- Purchase from licensed vendors & trusted brands. ...
- Know your brands. ...
- Compare & confirm packaging details. ...
- Beware of fake copycats. ...
- Check the ingredients. ...
- Verify regulatory compliance.
Are THC vape cartridges fake?
If your product does not have information about their lab results, then the cartridge is usually fake. FAKE VAPE PACKAGING. Every THC cartridge should come with certain information on the packaging that is important for proof of its authenticity. Official THC products will have the following information: Package date; Batch number Manufacturing date
How can you tell if a THC cartridge is real?
Oct 17, 2019 · While many legitimate THC vape cartridges do contain extremely high levels of THC — it’s not uncommon to find products with 80 or even 90 percent THC — if you encounter a vape cartridge that touts a 99 percent potency level, you should probably steer clear of it. It’s a “Legal” Product in a State Where Cannabis Is Illegal
Are THC oil cartridges legit?
May 08, 2021 · If you’re a THC oil cartridge consumer, it’s up to you to look out for your own health and use your own devices to confirm the authenticity of a THC cart. Luckily, Leafipedia is your go-to guide for everything marijuana. Including specific resources on how to spot fake or counterfeit vapes and several reviews of commonly counterfeited brands.
How do you tell if a vape cartridge is real?
Jun 01, 2020 · Assume all cannabis vape cart vendors online are scams. Here’s the deal: Mailing any weed product is illegal in the United States. ... On top of all that, we already know about the fake cart epidemic, so you should know even better if a website offers a common fake or counterfeited brand. We’ll go so far as to say that if you’re ever ...
How do you check if THC cart is real?
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.
Do fake carts have THC in them?
Aside from ripping people off, the main issue with fake cartridges is one of safety. 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.Feb 27, 2020
What color should a THC cart be?
The oil in the cartridge should be as clear and viscous as when you bought it; uniformly light yellow to amber in color and fairly transparent. If the liquid is discolored or has turned brown, the cartridge should be thrown away.May 24, 2021
What is in fake THC vape?
After investigating the cases, the CDC found that the additive vitamin E acetate was the common denominator and stated that it is “strongly linked to the EVALI outbreak.” This synthetic form of vitamin E is commonly used by illicit producers as a thickening agent to dilute concentrates, often leaving very little THC.
What happens if I smoke a fake cart?
Although the chemical is considered safe in makeup, the combustion and inhalation of it coats pulmonary tissue and saturates macrophages (immune cells). These engorged white blood cells, although normally integral to the body's natural immune response system, start to attack lung tissue, inducing respiratory illness.Nov 22, 2019
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.
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.
Is THC a fake?
It’s been all over the news, making headlines as a growing number of individuals have experienced illness and even death as a result of the THC cartridges that are designed to look legitimate, but are actually fake. These contaminated cartridges are generally bought online and sold for much cheaper than authentic THC cartridges.
Is THC safe to use in a cartridge?
Fake THC cartridges often contain ingredients that have not been investigated and deemed as safe for human consumption. 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 is a QR code?
Especially with this vast trend of copycat brands, a QR code is usually a good indication that the product is legit, tested, legal, and safe.
Is it dangerous to use cartridges from a dispensary?
Any cartridge that isn’t bought from a licensed dispensary has a high risk of being dangerously faulty or contaminated. Even seemingly harmless additives can result in dire consequences when heated and combined with other ingredients.
Who is Angel Ferrer?
Angel Ferrer Is the GSD (Get Shit Done) at Hemper.co. Bringing you the latest insights on new smoking gadgets and the best tips to enjoy your sesh. Hemper helps you eliminate the late night run to the store for your needs so you never run out of smoking supplies.
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.
Who is Emily Earlenbaugh?
Emily Earlenbaugh. Dr. Emily Earlenbaugh is a cannabis writer and educator. She is the Director of Education for Mindful Cannabis Consulting, where she teaches patients how to find the cannabis options that work best for them.
Who is Jason Guillory?
Jason Guillory, marketing director for NUG, a California-based cannabis company, advises consumers to look for other marks of authenticity as well. “Most certified carts contain manufacturer stamps,” he says.
What Are Fake THC Cartridges?
Simply put, fake THC cartridges are distilled oils disguised as pure forms of THC that have avoided the legal markets. Or basically, fake THC cartridges that are sold on the black market – similar to fake luxury purses or goods. But, these fake goods can come with an unhealthy cost.
How To Spot Fake THC Cartridges?
Like other fake goods on black markets… it’ll take a careful eye to spot the differences between a real THC cartridge and a fake THC cartridge. Fake THC cartridge producers have put effort towards making their products look like the real deal.
What's The Worry With Fake THC Cartridges?
When you purchase the real thing…you’re aware of what ingredients have gone into your THC cartridge, and the testing its endured to reach the shelf. The worry with fake THC cartridges, is consumers don’t know what they’re inhaling. Or, what the effects of the unknown substances could be.
What's In Fake THC Oil Cartridges?
Real THC cartridges are made with extracted cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids from all-natural marijuana plants. To mimic the real taste, or effects of quality made and pure THC cartridges – fake THC cartridge manufacturers are using whatever they can, no matter how dangerous.
List Of Fake THC Vape Cartridges
If you need additional assistance to steer clear from fake or harmful THC vape cartridges, we’ve got a list for you. But be aware – some fake THC cartridges have been designed to look like legit THC brands and cartridges. To help, check out a few of the well-known fake THC vape cart brands and common counterfeits to avoid, below-
What is a vape cartridge?
Vape cartridges include a mouthpiece, chamber, and heating element known as an atomizer.
Where are vape cartridges made?
A large portion of vape cartridge components are produced at metal foundries in China, many of which add small amounts of lead into brass and copper feedstocks to improve the malleability of metals. This includes the heating coil, which heats up the cannabis oil, potentially transferring toxic metals into the consumer's vapors.
What is a vape pen?
Vape pens are designed to vaporize cannabis oils and distillates. A vape pen comprises two primary components: a battery and the vape cartridge. The battery consists of the bottom portion of the vape pen, providing power to the heating element, which vaporizes the cannabis oil contained inside the vape cartridge.
How many people died from vaping in New York?
These vapes were identified by the New York State Department of Health as part of 34 cases of severe pulmonary illnesses in the state, among 380 confirmed and probable cases, with six patients dying, throughout the U.S. Health officials are looking into vitamin E acetate and its link to the illnesses.
When was the weedmaps article updated?
This article was originally published on Weedmaps News in May 2019 before it was updated on August 26, 2019 in the midst of an outbreak of lung illnesses associated with e-cigarette and illicit THC and cannabidiol (CBD) cartridges. The article has been updated to include crucial information on the ongoing investigations.
Who is Tyler Koslow?
Tyler Koslow is an Associate Editor at Weedmaps with experience in the cannabis and tech space. When he’s not pounding away at his laptop keyboard, you can find him stuck a three-hour synth loop, playing with his chubby Garfield-esque cat, or taking in the sights on a nice hike.
Do vape cartridges contain pesticides?
To ensure that vape cartridges don 't contain hazardous pesticide level, it's important to purchase from reputable brands that disclose third-party test results and include screening for pesticides. Cutting agents can be added to enhance the intensity of the vapor cloud and overall mouthfeel of the vapors.
What is the THC level in cannabis?
Samantha Miller, chief science officer and founder of cannabis testing lab Pure Analytics, told Leafly that users should be on the watch for products whose THC content is marked below 60 percent, as anything under that mark is likely cut with a potentially dangerous substance.
What is a COA in vaping?
Most legal producers of THC vape cartridges send their products to be tested for purity and potency by independent third-party laboratories, which then provide a certificate of analysis (COA) to confirm the product is safe and effective. However, COAs have also been co-opted by some counterfeiters, who use photoshopped (or even entirely fraudulent) lab results to lure consumers into a false sense of security.
Where do black market dealers get their wares from?
This might seem like an obvious one, but some black market dealers claim to source their wares from states like Colorado or California, where cannabis is legal (and the products, presumably, are of higher quality). Oftentimes, they’ll claim to have a connection in a dispensary or processing facility who can help funnel “legal” cannabis products to states that have yet to legalize.
Who is Ed Weinberg?
Ed Weinberg is an American journalist who’s written stories on everything from cannabis to textiles, architecture, urban exploration, and culture in Vietnam, where he spent seven years. Previous to freelance writing, he held senior editorial positions at Word Vietnam and the Vietnam Investment Review.
Is cannabis expensive?
Cannabis dispensaries are well-known for being expensive, and many consumers have complained about their inflated costs for products like THC vape cartridges. However, in this case the extra money is a small price to pay for avoiding a serious lung illness.
What are THC cartridges?
Mass groups of people on websites like Reddit and Instagram are coming together in the name of THC cartridges. THC carts have been sensationalized for both the positive and negative aspects of them. On the positive end, these little devices are a discreet and convenient alternative for consuming weed. They’re a little kinder to the lungs and easier to “light up” on the go. Unfortunately, the negative aspects of THC Oil Cartridges take the cake. Within the past couple of years, a flood of fake carts has vigorously entered the market, presenting shady practices and health threats along the way.
Where does Frankie Stein live?
Frankie Stein is from Italy, but lives in Ingolstadt, Germany.
Is Raw Garden a legitimate brand?
Unfortunately, Raw Garden carts present a less common situation, wherein their brand is completely legitimate and their products regulated —but since they are so heavily sought after, their products have been heavily counterfeited by the illicit drug trade. When buying Raw Garden oil cartridges, be sure to purchase from an authorized seller to ensure you’re not paying Raw Garden prices for some fake weed.
Is Dabwoods a vape?
Dabwoods vape carts are definitely a product you should steer clear of. Recent news deemed a woman hospitalized with coma after purchasing a Dabwoods cart from a plug rather than her local dispensary. Like all the other street brand offenders, Dabwoods has no website, licensing, or lab testing. Not to mention, massive amounts of empty Dabwoods carts and packaging can be purchased online for illicit sellers to fill with whatever they’d like.
Is West Coast Cure a legitimate brand?
West Coast Cure is another completely legitimate brand whose name has been tarnished by fake THC carts. The company has been in operation since 2010 and has increased in popularity, causing the black market to take interest. West Coast Cure actually makes their vapes with pod attachments rather than carts, which are screwed in. So if you ever get a WCC vape with a cartridge, there’s a good chance it’s a counterfeit. Also, WCC only sells its products at in-person dispensaries, so if you see their products available for purchase online, steer clear.
Is there a fake cartridge for THC?
The U.S. market is flooded with fake cartridges, and the cannabis industry (as well as the police force) doesn’t have a way to halt it altogether. If you’re a THC oil cartridge consumer, it’s up to you to look out for your own health and use your own devices to confirm the authenticity of a THC cart.
Does Muha Meds have PG?
Muha Meds carts look to be a nice product, and maybe they are. The Muha Meds producers claim that their THC carts don’t contain any PG/VG, pesticides, or additives. But, as we’ve discussed, remaining a street brand puts your consumers at risk of receiving a counterfeit of your product. Muha Meds has no licensing and no lab testing revealing the contents of their oil. Not to mention their interestingly low prices, as their vape carts can be found as low as $15/per cartridge.
Important Update
We started out finding 2 or 3 of these scam sites, and readers have reported DOZENS more. Some readers report losing THOUSANDS of dollars to online scam sites promising to ship THC cartridges. They run games on people to jack up the price, making up fees, etc.
Here is a list of sites so far readers have reported as scams
Note that we are camel-casing the URLs to make them easier to read, because in many cases the difference between domains comes down to a single letter. Actually, URLs are case-insensitive. (Try it – Google.com, google.com, GOOGLE.com, and every other variation all go to Google.)
Assume all cannabis vape cart vendors online are scams
Here’s the deal: Mailing any weed product is illegal in the United States. You can ship paraphernalia (bongs, rolling papers, grinders, etc.). You can also, under the 2014 and 2018 Hemp Farm Bills, ship industrial hemp and CBD products. Actual THC-containing substances of any kind, be it vape oil, hash, or little green nuggets, is illegal.
Why do people keep falling for this scam?
This appears to be a natural side effect of the curious state of cannabis legalization. We have this bizarre case where it’s legal in one state, but not in another, with gray areas in between. When you have different laws by location within the same country, people tend to not take it as seriously.
NOTE: None of this applies to local delivery services (those can be legit)
A few commenters here seem confused on this point, so let’s clarify: When we say “ shipping ,” we mean packaging and sending products through a postal shipping service, be it USPS, FedEx, UPS, whatever. A delivery service is a local dispensary offering to personally deliver product via courier.
Why is cannabis used in vaping?
Because cannabis is used by so many as a tool to find relief, healing, and comfort, it holds a high potential for malicious abuse. More recently, such abuse comes in the form of fake THC cartridges. In fact, the vaping market shows signs of increasing amounts of counterfeit cartridges—not less—and the implications are massive.
Is vaping a good way to smoke marijuana?
Cannabis oil vaping is a milder way for many with lung issues to consume marijuana and reap the benefits of THC and CBD without the harshness that comes from smoking marijuana. The recent news related to vape-related deaths does not instill confidence in vaping. I spoke with a cigarette smoker of around 35 years.
Is vaping a serious illness?
Vaping cannabis (and nicotine) is at an all-time high in popularity, and without further rigorous testing more issues are bound to arise. It’s not only serious illnesses that are becoming more common.
Can a fake Rolex kill you?
The first people to suffer in any illicit and counterfeit market are the consumers. This is true whether the products are jewelry, video games, movies, food, and so on. Marijuana is no different. It may even be worse: while a fake Rolex is an annoyance but still looks passable, a fake THC cartridge can kill you.
What words can make a dab connection staff member have to suppress a gag reflex?
Besides “Dank,” the two words that can make a Dab Connection staff member have to suppress a gag reflex are “Cali” and “Plug.” Cali Plug is another completely fake brand we’ve investigated, being nothing but packaging. This is another fake brand which has spawned a dozen mutations, so the same goes for “Cali Cart,” “Cali Confidential,” “Cali Piff,” and so on.
Is TKO a real brand?
There is a real TKO brand, follow them to stay up to date on the latest packaging. Here is TKO’s CDPH license number. As we mention, TKO fakes are pretty easy to spot, and it doesn’t look like the black market has bothered to update the old style look at all. The TKO fakes are even more obvious now!