[johnson220]

Hi,

I'm a medical marijuana user.  I recently purchased a portable vaporizer having a pipe-like shape and requiring the heat from a lighter.  The lighter is applied to one end of the pipe and used to heat a special volcanic rock mesh, which in turn heats the medicine.  The air flows through the pipe, meaning that lighter fumes (the burnt butane fumes) are inhaled for up to 10 seconds as the lighter heats the volcanic rock mesh. 

What exactly am I inhaling from the lighter?  Is this dangerous?

Thank you all!

[blake_jl]

Hi there,

Although I can't give you a scientific answer, as I am not a chemist, I can tell you that the butane gas isn't "dangerous" in the way you are using it. Some drug users actually inhale it to get high. It is inhaled directly from an aerosol can in concentrations a lot higher than you can get from a lighter.

The gas would be burnt off, the bi product of that I have no idea, but people have been smoking pot in a similar way to your medication for years. I'd be willing to bet that the smoke from the marijuana would do more damage to your lungs than the tiny bit of gas from the lighter.

Again, I'm not a chemist, but since no reply I thought I'd give you my opinion.

[Borek]

CO₂ + H₂O in the presence of excess oxygen.