Earlier this afternoon, May 12, the Delaware Senate voted 13-7 to send an adult-use legalization bill to the desk of Gov. John Carney. A vocal prohibitionist, Carney could still veto the bill and send it back to lawmakers.
While the bill, HB371, removes all penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis, it does not establish a regulatory framework for a state-licensed adult-use market. Legalization advocates included those in a separate bill they hope to pass soon.
“The governor has expressed some concerns with this issue generally, and the reality for us as legislators is that we have to make these decisions in a little bit of a tumultuous set-up here,” said Senator Kyle Evans Gay (D) on the Senate floor earlier today.
In Delaware, Democrats control the governor’s office and both houses of the state legislature, but Gov. Carney has differed with his party on the issue of legalization.
What happens next?
Gov. Carney has 10 days to veto the legislation. If he decides to veto the bill, it will go back to the state legislature.
At that point, however, lawmakers could likely override his veto. They’d need a two-third supermajority to do so.
If HB371 becomes law, the conversation will move on to HB372, the regulatory framework bill. Proponents of legalization hope that by splitting cannabis legalization into two bills—HB371 and HB372—they will force their opponents’ hand: Otherwise, if they only pass the first bill, the state will be stuck with legal weed and no regulatory framework for it.
Related
Delaware House passes legalization bill, but obstacles remain
That fact did not seem lost on the bill’s opponents during today’s Senate vote.
“We might as well call this ‘encourage illegal behavior act,’” said state Sen. Colin Bonini (R). “Because where are you going to get [cannabis]? A drug dealer.”
Since HB371 permits the transfer of up to one ounce of cannabis without compensation, it effectively legalize a “gifting” market—where free cannabis is thrown in with the purchase of a symbolic item or piece of art.
If the regulatory bill fails to pass in the next ten days, Carney could veto HB371 to eliminate the possibility of an unregulated market.
Delaware already decriminalized marijuana possession, in 2015.
Stay tuned for more information on cannabis legalization in Delaware.
Max Savage Levenson
Max Savage Levenson likely has the lowest cannabis tolerance of any writer on the cannabis beat. He also writes about music for Pitchfork, Bandcamp and other bespectacled folk. He co-hosts The Hash podcast. His dream interview is Tyler the Creator.
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A massive leak of data associated with government-run cannabis retail stores in Ontario, Canada put retailers in a tailspin. Consumer data, however, is not part of the equation, and wasn’t exposed during the data breach.
The Ontario Cannabis Store (OCS), a government-run agency overseeing the distribution of cannabis from licensed producers to retailers, reported that some of its sales data was “misappropriated.”
An OCS letter sent to retailers on May 10 and quickly picked up by The Canadian Press warned that confidential sales data was being circulated throughout the industry.
“This data was not disclosed by the OCS, nor have we provided any permission or consent to distribute or use this data outside of our organization,” reads the letter, signed by Janet Ihm, vice-president of wholesale partnerships and customer care at OCS. “The data was misappropriated, disclosed, and distributed unlawfully. As a result, we trust you will refrain from sharing or using this stolen data in any way.”
Over 1,200 retail stores in Ontario have been affected. Retail cannabis stores in Ontario rose to 1,333 by a recent count, up from 1,115 in September.
Three anonymous sources say that store names, license numbers, and data showing whether a store is independently owned, run by a corporation, or by a franchisee was also leaked. The matter is being investigated by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
MJBizDaily confirmed with the OPP that the breach is being considered “a criminal matter.” The data was also distributed unlawfully, according to authorities.
Reportedly the data contained ranked sales info of every cannabis store in Ontario. And given that the data also showed kilograms sold during the month, kilograms sold per day, total units sold, total inventory—it could put retailers at risk.
The data could end up in the wrong hands or for the wrong reasons, such as rival retail stores. The data “provides a lot of really competitive insight into who’s doing what, who’s moving what, which retailers are selling what,” Deepak Anand, founder of cannabis company Materia, toldThe Canadian Press. “That certainly could be a leg up and give a leg up to competition within the industry that’s looking to get ahead of the next person.”
This type of incident has happened before in the area.
In 2018, the OCS revealed that data for 4,500 of its customers was part of a Canada Post data breach. The 2018 breach was found to be the result of someone accessing data via a Canada Post tracking tool. The data included names of people who purchased pot deliveries, OCS reference numbers as well as postal codes.
Meanwhile, residents are concerned about the rise in competition. Some areas are overrun with cannabis stores, such as Toronto’s Queen Street West. That eventually led the Toronto City Council to issue a moratorium on new cannabis store licenses. The moratorium would run for a year or until a provincial bill is put forth, allowing local communities to have a voice in the matter.
It’s concentrated areas of cannabis retail like Queen Street West, where competition is the most fierce, that would appear to be more vulnerable amid the data leak.
Lisa Campbell, chief executive at cannabis marketing company Mercari Agency, toldThe Canadian Press that it could be a “death sentence” for some of the businesses who are seeking to be acquired.
Cannabis retail businesses in Ontario face stiff competition already, so underperforming stores could suffer if their data is revealed.
Couche-Tard, a prominent multinational convenience store operator, has been keen on becoming a top name among cannabis-related investors globally. Its resilience can be observed in its quick procurement of substantial shares in Canada’s major cannabis retailer. This announcement suggests that before the end of the second quarter of the year, Couche-Tard could own as many as 8.2 million Fire & Flower shares. This intending exchange would play out once the Circle K convenience stores exercise their warrants.
The rise of the dab has been meteoric and as a new generation of consumers prefer concentrate to flower. It’s hard to say if technology enabled the culture or if culture enabled the technology, but dabs and devices go hand-in-hand—as much out of necessity as fashion.
What are dabs?
Dabs, also known as concentrates, are extractions of resin from the cannabis plant. Dabs are much more potent than flower, in the 60-90% THC range, whereas flower is in the 15-25% THC range. Dabs are mainly for cannabis connoisseurs, and may not be as suited to beginners.
Vape pens are different than the vaporizers in this list—they comprise of a battery and vape cartridge, full of cannabis distillate, which is an extraction that has been diluted. Vape pens are for all types of cannabis consumers, from beginners to connoisseurs.
How is vaporizing oil or concentrate different than flower?
Concentrates are much more potent than flower and a little goes a long way. A sliver of concentrate can equal a full bowl of flower, or more. They are also stickier and messier to work, and more expensive than flower.
How to choose the best vaporizer for oil or concentrate
Many factors play into choosing the best concentrate vaporizer. Some are made to stay at home, some are meant to be used on-the-go, and the size of the device usually corresponds to better heating quality and a longer battery life. Additionally, some oil vaporizers utilize water for smoother hits and some don’t.
The best vaporizers for dabs and wax
Whether you’re looking to replace a torch and nail, have a safer experience, or simply improve your consumption ritual, we’ve taken an extensive look at concentrate vaporizers to find the best extraction tech money can buy.
We’ve broken up our overview of devices into two sections—tabletop vaporizers and cordless/portable tech. All of these vaporizers are available in any state across the country, and note that prices may vary by retailer.
Tabletop oil vapes
On one side of the concentrate vaporizer spectrum is devices designed for ultimate portability and quick, convenient sessions. On the other, you’ve got your at-home marijuana consumption machines. These devices reinforce the ritual and tend to be better performers for flavor, control, and vapor quality.
Read on for the best of the tabletop concentrate vaporizers available today.
Best overall: The Switch by Dr. Dabber
Price: $319.95
Features at a glance: Satin finish, glass percolator, induction heating technology, 25 pre-set heating cycles for oil and herb, interchangeable induction cups (ceramic options for oil and leaf come stock; quartz and “smooth ceramic” add-ons available), pass-through charging, 150+ heating cycles per charge, self-cleaning feature, auto cool-down, programmable custom heat cycles.
What’s to love?
Excellent flavor
Water filtration
Easy maintenance and operation
Cordless battery operation
User-friendly
What’s the catch?
While the maintenance is easy, it’s required after each use
Single-button operation, 25 pre-set temps tailored to express both concentrates and herb, an easy-to-handle design, and cordless functionality earn the Switch by Dr. Dabber a perch in my TV room.
But this vaporization device has a lot more going for it than its usability. The fully integrated glass percolator enables contemporary standards of water filtration and cooling with durable borosilicate glass that can be removed for cleaning or replacement.
Personally, I’m most impressed with the Switch’s seamless design—effectively isolating the internals from any oil or water that might get somewhere where liquids shouldn’t. Interchangeable induction cups drop into a frosted glass chamber, creating a final layer of distance between any liquids and precious dabs that bring life to a fail-free user experience.
Given how perfect the Switch is for beginners, the price is a little prohibitive for the dab-curious—but if you’re comfortable spending $300-400 on a first device, the Switch will have you pulling vapor without much fuss.
Most popular: The Peak by Puffco
Price: $379.99
Features at a glance: Integrated water filtration, ceramic and glass air path, four temp settings, swappable ceramic bowl, replaceable heating element, 30 heating cycles per charge, 20-second heat-up time, temp sensor and auto-calibration, packaging doubles as carrying case.
What’s to love?
Backpack-portable tabletop
Sturdy build
Excellent flavor
Extreme ease of use
Easy cleaning
Third-party accessory makers offer customizations
What’s the catch?
Pricey next to more powerful options
Few cannabis concentrate vaporizers have made waves like the tidal formations rising from Puffco’s Peak. Since its release, concentrate consumers have gathered to celebrate the achievement: an electronic dab rig that’s small enough to take with you and powerful enough to satisfy functionality benchmarks of tabletop vapor production and flavor preservation.
The combination of backpack portability and banger-replacing functionality earns the Peak its own island between continents of wax pens and tabletop-only rigs.
The Peak works much like a traditional dab rig: engage one of four heating cycles, wait for the haptic buzzes announcing peak temp, drop your extract into the ceramic bowl, and rip it up as usual.
As an unexpected bonus, Puffco offers several unique accessories: the packaging that the device ships in doubles as a carrying case, while Puffco has created several silicone attachments including a storage compartment for Q-Tips and dab tools that fits over the glass tube like a little backpack.
Speaking of bonus features, a strong community of third-party glassblowers now make artistic, heady-glass replacement tubes for the Peak.
Beyond strong community engagement and bespoke customization options, the Peak is a breeze to use and does exactly what it needs to. The combination of backpack portability and banger-replacing functionality earns the Peak its own island between continents of wax pens and tabletop-only rigs—an easy favorite for this reviewer and the community at large.
Most innovative: The Reflux by Indux Labs
Price: $1,249.99 – $1,449.99
Features at a glance: Vast ecosystem of swappable heating elements, wireless induction heating technology, silicone whip, industry-leading durability, high-value aluminum body, integrated water-pipe compatibility, on and off buttons, timer dial, overheat failsafe, auto-shutdown sensor.
What’s to love?
Best-in-class flavor
Highly detailed cloud control
Heavy-duty construction
Never before seen long-duration, low-temp dabs
Easy maintenance and operation
Made in the USA
What’s the catch?
High price tag
Learning curve
The Reflux by Texas-based manufacturer Indux Labs is the first major update to the extract experience since the dawn of the dab. Think flavor hits not for seconds, but for minutes upon minutes, and that’s what the Reflux enables.
Once dialed in, you will never want to run your extracts through any other rig.
Using an induction-based electromagnetic coil to wirelessly activate a system of interchangeable heating elements—metal pins of varying size, shape, and metallurgic composition—an unprecedented array of temperature ramps are made available in one place.
Yes, the Reflux can achieve banger-replacing hot-temp sessions with ease, but it’s the long-duration, low-temp extract expressions that justify the extraordinary price point.
Slow layer cakes of flavor are the Reflux’s crowning achievement. Also, this thing is built like an industrial power tool.
Visually inspired by executive-class component audio systems, the Reflux sits on a table with the form of a tube amp and the brushed aluminum finishings of a military-grade Apple product. “Indestructible” is the first word that comes to mind when attempting a description of the build quality.
Naturally, the price is substantial—starting at $1,249.99 for the brushed-aluminum version, and $1,449.99 for the anodized black finish, which comes with a hardshell carry case. Additionally, with nearly endless combinations of heating elements at your disposal, it’d be fair to expect a decent amount of trial and error to find your perfect cloud.
That said, once dialed in, you will never want to run your extracts through any other rig.
Beam by Mr. HotBox
Wireless, no-flame torch
Price: $369.99
Features at a glance: Wireless heating technology, single-button functionality, couples with an existing glass banger/bong/water pipe (not included), finished with steel and wood trim, go-anywhere international power conditioner.
What’s to love?
Flameless, wireless torch
Single-button, always-on functionality
Zero cleanup
Water filtration
American made
What’s the catch?
Manual heat control
Similar experiences can be had for less money
The Beam is a flameless and wireless torch—created as an answer to cheap and sketchy butane devices.
For those seeking a torch option safer than iffy butane setups, the Beam pairs with your existing rig to bring it into the wireless era.
A thin piece of metal clips onto a glass banger, hugging the bottom and sides to do the work of a torch but without all the fire. To operate the device, simply hover the modified honey bucket over the Beam, wait until the metal glows orange, and then dab as usual.
Refining a technique to achieve your preferred hit can take some trial and error, and for that reason other devices are more beginner friendly—yet, the Beam’s operation should feel familiar to anyone who already owns a dab rig.
For those seeking a torch option safer than iffy butane setups, the Beam pairs with your existing rig to bring it into the wireless era.
Cordless & portable oil vapes
Once upon a time, say ten years ago, dabbing on-the-go meant packing up a glass rig, torch, and nail, as well as all the bits and pieces—the sticky stuff and the tools to parse servings.
Gone are the days of the sketchy dab backpack. Here in 2022, a sip of hash with an oil vaporizer on-the-go is diminutive, quick, and painless. The tech shift started with modifications to e-cig atomizers and batteries—just like those that compose ever-popular vape pen cartridge systems.
Nowadays, the market is overflowing with ways to get your dab up to temp wherever you might be. Here are our favorite cordless and portable oil and concentrate vape devices.
Easiest to use: Dipper by Dip Devices
Price: $115
Features at a glance: Interchangeable top-loading quartz and coil “vapor tip” atomizers for straw-style dab use, various finishes, add-on water pipe attachment.
What’s to love?
Extreme ease of use
Competitive flavor performance
Innovative tool-free operation
Beginner friendly
What’s the catch?
High maintenance
Limited but decent battery life
Copycat devices are improving on the technology and slashing prices
If you find yourself avoiding concentrates because they’re messy and require an array of tools to properly handle, the Dipper just might make a dabber of you yet.
If you find yourself avoiding concentrates because they’re messy and require an array of tools to properly handle, the Dipper just might make a dabber of you yet.
No device delivers a quick hit of concentrate with less fuss than the Dipper, thanks to the first-of-its-kind and widely knocked-off vapor tip—an atomizer that Dip Devices designed to submerge directly into an extract container, negating the need for dab tools.
Just inhale on one end while running the atomizer over your oil. The overall effect is a consumption experience that can happen essentially anywhere—a rare thing, even with all the portables on the market today.
Also of interest to on-the-go consumers, the Dipper’s mouthpiece is removable and can be worn on either end of the device to double as a pocket protector—capping over the atomizer and any sticky residues you wouldn’t want getting all over your clothes, purse, or backpack.
When in this pocket-safe configuration, the Dipper can be used as a globe-style wax vape pen and includes an additional top-loading atomizer for that purpose.
The major complaint people seem to have about the Dipper is that the device can easily become clogged with wax or dab reclaim that has nowhere to go. This means regular maintenance and cleaning are required should you want to avoid by de-gooping the internal air path with a paperclip.
Best flavor: Blaze by Linx Vapor
Price: $135
Features at a glance: Four pre-set temps, single-button operation, swappable inlaid coil-less quartz and recessed ceramic plate atomizers, glass mouthpiece, magnetic mouthpiece cap, stainless steel exterior, diminutive carry case, 510-thread cartridge compatibility.
What’s to love?
Better-than-average flavor performance
Easy maintenance
Simple operation
Sleek design
Medical-grade vapor path
What’s the catch?
Pricier than many wax pens
In their infancy, the majority, if not all, wax pens, concentrate globes, and Dipper-style devices employed coil atomizers.
The experience is worlds ahead of an average wax pen—avoiding the hotspots common to coil atomizers to deliver an even heat and corresponding flavor clarity.
The issue with coil atomizers is that the concentrate making direct contact with the atomizer will vaporize, while the rest gets caked into cool spots. So you can accumulate a lot of buildup and an uneven expression of your dab.
The Blaze by Linx Vapor is a decided departure from the coil atomizer. It comes stock with two swappable heating elements: an inlaid coil-less quartz option called the Ace that’s built for durability and easy cleaning, as well as the Zero, which is outfitted with a ceramic plate for fast heat-up and larger clouds.
The experience is worlds ahead of an average wax pen—avoiding the hotspots common to coil atomizers to deliver an even heat and corresponding flavor clarity.
The Blaze is pocket-safe thanks to a magnetic steel cap that protects the glass mouthpiece. It ships with a padded hardshell carrying case for spare atomizers, dab tools, etc., which is a nice bit of realistic planning on the part of Linx. After all, the Blaze works best when you treat it like a dab rig—load, enjoy, swab clean, repeat—so it’s nice to have a case to make the ecosystem of necessary tools as portable as the device itself.
As an unadvertised bonus feature, the Blaze is equipped with a standard 510-thread battery, so it’s compatible with pre-filled oil cartridges—thinning out the number of devices you might otherwise need to carry.
Most affordable: Evolve Plus by Yocan
Price: $49.99
Features at a glance: Quartz dual-coil atomizer, built-in dab tool and silicon-lined concentrate caddy/jar, single-button functionality.
What’s to love?
Pocket portable
Magnetic atomizer lid
Storage compartment for extracts
Easy price
What’s the catch?
Hit or miss performance
Tough-to-clean atomizer/heating chamber
If you don’t like the idea of carrying a wax pen, dab tools, and extract containers, Yocan’s Evolve Plus is a great option.
Equipped with dual quartz coil atomizers, Yocan’s Evolve Plus works like a traditional wax pen with a few great surprises built into the design.
A magnetic lid that caps atop the atomizer doubles as a dab tool. With a chimney on one end and a scoop on the other, you can spoon extracts directly into the atomizer without leaving behind a sticky thing that needs to be cleaned. Additionally, the base of the device screws on and off to expose a stealthy, silicon-lined storage compartment designed as a concentrate caddy.
The result is a device that covers all the bases for on-the-go consumption, eliminating the need for external tools, containers, etc. Just slip this thing in a shirt pocket and you’re all set.
Given that the Evolve Plus relies on a coil atomizer, the usual issues of functionality follow: hotspots and cold zones can deliver an uneven expression of oils, and it can be a little tough to wrangle a satisfying draw if concentrates aren’t making direct contact with the coil.
Yet, that’s less a criticism of the Evolve Plus, as it applies to every coil atomizer I’ve personally tried over the last ten years (lots and lots and lots). Luckily, the Evolve Plus comes in at half the cost of many big-name wax and cannabis oil pens like those from Atmos and Dr. Dabber.
Matt Stangel
Matt Stangel is Leafly’s Oregon Product Specialist. His cannabis-related writings have appeared in The Guardian, Willamette Week, Cascadia Magazine, and elsewhere—links to which are available at Cannapinions.com.
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Vermont lawmakers are at loggerheads over a measure that would establish a cap on the level of THC in solid cannabis concentrates sold at the state’s regulated cannabis retailers.
Local publication VTDigger has the background, reporting that members of the Vermont state Senate “bristled Friday at a last-minute change to a key cannabis bill during a House vote Thursday—and speculated as to why the Vermont Department of Health abruptly reversed its recommendation to lawmakers on the measure last week.”
Members of the House “on Thursday imposed a 60% cap on the level of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, in solid cannabis concentrates to be sold at retail establishments when they open in October,” according to VTDigger.
“They held the damn thing for over a week and a half and then come up with this,” said Democratic state Senator Dick Sears, as quoted by VTDigger. “There isn’t much time to call for a conference committee.”
Sears said he was “frustrated” with Democratic state House Representative John Gannon, who proposed the amendment imposing a 60% cap.
Sears and other lawmakers contend that caps are counterproductive and will only prompt customers to seek products elsewhere––be it on the illicit market or in neighboring states with adult-use cannabis sales.
Calling the measure passed by the House a “stupid decision,” Sears said that Vermont continues “to invite people to go out of state.”
“It gives the illicit market a monopoly on supplying the demand for these products,” Vermont Cannabis Control Board chair James Pepper told a state House committee during a hearing, as quoted by VTDigger.
“There is a very broad consensus among regulators that caps are a bad idea,” Pepper told the publication. “A black market will fill this gap. They’ll do so using very dangerous products.”
Amid the back-and-forth among lawmakers has been a series of inconsistent guidance on the issue from Vermont’s Department of Health.
VTDigger reported that the department’s senior policy and legal adviser, David Englander, told members of a state House committee late last month that the department agreed with the Cannabis Control Board in opposing the cap.
“The primary reason is that there is a likely significant market for high THC concentrates, and it is more dangerous for people to buy unregulated versions of these products as opposed to buying products that are regulated and tested in accordance with Board rules. Regulating instead of banning THC substances is in line with one of the purposes of creating a regulated market as envisioned by the General Assembly,” Englander said in a letter to the committee.
“In addition, a complete ban on concentrates above 60% requires manufacturers to keep products below that limit at all times during the manufacturing process. Doing so will require the addition of additives to dilute the product down to a 60% concentrate or below. You may recall that there were recent illnesses and deaths that appeared to be associated with the ingestion of such additives.”
But the very next day, Englander pulled a 180, telling lawmakers that, upon “further consideration, with the lens of prevention and safety as the cornerstone for the coming adult use market in Vermont, the Department does not concur with the lifting of the THC limit and maintains that a foundational component of the original legislation remain in place.”
“The risk to users of high levels of THC are significant and we should not risk contributing to the known risks to consumers physical and mental health,” Englander said. “My communication of yesterday to you was based on incomplete information. All errors are mine, and please accept my apologies to you and the committee.”
