb vaporizer may offer you a variety of temperatures as low as 220F and as high as 430F, but ideal temperatures for balanced flavor and effects are often considered to be within the 350 to 400F (medium temperature) range.

View our recommended dry herb vapes

The best temperature to vape CBD oil also falls within that same range, whereas the best dab temp is considered to be much higher, usually between 545 and 570F (see below). 

Ultimately, the best temperature for vaping CBD flower, cannabis flower, or CBD oil, will depend on what you want out of the experience.

Here’s a quick guide to three different vape temperature settings and what you can expect from each:

Lower temps (325-350°F / 163-177°C)

Dominant cannabinoids: Δ8THC, Δ9THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, THCa, CBDa

Dominant terpenes: A-pinene, β-caryophyllene, β-myrcene, d-limonene, citronellol

Although THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, has a low boiling point of just 315F, most experts agree that you don’t really want to go any lower than 325F when vaping, especially if you want to actually feel something from it.

The benefits of lower temperature vaping include:

• Better flavors – lower temperatures will pull fresh citrus and piney flavors from your flower especially
• Cooler, less intense vapor – lower temperatures produce smaller, less harsh vapor clouds, making lower temps ideal for newbies
• Less potent effects – the effects you feel will be gentler and smoother at lower temperatures, making them ideal for sensitive newbies, and for use in the daytime or when you have errands to run

Medium temps (350-400°F / 177-204°C)

Dominant cannabinoids: Δ8THC, Δ9THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, CBC, THCa, CBDa

Dominant terpenes: d-limonene, terpinolene, linalool, humulene

Medium temperatures will increase the number and amount of cannabinoids you can access and it is within this temperature range that you should start experimenting if lower temperatures aren’t working for you. Medium temperatures are considered to be the best of both worlds between potent flavors and potent effects.

The benefits of vaping CBD flower at medium temperatures include:

• Good flavor profile – in this range you still get plenty of flavorful terpenes coming through
• More cannabinoids – medium temps will also vaporize more cannabinoids, creating a more intense and effective experience
• Thicker, warmer clouds of vapor – thicker vapor clouds may be more satisfying to more experienced users and/or those that are used to smoking

Higher temps (400-430°F / 204-221°C)

Dominant cannabinoids: Δ8 THC, Δ9THC, CBD, CBN, CBG, CBC, THCa, CBDa, THCv

Dominant terpenes: humulene, phytol, caryophyllene oxide

Higher temperatures can be used for maximum cannabinoid (including CBD) extraction at any time, but they do result in less flavor and hotter, harsher vapor clouds, which may be unpleasant for newbies or non-smokers. Because terpenes are depleted so quickly at higher temperatures, weed connoisseurs may want to reserve using these higher temps until the end of the vaping session.

The benefits of vaping dry herb at higher temperatures include:

• Most potent cannabinoid extraction – vaping at higher temperatures will inevitably result in the most intense effects (including psychoactive effects from THC)
• Closest experience to smoking – the heavy, thick clouds of vapor are the closest you’ll get to combustion without smoking and are often preferred by smokers or ex-smokers.
• May suppress appetite – the THCv cannabinoid and humulene terpene are vaporized at these higher temperatures and both of these organic compounds are thought to be appetite suppressants, so vaping at higher temps may help you combat the munchies

Best temperature for dabbing

The best dab temp for you will (again) depend on what you want out of the experience. If you’re looking for mega-potent, lung-busting, Snoop-sized vapor clouds, then you’ll definitely want to lean towards the higher temperatures. Lower temperatures may be more suited to the smooth-smoking, terp-loving, flavor-chasers amongst you.

Lower temp dabs (400-500°F / 200-260°C)

This temperature range will offer the most flavorful tokes as they are best at highlighting the terpene profile of most concentrates. However, some dabbers consider these lower temps to be wasteful as it may not completely vaporize the concentrate, leaving an oily residue behind.

Medium temp dabs (500-600°F / 260-315°C)

Medium temperatures will impart larger and denser amounts of vapor, while still allowing lots of flavor to come through. Most dabbers choose a dab temp in this range and it’s a good place to start if you’re new to dabbing. If the dab is too harsh for you, making you cough or feel uncomfortable, then you can lower the temp. If it’s still not giving you the hit or effects you want, then try turning up the temperature.

High temp dabs (600-750°F / 315-400°C)

High temperature dabs produce thick, dense, harsh clouds of vapor, as well as fast and efficient effects. If you enjoy denser hits like this then higher temperatures may offer you the best bang for your buck as they don’t leave any waste.

You do tend to lose some of the flavor, but if you’re dabbing mainly for effects, then you should try to lean towards higher temperatures as a general rule.

A note on already vaped bud (AVB)

If you’re vaping plant material, whether it be hemp or cannabis flower, then don’t throw away your already vaped bud (AVB), also known as already been vaped (ABV). Any flower that’s been vaped, but is still either green or light brown, probably still contains lots of beneficial cannabinoids.

Because it’s been heated already, the bud has already been decarboxylated, so you can use it to make CBD oil or edibles. You can even just add it to your smoothies or sprinkle it over your evening meal. After all, waste not, want not!

Finding your ideal vaping temperature

Finding your perfect temperature for vaping isn’t as difficult as it sounds, mainly because you should just go with what feels best for you. If you’ve never smoked or vaped before and are worried about what it will be like, then I’d recommend you start with a temperature that falls within the lower temp range and then work your way up.

The quickest approach, however, will be to start in the medium temperature range and then go up or down from there. While higher temperatures do offer optimal access to cannabinoids, they’ll also exhaust your oil or flower supply quicker and the clouds of vapor produced may be too harsh or unpleasant for you.

You will probably also find that different temperatures have slightly different results when you use different types of vape pens, so every time you use a new device, you might need to adjust the temperature accordingly.

What’s your favorite temperature for vaping CBD oil, flower, or concentrates? Tell us in the comments below!