Like Pax pods and Dart pods, the PLUGplay vaping platform is a newer addition to the growing list of alternatives to the 510 cartridge vaping platform. The difference here is that while other vaporizing platforms enlist popular cannabis brands to develop their own cartridges to fit within their preexisting platform, PLUGplay produces everything themselves, from the PLAY battery to the premium distillate concentrates found in the cartridges themselves.

“A mere hit of this vape was like getting punched in the face by Jack Herer himself.”

This cartridge, Jack Herer, is a concentrate meant to feel and taste like the original, creating the upbeat and alert high of the famous Jack Herer cannabis strain. Jack Herer, or the “Emperor of Hemp,” was a legendary cannabis rights activist who dedicated his life to decriminalizing and legalizing cannabis, and expanding the use of hemp for industrial use. While there are several variations, Jack Herer flower is championed for its creative, upbeat high and spicy, piney flavor profile.

And so, on the perfect Los Angeles day in question, moments before my transformation from “normal girl” to “raging bolt of productivity lightening that would stop at nothing to finish all deadlines before sundown,” I was pleased to find the extraction masters over at PLUGplay had done a stellar job in capturing the spirit of Jack Herer’s famous flower.

Full disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of vaping. Not only does the high not last long enough, a couple puffs of a vape often leave me feeling staticky. Not exactly high, but somewhat impaired, for an overall boring and distracting feeling that I really don’t have room for in my day.

While vapes have come a long way from the suspiciously opaque oils and leaky cartridges, for the most part, they’re still not fully there yet, at least for me. Upon my first hit from the Play battery, which could easily pass for a USB drive, I realized this platform was different. A mere hit of this vape was like getting punched in the face by Jack Herer himself.

“Pungent notes of pine, spices, and herbs twirled into my mind, hitting that spot behind my eyes, like a huge bong hit where you tear up and have to fully shut down for a moment.”

Closer to taking a dab than hitting a vape, the 90 percent THC distillate really hit me, hard. Pungent notes of pine, spices, and herbs twirled into my mind, hitting that spot behind my eyes, like a huge bong hit where you tear up and have to fully shut down for a moment to process the moments of achy head high and a general sense of being overwhelmed by weed. It was a full experience, and unlike any vape I’d ever tried.

Once the haze in my head cleared enough that I could see, think, and once again participate with the outside world, I was extremely, totally high. I spent the afternoon bouncing around the house, juggling 15 tasks all at once. On the phone with the car company while washing dishes? Yes! Cleaning my room, while braving the online unemployment filing system? Done. Finishing two research-heavy articles I never wanted to do in the first place? Check, check, check!

As the sun began to fade, and the crisp cool air floated off the mountains into my living room, the intense upper effects I’d enjoyed throughout the afternoon eased into a manageable euphoria that left me feeling hungry and cozy. After all the activity, it wasn’t long before I was tired, but tired in that great way where you feel satisfied with all the work that made you tired in the first place.

While I’m still not sold on vaping in general, the PLUGplay system is definitely doing something different, and I liked it. If you’re bored with vaping, or just bored with yourself, I suggest you give it a try. And, like with all things cannabis, learning from the wisdom of the great Jack Herer is a perfect place to start.