Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), one of Congress’ leading marijuana legalization advocates, said earlier today that cannabis banking reform could pass in a matter of months if not weeks.

The SAFE Banking Act, which would shield banks and credit unions from federal penalties for serving state-legal cannabis companies, has passed the House six times in recent years. But it’s always failed in the Senate.

A version of SAFE Banking is currently embedded within the America COMPETES Act of 2022, a massive bill aimed at revitalizing the economy. The House and the Senate have each passed slightly different versions of the bill. The House version contained SAFE Banking; the Senate version did not.

House and Senate members are now undertaking the long and arduous process of hammering out a compromise bill that both chambers can agree on. SAFE Banking may or may not survive that conference committee process. A similar effort late last year—which embedded SAFE Banking in the National Defense Authorization Act—failed when the conference committee stripped the SAFE Banking language out of the final bill.

In a press conference earlier today, Blumenauer described the COMPETES Act as the best chance yet for advocates to enact cannabis banking reform.

“There is a strong base of support for keeping [cannabis banking reform] in the bill,” Blumenauer said. “This is not a dynamic we’ve had before, in terms of a clear path to enactment. This legislation is a high priority for Senate leadership. We think this is a perfect opportunity to get some movement” on the SAFE Banking Act.

Why is the COMPETES Act different?

After many failed tries in the Senate, Blumenauer explained why he thinks this effort might finally find success. First is the fact that SAFE Banking actually made it as far as the conference committee, in a bill that has bipartisan support and strong momentum.

Unlike last year’s defense authorization act, COMPETES may be seen as a more right and natural vehicle for the SAFE Banking provisions, because the sweeping omnibus bill is aimed at improving business conditions for American companies.

There’s a rising recognition in Congress that “cash only” rules have led to real physical and economic violence—especially against smaller operators and people of color.

More important, though, is the rising realization in Congress that people in the cannabis industry are suffering real trauma, violence, and economic harm due to the lack of access to banking services. Forcing state-legal cannabis companies to operate as cash-only businesses has exposed them to a recent wave of armed robberies. Hundreds of legal tax-paying businesses have been victimized in recent months. Front-line employees have been murdered.

“We’ve seen 200 violent attacks in the last year against state-legal cannabis businesses in Oregon,” said Blumenauer. “That’s a 150% increase. In the state of Washington, there have been 196 incidents since January, including people being killed in the commission of these crimes. This poses a threat especially to the smaller operators, the minority cannabis entrepreneurs, who can only deal in cash. It’s hopelessly unfair.”

In past years, Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) has vowed to block the passage of SAFE Banking, arguing that it should wait behind a full legalization bill that contains social equity measures. But Booker’s argument has lost steam in recent months as the robbery wave exposed the vulnerability of smaller operators, minority entrepreneurs, and employees of color.

When talking about equity, Blumenauer said, that conversation is about “the people who pay the price [right now] in violence. This is a direct assault against low-income people of color, people in emerging markets—they’re the ones who are at risk for this violence. I want that solved. The folks we’re concerned about [with regard to equity provisions] are smaller operations, people of color—and they are on the front lines of this violence.”

New voices entering the conversation

As evidence, Blumenauer pointed to a recent media event hosted by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), urging her Senate colleagues to include SAFE Banking in the final COMPETES Act bill.

Murray is best known for her work supporting working families and military veterans, not marijuana legalization. But she made a point of speaking out on 4/20 this year—because her constituents were literally being killed.

“It makes absolutely no sense that legal cannabis businesses are being forced to operate entirely in cash,” Murray said. “It’s dangerous—and sometime even fatal—for the employees behind the register, but this situation is also completely preventable. I am urging every one of my colleagues to come together so that we can finally pass the SAFE Banking Act.”

Murray’s vocal support was especially notable because she serves as a key negotiator on the conference committee reconciling the differences between the House and Senate versions of the America COMPETES Act.

T

Bruce Barcott

Leafly Senior Editor Bruce Barcott oversees news, investigations, and feature projects. He is a Guggenheim Fellow and author of Weed the People: The Future of Legal Marijuana in America.

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HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, the leading Democrat in the state’s high-profile Senate contest, suffered a stroke just days before the primary election but was on his way to a “full recovery,” his campaign staff said on Sunday. 

‘The good news is I’m feeling better, and doctors tell me I didn’t suffer any cognitive damage.”

– Lt. Gov. John Fetterman

The 52-year-old Fetterman, who confirmed that he had been hospitalized all weekend, insisted the health emergency wasn’t slowing his campaign. But the stunning revelation, two days before Pennsylvania’s primary, created a cloud of uncertainty over the Democratic front-runner’s candidacy in what may be one of the party’s best Senate pickup opportunities. 

In a 16-second video released by his campaign, a seated Fetterman, speaking clearly, explained that he “just wasn’t feeling very well” on Friday and decided to go to the hospital at the urging of his wife. He detailed the situation further in a written statement. 

“I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long,” Fetterman said. He said the doctors were able to remove the clot, “reversing the stroke,” and got his heart under control.

“The good news is I’m feeling much better, and the doctors tell me I didn’t suffer any cognitive damage,” he said in the statement.

Over the past two years Fetterman has emerged as one of America’s leading cannabis legalization advocates. He’s come under fire from political opponents for flying a cannabis flag from the lieutenant governor’s office in the state capitol building in Harrisburg. Fetterman celebrated 4/20 in 2021 by appearing at a rally for adult-use legalization on the statehouse steps.

Events cancelled over the weekend

Questions about Fetterman’s health swirled throughout the weekend after he canceled scheduled public appearances Friday, Saturday and Sunday. His campaign cited a health issue but was not specific until Sunday.

Fetterman did not say how much longer he would be in the hospital. 

“They’re keeping me here for now for observation, but I should be out of here sometime soon,” he said in the statement. “The doctors have assured me that I’ll be able to get back on the trail, but first I need to take a minute, get some rest, and recover.”

Thousands of early votes have already been cast in the race, although Pennsylvania Democrats on Tuesday will finalize their general election nominee from a four-person field that features Fetterman, three-term U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta. 

Fetterman leading in Senate primary

Fetterman is the strong favorite. He has led in polls and fundraising from the start, even as the party’s establishment rallied around Lamb. Despite such support, Lamb struggled to reach voters or even pierce Fetterman’s standing with primary voters.

Lamb tweeted that he was conducting a television interview when he learned of Fetterman’s stroke.

“Hayley and I are keeping John and his family in our prayers and wishing him a full and speedy recovery,” Lamb wrote.

Kenyatta called Fetterman “an incredible family man.” “My prayers are with him and his family as he recovers from this stroke,” he tweeted. “I look forward to seeing him back on the campaign trail soon.”

And on the Republican side, Senate GOP hopeful Mehmet Oz, a heart surgeon, said he has experience treating Fetterman’s condition. 

“I have cared for atrial fibrillation patients and witnessed the miracles of modern medicine in the treatment of strokes, so I am thankful that you received care so quickly,” Oz tweeted. “My whole family is praying for your speedy recovery.”

Heart condition brought under control

Fetterman’s heart condition, atrial fibrillation, occurs when the heart’s top chambers, called the atria, get out of sync with the bottom chambers’ pumping action. Sometimes patients feel a flutter or a racing heart, but many times they’re not aware of an episode.

A-fib is most common in older adults, and other risks include high blood pressure or a family history of arrhythmias. It causes 130,000 deaths and 750,000 hospitalizations a year in the U.S.

Fetterman, who is 6-foot-8, has been open about his push to lose weight in the past. He weighed in at over 400 pounds before losing nearly 150 pounds in 2018. 

His imposing stature has been a big part of his political appeal. 

The former western Pennsylvania mayor has tattoos down his arms, a clean-shaven head and a goatee. He curses on social media and wears shorts practically everywhere, even in the winter. 

He vowed to press forward on Sunday despite the health setback. 

“Our campaign isn’t slowing down one bit, and we are still on track to win this primary on Tuesday, and flip this Senate seat in November,” he said. “Thanks for all the support, and please get out there and vote.”

In this episode: Austin decriminalizes weed…but what about the rest of Texas? The realities of traveling with marijuana. And one woman tests her breastmilk for THC.

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The Roll-Up: Leafly’s weekly cannabis news and culture podcast

Every Friday the Roll-Up crew—Bruce Barcott, Alyssa Yeoman, and Hannah Staton—dissect the week’s top cannabis stories and take a deep dive into a single issue. It’s a news and culture podcast, slightly elevated.

Subscribe for free on iTunes or Stitcher.

Got feedback? Bring it: therollup@leafly.com. Want more? Hit us up on Twitter: @therollup.

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A store across the river from Philadelphia is making boatloads from cross-border customers.

Medical cannabis dispensaries have been open in Pennsylvania since 2018. But the state’s 343,634 patients (2.68% of state population) still struggle to find affordable medicine.

Non-medical consumers are also growing tired of Pennsylvania’s archaic possession laws, along with broken promises from lawmakers that a legal rec market is coming soon.

But the Curaleaf store in Bellmawr, New Jersey, isn’t complaining about the lack of access and affordability in PA. Located just a short drive over the NJ-PA border from Philadelphia, the store’s budtenders are selling roughly 11 packs of 3.5 grams per minute during business hours, according to early estimates from Mike Regan of MJ Research Co.

Federal and state law forbid visitors from taking cannabis across state lines. But that doesn’t seem to be stopping a lot of Pennsylvanians from driving down the road to purchase legal, lab-tested products.

NBC-WGAL in Lancaster, Pennsylvania reported seeing “a number of vehicles in Curaleaf’s (Bellmawr) parking lot had out-of-state license plates, including tags from The Keystone State. Some PA medical patients may be drawn by NJ’s recreational prices of $45-$60 per 3.5 grams of flower, instead of the $60 average they see back home. And they’re definitely taking note of the $28-$50 range that New Jersey medical patients are now paying for an eighth.

Curaleaf executives said in an earnings call this month that the company’s Bellmawr store is on pace for $100 million in revenue this year, up from $50 million before day one of adult-use sales. At that run rate, Regan estimates that the Bellmawr location is collecting around $274,000 per day, or $4.9 million since April 21.

With 131 retail locations in 22 states, Curaleaf is the nation’s largest state-licensed cannabis operation, according to Barrons.

All NJ dispensaries brought in almost $2 million from 12,000 customers in their first day of sales, according to New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission. With more cultivators and providers entering the market soon, the Garden State could be seeing green for as long as it takes for their neighbors to catch up.

PA officials aren’t happy with current pot market, either

In December, Pennsylvania Gov. Tim Wolfe told lawmakers to get the state’s recreational cannabis market moving quickly. But his tweets on the topic haven’t inspired Republicans and Democrats to get on the same page about how to roll out a healthy legal weed market.

Legalization advocates are hoping the boatloads of cash lawmakers are seeing drive over the river to New Jersey will help create more urgency.

John Collins, recently retired director of Pennsylvania’s Office of Medical Marijuana, warned the Philadephia Inquirer that price fixing among large corporation is a real issue in PA’s medical cannabis market. In March, the State Health Department demanded an investigation into accusations of price gouging in the industry, and others have pointed out that falling wholesale prices are not being reflected on dispensary menus.

PA’s medical program was signed into law back in 2016, but patients are still waiting for prices to fall, with some patients spending up to $1,500 per month to secure their medicine legally.

Only buyers in Illinois pay more per eighth of legal flower ($60.42) than patients in Pennsylvania ($58.86 per 3.5 grams), nationally. Those high prices can force those with debilitating conditions to turn to street sellers, saving 50% or more by shopping with unlicensed dealers. Those products lack the lab-tested purity, quality, and dosing assurance of legal products. But for some patients, the high prices in dispensaries leave them little choice.

What to expect at NJ dispensaries

So far, NJ shoppers report fast lines and pleasant experiences, thanks to automated ordering systems and separate checkout lines for medical and recreational buyers.

In March, NJ regulators said the state was 100,000 pounds short of the legal supply needed to meet the expected flood of demand from New York and Pennsylvania consumers. CRC officials worried the 15-minute drive over the Delaware River from Philadelphia could overwhelm locations like Bellmawr’s Curaleaf. But that location has not suffered any major shortages for medical or recreational buyers to date.

The same is true for North Jersey dispensaries like RISE’s Bloomfield and Paterson locations, and Montclair’s Ascend dispensary, which are all just a short drive from New York City, another major metro area full of eager customers.

How NJ got ahead in the tri-state cannabis race

Curaleaf is one of the fully-vertical cannabis companies that’s been serving New Jersey’s medical patients for years. In April, Curaleaf’s Bellmawr location became one of 7 medical providers (known as alternative treatment centers) to receive permission to open some of their existing dispensaries to recreational buyers.

The expansion plan was highly scrutinized by residents and the state’s CRC board. Many advocates demanded full transparency of the licensing process, and prioritization of applicants from marginalized groups.

On March 15, the CRC started reviewing hundreds of new applications for retail dispensary licenses, but no awardees have been announced yet. The board had approved 102 applications for cultivators and manufacturers as of April 11.

As of March 31, the CRC received 732 license applications. 511 of those were from Diversely-Owned Businesses (70%), 213 from Social Equity Businesses (29%), and 310 from Impact Zone Businesses (42%), according to the CRC. Of the 732 applications received, 410 applications are now under priority review. 

Travel safely if you choose to purchase

Every legal state that borders an illegal state sees booming sales at stores near the border. In Oregon, for example, stores near the Idaho border see a steady stream of Idaho license plates outside their doors. In the early days of adult-use legalization in Colorado, Kansas state troopers hung out on the border to profile and bust traveling tree-lovers. But a federal court eventually brought that to a halt, ruling that Kansas cops couldn’t stop vehicles just because they had Colorado plates.

There are no reports of state trooper traps in Pennsylvania so far, but it’s smart to take precautions. Always lock your purchase in your trunk, no matter where you’re traveling.

In the meantime, Curaleaf is building at least two new locations in New Jersey that will be larger than the booming Bellmawr shop. Just in case Pennsylvania lawmakers needed an extra push to get things moving.

Joe Evans

Joe Evans is a journalist, writer, editor, and contributor to Where’s Weed, Leafly and more, with over 5,000 published articles on topics like cannabis, politics, automotive news, sports, pop culture, and even a cult. You can follow him on Twitter @JoeEvansBlogs.

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C’mon Delaware, you can do it!

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.

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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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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