First and foremost, real vape cartridges contain high-quality concentrate oil with a THC content of over 70% in some cases. These liquids contain terpenes, cannabinoids, flavonoids, and come from organically grown marijuana or hemp. As a result, there are no heavy metals, toxins, pesticides, or insecticides in your oil.
What makes a real vape cartridge?
First and foremost, real vape cartridges contain high-quality concentrate oil with a THC content of over 70% in some cases. These liquids contain terpenes, cannabinoids, flavonoids, and come from organically grown marijuana or hemp. As a result, there are no heavy metals, toxins, pesticides, or insecticides in your oil.
Can you spot a fake or contaminated vape cartridge?
While there are no foolproof methods (even well-regulated markets sometimes have recalls), there are many ways to reduce the risk of consuming a contaminated product. Read on to learn how you can spot a fake or contaminated vape cartridge.
How can you tell if a cartridge is real or fake?
Along with QR codes that allow you to see further information about the product, the serial number on the package is important as well. Simply compare the serial number on the package to the one on the product's website. If the numbers don’t match, the cartridge is fake.
How can you tell if a THC cartridge is real?
Simply compare the serial number on the package to the one on the product's website. If the numbers don’t match, the cartridge is fake. Fake THC cartridges often contain ingredients that have not been investigated and deemed as safe for human consumption.
Are pure vape carts real?
Fake Pure One vape carts are popping up everywhere The Pure company even uses “a proprietary triple distilled oil,” aimed to be solvent-free and tested to be pesticide free. So if you're getting a counterfeit, none of these standards would obviously be in effect.
How can you tell a counterfeit vape?
How can you tell if a vape is real or fake?Notice if the vape emits any chemical smells. ... Confirm if the battery-life is congruent with the advertised battery-life outlined by the manufacturer. ... Check if your vaporizer has a serial number, and email the manufacturer to verify whether it is the real serial number.
What is the difference between fake and real carts?
Real carts will be thick in consistency and slow moving. Most fake carts, due to the additives will be thinner, faster moving and may contain bubbles too.
Are Pure One carts clear?
Our proprietary triple distilled clear concentrate delivers the cleanest and highest potency oil that bursts with natural flavors. Combined with our next generation ceramic coil cartridge, Pure One produces 10 times more vapor than any standard cartridge on the market today.
What happens if I smoke a fake cart?
Lab testing of Pirzada's patient's cartridge revealed that it tested positive for not just THC, but also vitamin E. If inhaled, oils like Vitamin E can cause lipoid pneumonitis, a rare condition that results from fat particles being inhaled into the lungs, says Pirzada.
What does a fake cart taste like?
Any THC cartridge that has a burnt flavor, a metal aftertaste, or that makes you cringe is a good sign that the cartridge is counterfeit. These “off-flavors” should not be present and may indicate that it has contaminants or other additives that are causing a bad reaction when heated up into vapor.
What color should a cart be?
In most cases, the best color for cartridge oil is a transparent hue of light yellow or amber color, close to the shades of lemonade to honey. Some vape oils, particularly delta 8 THC cartridges, are as clear and colorless as water.
How can you tell if distillate is real?
High quality distillate should be fully translucent and not cloudy in any way. If you can look through your distillate and clearly see what's on the other side, then it's usually safe to say you are dealing with a product that has minimal lipids, waxes or impurities.
Is a cart fake if the bubble moves?
If the liquid moves very quickly, it is probably a fake. This is also the case if there is a bubble that moves to the top when you turn the cartridge upside down. In genuine cartridges, the bubble will remain still. Fourthly, if the vape cartridge seems incredibly cheap and too good to be true, it absolutely is!
Is pure vape a good brand?
Pure Vape THC Oil Quality was good, but not the best I would not say this is best of best oil, but definitely above average. I do think when the testing comes back this will show a lower strength than what is reported. This does not seem like an over 80% THC vape cartridge. I give it a 7.5.
What is a pure cartridge?
Pure One Pure One is the best hitting cartridge available on the market today combined with the cleanest and highest potency oil that bursts with natural flavors. View item Pure Dabbables Enjoy all natural, 100% solvent-free cannabis concentrate with nearly anything.
How long do pure one carts last?
A 1000 mg cartridge is usually rated to last for around 300 seconds – or five minutes – of inhalation time.
How many people died from vaping in 2019?
Emily Earlenbaugh September 19, 2019. This year’s alarming wave of vaping-associated pulmonary injury has already made up to 530 people sick and killed as many as six people. If you use disposable vaporizer cartridges, how can you make sure that the one you’re puffing on is safe? This is a fake. Click to enlarge.
Can you detect diluents without a lab?
As Stower points out: “Most of these diluents are tasteless, odorless, and colorless, which makes them almost impossible to detect without lab analysis.”. Taste or smell alone often won’t alert you, but sometimes it will. If something smells or tastes wrong, don’t take the risk.
What are the diluents in vape cartridges?
You will find many diluents in vape cartridges, such as medium-chain triglycerides, or MCT oil, propylene glycol, and vegetable glycerin, to name a few. Unscrupulous folks add them to manipulate consistency for easier vaping, or to lower prices with cheaper ingredients. These cutting agents are likely responsible for vaping related illnesses, particularly Vitamin E acetate, or tocopherol-acetate, a new thickener.
Do licensed products have lab results?
Licensed products undergo rigorous laboratory testing. Always ask for the product’s Certificate of Analysis, or COA. Some fakes even provide fake laboratory results, photoshopped to fool consumers. Licensed stores have the duty to check with the laboratory itself to verify these results. Some neglect to do this, and occasionally these fakes end up on legal shelves. You can check with the laboratory yourself.
What is the difference between fake cartridges and real vape cartridges?
First and foremost, real vape cartridges contain high-quality concentrate oil with a THC content of over 70% in some cases. These liquids contain terpenes, cannabinoids, flavonoids, and come from organically grown marijuana or hemp.
How to avoid fake vape cartridges?
The very first thing you must do is ensure that you are buying a dispensary tested product. Licensed, legal dispensaries have reputations to uphold, so they only deal with trusted suppliers. Secondly, your cartridge is possibly fake if the packaging displays the THC content.
What does a vape pen do?
Instead, the vape pen heats the flower or concentrate to a specific temperature and causes the liquid to turn into vapor. At that point, users can inhale the vapor and get the benefit of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids without lung irritation. Vape pens have become incredibly popular.
How many fake cartridges fail?
After a few months of testing, only around 1 in 200 cartridges fail. It is great that there is rigorous testing in place, but as you can guess, fake cartridges have no such hoops to jump through. If you end up with a fake cartridge, it could contain practically anything.
What happens if you buy a fake bag?
When you buy a fake bag, the worst that will happen is that the handle breaks or the zip doesn’t function properly. When you buy fake vape cartridges, you could seriously damage your health. Last time we checked, buying a fake handbag didn’t result in the inhalation of carcinogenic substances!
How much is the marijuana concentrate market worth?
The marijuana concentrates market has the momentum of a runaway train, and there is no Casey Jones type individual available to slow it down! According to a report released by ArcView Market Research, the legal cannabis concentrates market was worth around $3 billion in 2018. By 2022, that figure is set to skyrocket to over $8 billion.
Is there a counterfeit vape pen?
According to several well-known vape pen makers, counterfeits have been flooding the market for at least six years. If you believe that avoiding the black market keeps you safe, think again. Even in California, unlicensed stores are selling fake vape cartridges and pens by the hundred.
What's in a vape liquid cartridge?
While there are many vaporizers that can be used to consume dry herb and wax concentrate, the most popular style device appearing in electronic vaporizers is the portable pen design. Vape pens are used to vaporize e-liquids, hemp oil, and distillates.
Are there contaminants in vape oil cartridges and pens?
The most common problem in the illegal vape market is concentrate on containing high levels of pesticides. When consumed at concentrated levels, inhaled pesticides can cause health problems.
How did counterfeit vape come to the market?
Counterfeit vapes are widely represented in the market for a number of reasons. Money is the main reason and the most obvious one. Some dealers like the fact that they can buy fake products at low prices. Therefore, they can sell fake brand products at low prices. In this way, they may weaken the market.
How to tell if a vape cartridge is legal or fake
With the popularity of vape pens, the number of fake CBD and THC refills made has increased. Several well-known brands have been battling against counterfeit cartridges.
Why are there so many fake vape pens?
According to Winston Peki, cannabis expert and founder of Herbonaut.com, low-quality vape pens are cheap and easy to produce. “Most imitation products are sourced directly from China with little to no regard for quality control,” said Peki.
What are the problems with counterfeit products?
Counterfeit pre-filled vape carts can lead to serious long-term health effects. “One problem with fake vaporizer products is that they can contain low-quality metals or lead soldering in or directly around their heating elements or coils,” explained Peki.
How can you tell if a vape is real or fake?
Guadagnino urges consumers to purchase their products from reputable, regulated dispensaries that offer lab-tested vapes and vape carts. “To go the extra step, ask for the Certificate of Analysis that every dispensary in a regulated market should be able to make available to you,” he said.
Tips for avoiding other fake cannabis products
While fake cannabis vape cartridges are the main focus of bootleggers on the black market, there are also rip-offs of popular flower, edible, and topical cannabis brand names too.
Bottom line
Counterfeit cannabis vapes and other items wreak havoc not only on public health, but also on the public perception of cannabis and its safety. Thorough regulatory measures can help to phase out unwanted imitation products and the damage they cause.
What is the thickener in vape cartridges?
For example, a thickener called Vitamin E acetate is an ingredient that is predominantly found in fake products as it is cheaper to make, yet results in the same oil consistency that legit cartridges have. Vitamin E acetate is currently being investigated as one of the prime reasons for vape causing illnesses and deaths.
What does it mean when a THC cartridge is counterfeit?
Any THC cartridge that has a burnt flavor, a metal aftertaste, or that makes you cringe is a good sign that the cartridge is counterfeit. These “off-flavors” should not be present and may indicate that it has contaminants or other additives that are causing a bad reaction when heated up into vapor.
Why is Vitamin E acetate bad for vaping?
Vitamin E acetate is currently being investigated as one of the prime reasons for vape causing illnesses and deaths. Another ingredient-based clue is if the cartridge contains anything less than 60% THC. Any package that contains less than 60% THC is most likely laced with other harmful ingredients which makes that cartridge harmful and fake.
How much does a THC cartridge cost?
THC products are not particularly cheap, so if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Legitimate THC cartridges usually start at around $80 per cartridge, so any cartridge being sold that is significantly less than $80 is usually a huge red flag pointing towards counterfeit.
What does it mean when a product fails to have a license number?
A product that fails to have a license number is a product that is not part of the legal market. If a cartridge lacks this proof of quality, toss it. Valid THC products are also required to publicly print their products lab results online specifically for proof of authenticity. If your product does not have information about their lab results, ...
What to look for in THC?
Official THC products will have the following information: One of the biggest things to look for is a packaging icon. These icons are mandatory icons that the state requires each package to have printed on it. If the brand has a QR code printed on the package, use it for further proof.
Is it safe to buy a THC cartridge online?
If you are purchasing a THC cartridge online, then make sure that the company you are buying from is verified. If the company is not a verified brand, then the cartridge has not been approved as a safe product. Be aware of pricing.