The Pax Era Is A Sleek And Discreet Way To Get A Hit In; A Vape Pen Review

I don't usually mess with vape pens for my cannabis. Like I've said many times before- I'm a joint guy. Smoking a joint is the classic way to get the full experience of your cannabis, share it with your friends, and look cool doing it. Vape just ain't got no soul.

I picked up this Pax Era a few months ago at The Apothecarium. While I may be a joint guy, I'm also a relentless packrat when it comes to tech savvy pot smoking toys. The device costs $20 (before you add a cartridge) and that's a really easy price to get on board for.

It's impressive looking and easy to use. It charges with a USB cable and vaporizes oil from replaceable pods. It's sleek, stealthy and clean; looks like it was designed with Silicon Valley stoners in mind.

There are a few basic functions (beyond smoking it) that you can manage by shaking the device , such as raising or lowering the temperature or checking the battery. I was able to figure these out in just a few seconds by reading the packaging.

There are also some games you can play on the device and an app that somehow interacts with it. I didn't look into any of this shit. It's not what I want out of my pot smoking equipment. I want this thing to be like a joint, but cleaner and easier to use. I don't need a Bop-It t that gets me high. 

I picked up a  hybrid cartridge when I first got the Era vaporizer.

Made by Bloom Farms, the pod is on the cheaper side at $45. 

The flavor is a little bland, and the hit's not that smooth. Naturally, it's the first thing I notice and I don't love it. But I also notice that a few puffs gives me a fairly pleasant cerebral buzz and some nice looseness in my body.

The design of the vaporizer device itself really helps keep me interested. It's just so easy to carry around; it never gets hot or stinks like weed and I can quickly and discreetly hit it anywhere, anytime. 

I turn the heat up a bit and find a much more satisfying hit at higher temperatures and over the course of a few weeks, I puff through the whole pod.

The next cartridge I get is a little bit higher quality. 

 It's a 10K Jack pure sativa pod produced by Legion of Bloom. The price is slightly higher at $45 but there is a noticeable increase in clarity of the oil in the pod, and this is one of the few ways that I know how to judge extracts for vaping.

I'm also a sucker for Jack Herer. It's not just one of my favorite strains, it's one of my favorite flavors. Top 5 favorite flavors: Snickerdoodle, bacon, peanut butter, Jack Herer, IPA. But anyways, they didn't have any bacon or peanut butter flavored pods (#billiondollaridea) so I had to go with the Jack.

It's got a lot more flavor and a little more zing. I can definitely taste the Jack-- it's got an unmistakable candy/citrus sweetness, like a lemon-lime slushie. Notes of Slush Puppy are definitely present on the palette when hitting this 10K Jack pod, and the vapor is much more smooth going down. 

A few puffs gives me a happy zip; a bit of pep in my step and sparkle in my smile. It's just what I'm looking for as a daytime medicator, even if doesn't quite have the same sensory experience as a joint. But how could it, when I can get it out of my pocket, take a rip, then slip it right back into my pocket in a matter of 10 seconds?

I'm likely to keep using this device for awhile, and probably pick up a few more pods eventually. It's quite convenient for public daytime smoking. Very easy to carry and use at a baseball game, concert, work, or anywhere else you want to get a quick and convenient little buzz on without anyone noticing.

I still haven't tried an indica pod and I don't see it happening. I just can't imagine myself laying on the couch, puffing my Pax Era at the end of the night. When I have the time and opportunity to really enjoy my weed, that's just what I like to do. I prefer to indulge deeply in my cannabis; the way it smells, tastes, and feels going down. It's all a part of the experience, and it all ties together with the high. I'm not sure that can be extracted and put in a pod.

Final score:

The Pax Era gets a 7.4. But it is worth noting that I'm pulling that number right out of my ass.