Here is just a quick excerpt for the medicinal vaporizer called the volcano:
In 2007, a study by University of California, San Francisco published in the Official Journal of the American Academy of Neurology[7] examined the effectiveness of a vaporizer that heats cannabis to a temperature between 180 and 200 degrees (not all vaporizer types can achieve this degree of temperature control, and conclusions may therefore not apply to other types) and found:
" Using CO as an indicator, there was virtually no exposure to harmful combustion products using the vaporizing device. Since it replicates smoking's efficiency at producing the desired THC effect using smaller amounts of the active ingredient as opposed to pill forms, this device has great potential for improving the therapeutic utility of THC "
A 2006 study, performed by researchers at Leiden University,[4] tested a Volcano Vaporizer with preparations of pure THC and found that:
" Our results show that with the Volcano a safe and effective cannabinoid delivery system seems to be available to patients. The final pulmonal uptake of THC is comparable to the smoking of cannabis, while avoiding the respiratory disadvantages of smoking. ''
One of the main advantages to pulmonal uptake is the expectorant characteristics to THC. In Great Britian they have developed an inhaler, similar to an albuterol/ventolin inhaler, that deliveres metered doses of the cannaboids. Sativex is the name of the inhaler developed by GW Pharmaceuticals. This inhaler was recently approved for use in Canada.
It seems to me that the advances in medicine, especially in AIDS and cancer, where multiple pharmalogical advances have derived medicine from plants in the rain forrest. I don't think that this would be that far of a streach...
I think it would be sweet to have an inhaler that took away naseua, opens and clears your lungs, makes you hungry and mellows the pain or stress.