Pax's Session Control app cuts off the Era vape once a set quota is reached

In a June 2018 Fast Company article, Pax, which says it has sold more than 2 million units, announced Session Control, an update to its app. Before it, users of the Pax Era could vape without limit until the cartridge was empty. The update lets them set how much they want to vape at once.

The article explains the design problem. Smoke from cigarettes or pipes burns the throat and offers a natural point to stop, but the smooth air of a vape does not. The Era is loaded with a pod of cannabis oil, and these tiny cartridges can hold hundreds of doses and keep a user going for a month. The article calls it an iPod of vaping, with 1,000 hits in your pocket.

Once the user's quota is exceeded, the Pax stops pumping out vapor for a 30-second cool down. Jesse Silver, the new VP of product from Ideo, says it is a first step toward making sure people know how much they are getting; CEO Bharat Vasan likens it to knowing you are a one-, two- or three-glass person with wine.

Vape air is smooth, so it lacks the throat burn that makes smokers stop.

Concentrated oil cartridges hold many doses, so a single device can run for a month.

A user-set quota moves the decision to before the session, when judgment is clearer.

A 30-second pause gives the effect time to register without banning further use.

When a product removes the natural friction that told people to stop, add a deliberate, user-set limit in its place.

The article describes the launch of Session Control and gives no data on how many users set quotas or how the feature changed consumption. It frames it as a first step in a loosely regulated, fast-legalizing cannabis market.