Dear Stoner: Which Vaporizers Have Good Temperature Control?

Dear Stoner: I have an Iolite mini-vaporizer, and I’ve noticed that many different kinds of herb taste the same in it. Could this be because of the constant temperature the vaporizer operates on? Is there a moderate-priced vaporizer with temperature control that will let me enjoy the various flavors of the herb?
Flavor Saver

Dear Flavor Saver: Great question. We’ve heard similar things about the Iolite mini and have never had great experiences with it ourselves (for instance, it never works on a chairlift when we need it to). As far as portable flower vapes go, the Magic Flight Launch Box has been a favorite for some time, and it passes on flavor pretty well for a vape without any temperature settings. Temperature is mostly regulated by how quickly you draw cool, fresh air in — but once you find that sweet spot, it works great. The drawback is that the old-school wooden-box design of the Magic Flight is far from stealth and requires some fiddling with external batteries. If stealth is more important than function, we suggest the latest vaporizer from Pax, the Pax II. It’s new to the market, but in our limited experience, Pax hits the mark on vapor delivery, stealth and overall flavor enjoyment. There’s temp control using the preset heat settings, but again, the trick is finding the right level of fresh-air intake without overcooling the heating element. At around $200 a pop, the Pax II is not cheap — but considering that the original Pax is one of the most popular vapes ever produced, it’s worth considering. If you’re not sold on portable and want to stay with a desktop vape, go old-school and local with the Colorado Springs-made Silver Surfer. I can’t say this enough: The Silver Surfer is and has been my all-time favorite vape for more than a decade. While it’s not portable, it has temperature adjustment, and I’ve found I can get distinct strain flavors from it, at least through the first few puffs. After a while, all bud tastes like slightly burned popcorn in a vape.

Dear Stoner: I’m trying to obtain my red-card license. Please call me back.
Virgil, via the potline

Dear Virgil: Since I get so many questions like yours, I’ll answer it again. I’m a columnist, not a physician — so while I can tell you that getting a red card (now a purple card) is a good way to avoid paying recreational prices and the high taxes that go with them, I can’t evaluate your condition. Plenty of doctors advertise in this paper, however. We suggest looking at the ads on the pages surrounding Ask a Stoner and contacting one of those offices directly with your questions about getting a red card.

Send questions to [email protected] or call the potline at 303-293-2222.