Another definition of vaporize:
To extract the THC and other cannabanoids from marijuana by method of heating without causing the plant to combust.
A greater gift god could not have given the hardcore stoner. Errr, or so I've heard. The problem, however, is one that colors most stoner's perception of what should otherwise be an eye-opening (or eye-reddening) experience. Nearly all vaporizers suck. Some methods involve heating a small area enclosed in glass to just the right temperature. A metal bowl sits in the middle holding the greens. Others require that you purchase a large soldering iron and all kinds of various construction materials to focus that small window of a temperature. Because that window is so small, most vaporizers end up giving you either burnt weed, which is just the same as smoking it, or no hit at all. They are also incredibly expensive. You might be wondering, how does vaporizing exactly work?
Though I don't know exact temperatures, you can still get a clear picture of the process. Weed burns probably at a temperature similar to paper, 451 degrees. However, all the active ingredients in the weed reach physical state of change (ie, ice/water/steam) at a lower temperature. It is widely believed that burning in fact destroys some THC. Some estimates go as far as 40-60%. Indeed, a vapor hit is much stronger than a burned hit of the same amount of bud. First time stoners hitting a vaporizer will often deny that they received a hit because the vapor is so light. It can be easily identified by an experienced vaporizer because of its distinct smell and taste. The next question is, how does one enjoy this miracle process if all vaporizers suck?
Most, not all, vaporizers suck. That is, they sucked until a quaint little mom and pop store opened up on Venice beach selling the genius design of one inspired stoner. It is a small wooden box about 4x6" for area and 5" in height and sells for about $100. On the front side, the useful side, two small soldering irons have been set to stick out of the box at an angle of about 45 degrees. They are enclosed in glass condoms. Yes, they really call them condoms. The device I used frequently had two of these to facilitate easy social smoking. The other necessary accessory is the whip. The whip consists of a long flexible plastic tube which ends in a glass vial. The bottom of the glass vial slips into the plastic tube to create a seal. The vial is hollow and open at both ends, but contains a screen about an inch from the top. This is your bowl. After mincing your weed (there is a long unknown but amazingly useful dual purpose for coffee grinders) put it into the whip. This is easily acheived by hovering the glass vial over a little pile of weed and inhaling at the opposite end of the whip. The top of the glass vial is designed to sit snugly on top of the glass condoms in the box. As you inhale, place the whip top upside down so that it connects with the glass condom. A perfect seal and temperature is reached as the superheated air passes through the weed almost immediately and cools nearly to room temperature by the time it hits your throat. Now you can now drain all the good stuff from your weed with no harmful smoke. Anyone who smokes more than once a day needs this unit. It gives a 'knock you on your ass' high, conserves weed, and is a great benefit to your health. | 
