Arizer Extreme Q Vaporizer Review

Burning any form of plant matter creates carcinogens, tar and carbon monoxide etc.
So Vaporizers are a good tool to extract the cannabinoids from cannabis without the nasties.
The definition of vapour is; a substance diffused or suspended in the air, especially one normally liquid or solid.
Vaporizers are a great way to titrate cannabinoid consumption, meaning you can inhale a small amount of vapour, wait for a few minutes to see what effect it's made and If you feel you need a little more, vape again until the required dosage is met.
The wonderful thing about cannabis is it's relationship with the human body, humans have an endocannabinoid system ready and waiting to accept these cannabinoids, it's meant to be.
The other great thing is that it's non toxic, so titrating a little more won't kill you.

Today's review is on the Arizer Extreme Q Vaporizer.
This vaporizer uses a convection method of heating a bit like a convection oven, blowing hot air at a set temperature through the cannabis and vaporizing the cannabinoids in the process.
The Extreme Q vaporizer was designed in Canada, and although the parts are made in China, assembly is all done in Canada.
On first sight of the Extreme Q you can't help seeing a slight resemblance to the Storz & Bickel Volcano vaporizer. Both have the conical shape heating unit that looka a little like a Dalek from the tv series Dr Who. Both have the convection heating method rather than conduction which is most common, both use bags/ballons to store the vapour. The big difference is the price, Storz & Bickel Volcano vaporizer retails for $738, whilst the Extreme Q is priced at a very reasonable $250 and comes with a 3 year warranty.
One other big difference is the whip accessory, which looks somewhat like the old Arabic water pipes.

So lets looks at what you get with the Arizer extreme Q;

1 x Extreme Q Vaporizer Unit
1 x 2m Australian power cord and plug
2 x Glass Cyclone Bowls
1 x Glass Potpourri Dish
1 x Screen Pk (Contains 1 flat/1Dome screens)
1 x Remote Control
2 x Interchangeable/Replaceable Glass Whip Mouthpieces
1 x Glass Stirring Tool
1 x 3 Foot Whip
1 x Mini Whip
2 x Balloons/Bags with Glass Balloon Mouthpieces & O-Rings
1 x Owners Manual

The look
At first sight when opening the box there are lots of bits an pieces (as seen above) and to be honest the instructions could have been a lot better.
The convection heating unit centrally positioned in the image above is a sleek space age design that reminds me of a Dalek from Dr Who just a tad.
The digital display is nice and easy to read and it also has a thin blue light around the base which is quite visible in the dark.

Quality
For overall quality I give the main unit a score of 7 out of 10, the glassware, tubes and other accessories are all good quality as well and the main convection heating unit is a quality product, hence the 3 year warranty.

Packaging
It arrived in a plain brown cardboard box, well packed, with all the glass pieces arriving in good condition, which is saying something as it traveled from the other side of the planet to get here.
What I would have like to see is a carry case for the unit and all the glass. These are available but don't come with the kit.
I hate excessive packaging, but a carry case in this instance, with all the glass to protect would be good.

Functionality
On a functional level the Extreme Q would have to rate a 8.5 out of 10 and I'm not being generous, It's a great unit. Very few vaporizers have convection type heating systems, which heat the plant material more evenly.
Convection heating, as with a kitchen oven, is a more effective and even means of heating.
It has a nice wide base, giving good stability when in use, which becomes more important when using the whip accessory.
The remote control is a great idea for adjusting the fan speed or temperature. Like all remotes sometimes you press the button without response, but generally I really liked it.It also controls audio and the blue light.
Another thing about being able to adjust the temperature control is that it gives you the option to choose which cannabinoids you wish to vape.(see chart below)
The Extreme Q comes with two main vaporizing options; the whip, and the bag or balloon. Both of which work extremely well.
Personally, I preferred the whip version set to fan speed 3 and the temperature set at 240c. But it would depend on what your medicinal needs are.
The one thing I think needs improving in the design is the Cyclone Bowl and how to remove it from the main unit. Although the Cyclone Bowl has a black insulation coating near to top to lift, below the insulated gets dangerously hot and is quite accessible to touch. I think a Kevlar sleeve or similar could be useful and solve this small problem.
The digital display is easy to read in all lighting conditions and its pretty easy to work the unit using either the remote or directly on the unit.
One other issue I had was inserting the herb into the dome screen and then into Cyclone Bowl, this was clunky, although once you get use to it ok.

Overall I'd give the functionality an 8.5 out of 10

Instructions
As mentioned previously, Ariser needs to do a better job of the instruction, they have a great product but instructions both online and on paper are really poor.
In saying that, tutorials on how to use can be found on YouTube from other sources.
More instructions on cleaning and maybe some tools for cleaning would be appreciated too.

4 out of 10

Performance
As for the performance, the vapour stream, taste, effect, and general performance is excellent, as you can see by the review below.

I'm not as generous as the reviews seen above, but I'd definitely give it an 8-8.5 out of 10

Price comparison
Without hesitation I give it 9 out 10. It's the best value for money convection heating vaporizer on the market today, with a heap of good quality accessories.

Warranty
3 years (obviously not the glass elements)

In Summary, I'd say you can't go wrong with this product if you are medicating with cannabis, it's a healthier means of consuming cannabinoids and as cost effective as smoking if not better.

Vaporizing Temperature guide
THC - 157 °C.
The most famous cannabinoid. It has both euphoric and analgesic effects, inducing a great sense of relaxation.

CBD - 160 - 180 °C.
The cannabinoid most sought after by medical users for its vast array of medicinal applications. It partly counters the effects of THC, effectively countering feelings of anxiety and paranoia.

Delta-8-THC - 175 – 178 °C.
This cannabinoid is very similar to THC, but it is more stable and less psychoactive. It has great anti-vomiting properties.

CBN - 185 °C.
CBN is often found in quite small amounts, however, its effects can still be felt. It breaks down THC and is highly associated with a sedative effect.

CBC - 220 °C.
This cannabinoid has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties.

THCV - 220 °C.
THCV has been shown to moderate the psychoactive effects of THC, but more research is required.

Combustion: Dry weed can begin to combust at around 200 °C. The maximum heat weed can take before starting to burn is around 230 °C., depending on how humid it is.

Flavonoids

Along with terpenoids, flavonoids are little known compared to the famed cannabinoids. Flavonoids are a large class of plant pigments that are sometimes referred to as Vitamin P. Terpenoids and Flavonoids are partly responsible for the looks, taste and smell of a particular strain. They are the reason we open the zip lock before we buy, because their smell reveals a lot about the character of the plant.

They are also thought to have secondary health benefits. The following outlines both the effects and the temperatures at which the flavonoids vaporize at.

Beta-sitosterol - 134 °C.
This flavonoid is thought to have anti-inflammatory qualities.

Apigenin - 178 °C.
Apigenin is thought to be estrogenic, anxiolytic and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Cannflavin A - 182 °C.
This flavonoid is a COX inhibitor.

Quercetin - 250 °C.
Quercetin is an antioxidant and anti-viral flavonoid. It boils at , well out of the cannabis vaporization temperatures.
Terpenoids

Terpenoids are structurally related to terpenes and are naturally occurring in a wide range of plants. In part, they contribute to what what gives plants their unique aromatic quality. The scent of cinnamon, cloves and menthol are examples of well known terpenoids. In fact, the strongest known naturally occurring psychedelic compound - Salvinorin A - is a terpenoid.

The following descriptions outline both the effects and boiling points of terpenoids.

Beta-caryophyllene - 199 °C.
Thought to be anti-inflammatory and anti-malarial.

Alpha-terpinol - 156 °C.
This terpenoid is an antioxidant, sedative, antibiotic and anti-malarial.

Beta-myrcene - 166- 168 °C.
This is analgesic, an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory.

Delta-3-carene - 168 °C.
This terpenoid has anti-inflammatory properties.

1,8-cineole - 176 °C.
1,8-cineole increase cerebral blood flow, acts as a stimulant, and is anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and an antibiotic.

D-limonene - 177 °C.
Perhaps surpringsingly, D-limonene appears naturally in cannabis. It has anti-mutagenic, antidepressant and immune system potentiating properties.

P-cymene - 177 °C.
P-cymene is an antibiotic and an anticandidal agent.

Linalool - 198 °C.
This is an antidepressant, sedative and immune system potentiator.

Terpinol-4-ol - 209 °C.
This is an antibiotic and an AChE inhibitor.

Borneol - 210 °C.
Borneol is an antibiotic.

Alpha-terpineol - 217 °C.
This terpenoid is a sedative, antibiotic, antioxidant and AChE inhibitor.

Pulegone - 224 °C.
Pulegone is a sedative and potentially has memory boosting properties.