By Seth MacKenzie
IG: @culinaryanarchy
culinaryanarchy.com
When I first heard about the disposable vaporizer cartridges, I was a bit skeptical since I consider myself an old school smoker who prefers his spliffs to anything else. Dabs and wax scare me, they’re too heavy and too hard, and while I see the appeal, it’s not for me. At the same time, a super discreet way to get high that didn’t have a massive smell did pique my interest, so, in the name of “research” I bought a cartridge and a battery and put it to the test.
Right off the bat, I’m thinking, “Oh, how long is this going to last before it dies out?” but it turns out that with a full charge they last longer than I anticipated. I ended up getting a spare just in case.
I’m writing this from Seattle, so things might be a bit different in Cali, but for $50 I was able to get a half gram cartridge and battery with a charger. It doesn’t look like much, but once you take the first hit, you learn that a little goes a long way. Since vapor doesn’t taste as strong as smoke, it’s real easy to over do it at first by mistake. You will cough, and you will learn to take smaller hits, as I did.
It’s a much different high than smoking buds, but it’s just as fun. I’m trying to figure out how to explain it, but honestly, I’m pretty stoned right now. In the name of research, of course.
The discretion and ease of use are the main appeals. You don’t have to grind anything or worry about having a lighter or covering the smell. I can skate down the beach with ease and take a toke at my leisure without having to fumble around hitting a bowl. I can walk down the street and take few puffs on my way to work without the worry that I smell like a hippy or that the odor lingers. It’s the perfect way to pregame before the big meeting to help you relax and focus.
Again, I’m writing this from Seattle, and we’re lucky enough to have an extensive menu out here with most shops carrying at least a dozen types of cartridges. Most run in the half gram range and are roughly the equivalent of an 8th ounce of weed. Some of them do come in 1 gram versions, but I notice that those start to taste burnt towards the end.
While I’m not a connoisseur by any means, I know what I like and what I’m looking for and the lemon haze that I had, while not the strongest I tried, had a great taste. So did the blueberry. For those of you needing a more medicinal effect, they also offer CBD cartridges that don’t really get you “high” but are great for things like pain relief and anxiety.
In fact, the only real drawback I’ve found with these is the simple pen design and the risk of it breaking in my pocket where the battery and cartridge connect. That, and they tend to want to roll off my desk. Yes, I can keep them separate in my pocket but then I have to screw it back together when I want to take a hit, and this starts to get annoying after a while. At the end of the day, it’s a minor thing.
Will this ever replace smoking flower? Not for me at least. Is it a quick, efficient way to discreetly catch a buzz without catching hell from those less liberal? Absolutely. While I didn’t think that I would become a fan of these, it solves a lot of problems in a convenient, simple to use package.
