Though a lifelong cannabis enthusiast, our resident marijuana critic stopped keeping up with the high-tech high times about a decade ago. So we enter this new age of legal weed with open eyes and relay honest thoughts about the gear and products submitted for our careful analysis.
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DaVinci IQ Vaporizer
Arriving in a wooden box like a bottle of fancy wine, the DaVinci IQ ($275) marks the next generation of “precision” vaporizers. Unlike the increasingly ubiquitous vaporizer pens that burn cannabis oil extract — whose health-safety concerns are still not fully understood — the DaVinci burns whole-flower cannabis, so it’s a little more traditional and doesn’t require buying oils. It features four main temperature settings — the highest one elicits visible smoke, while the others burn to a lesser degree, allowing you to find which elements of the cannabis you enjoy, as the plant releases different substances at different temps. But you can also dial into a specific temperature and track your usage via a phone app.
It’s easy to use, although it takes a bit of learning at first, and it can get extremely hot for unknown reasons, especially while using the app. The device comes with a charging wire, a few cleaning tools, and an attachment to hook it up to a water pipe. It fits in the palm of your hand, and the numerous people I shared it with were quite enthused with its clean vapors, sleek design, and functionality.
See davincivaporizer.com.