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Regular readers know that I’m a bit of marijuana traditionalist. I like to keep my smoke simple.
But after a weekend sampling some of the newest vaporizer technology from DaVinci Tech, I think I may be turning a new leaf (pun intended) and truly taking this hobby into the 21st century.
Introducing the DaVinci IQ2: A dry herb and concentrate vaporizer built with sophisticated cannabis technology for sophisticated connoisseurs, with sophisticated wallets to match. Just the device alone retails for $295. With all the accessories, it’s an investment of more than $450 — making it the most expensive and the most technologically advanced piece of smoking equipment in my personal collection. Mine was free, but I still think it’s worth the investment.
With a background in manufacturing and hardware design, CEO Cortney Smith said he founded Las Vegas-based DaVinci Tech in 2011 with the desire to “change the world’s imagination of what is possible for plant-based wellness” and a goal to “innovate cannabis consumer tech.”
And over the last 10 years, the company’s products have found their way to hundreds of retail shelves nationwide — including at Wild Bill’s, The Haven, Su Casa and other smoke shops in Greater Lansing. Direct online orders are also available nationwide at davincicaporizer.com.
The IQ2 has been DaVinci’s flagship model since 2019. It can handle up to 0.5 g of dry flower or 0.2 g of concentrate, heating a ceramic chamber up to 430° in a single seven-minute sitting for one of the most convenient, discreet and easy-to-operate vaping experiences on the market.
Here’s how it works: The removable battery takes about six hours to charge and lasts for about one hour — or six sessions. Once the battery is charged, flip open the magnetically sealed underside to reveal a small ceramic chamber. Stuff it full, swing the lid shut and tap the power button five times. The IQ2 comes loaded with four presets with varying degrees of heat; I found it works best somewhere in the middle — between 390-410° for some reasonably dry herb.
A vibration after about 60 seconds lets you know it’s fully preheated. From there, you don’t have to do anything but puff and the IQ2 does the rest, slowly heating up and then automatically powering off after seven minutes, usually about the time it takes to roast the full chamber.
I’ve tried several dry herb vaporizers and many of them tend to dull the flavor of the plant; It’s part of the reason I love joints so much. But the IQ2 is different. It’s glass-lined oven and all-ceramic air path ensures that no metal or plastic parts contaminate the flavor profile — leaving you with nothing but the raw terpene flavors of whatever strain you loaded inside.
Different heat levels will always create different experiences, but the airflow dial on the bottom takes it a step further, allowing for a custom experience for different preferences. Like a thinner, wispier sort of smoke? Open it up all the way. Like a denser hit? Keep a few air holes shut.
For the more meticulous smokers, the IQ2 can also calculate how many milligrams of THC are consumed in each sitting. Simply input the potency of your strain and the number of dry herbs or extracts in the oven and the IQ2 will calculate the dosage based on the length and number of hits in each session. I didn’t dabble much with this setting, but I can see how this feature would be incredibly useful for a medical marijuana patient who wants a precise amount of THC.
The best parts: The whole thing comes apart for easy cleanup. And the battery can be replaced — which is essential for a pricey piece of vaping equipment like this one.
You can also buy a separate holster of six refillable 0.2 g ceramic pods that pop right inside the chamber for accurate dosing and a much easier cleanup, which I’d strongly recommend. Even still, however, the chamber is super easy to clean with just a Q-Tip and a dab of rubbing alcohol.
And that’s the real secret to smoking oils and wax with this vaporizer. It comes with a ceramic “extract tab” for supposedly easy dabbing, but it still made for a gooey mess. Instead, I sandwiched a dollop of wax between the herbs inside the pod. It made cleanup a total breeze.
All told, this vaporizer isn’t everyone — mainly because of the high cost of the initial investment. But for connoisseurs looking for the very best in vaping technology, it may be worth the splurge.
Kyle Kaminski is City Pulse’s managing editor and a cannabis enthusiast who has been smoking marijuana just about every day for the last decade. Editor & Publisher Magazine has also labeled him as “arguably, the state’s authority on everything you need to know about cannabis.” Have a suggestion for a cannabis product? Email kyle@lansingcitypulse.com.
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