how to tell if your vape is fake

How to Tell If You’re Using a Counterfeit Cannabis Vape Cartridge

• The Product Is Too Cheap. ...
• Its THC Content Is Too Low (or Too High) Samantha Miller, chief science officer and founder of cannabis testing lab Pure Analytics, told Leafly that users should be on the ...
• It’s a “Legal” Product in a State Where Cannabis Is Illegal. ...
• You Can Buy the Brand’s Packaging Online. ...
• The Lab Test Doesn’t Check Out. ...

Full Answer

How to tell if a vape cartridge is real?

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! Real concentrate is expensive.

How do you spot fake vape products?

One of the easiest ways to fool a consumer is to display a fake product in authentic looking packaging. Brands such as Dank Vapes, Heavy Hitters, and Brass Knuckles, have a serious counterfeiting issue to contend with. You can go to Amazon and purchase decent packaging for less than $0.10 per box!

Are fake vape cartridges and pens dangerous?

Even in California, unlicensed stores are selling fake vape cartridges and pens by the hundred. Some consumers are aware the products are fake (the low price is a clue), but don’t seem to know how dangerous fake vape cartridges are. In the eyes of these customers, it is akin to purchasing a fake designer handbag.

Is your vape device real or fake?

It’s estimated that at least 2.5 percent of vape devices on the U.S. market are not authentic. It’s easy to buy a cheap imitation if you’re not careful. But don’t worry! We will teach you how to spot and avoid fake disposables for good.

How can you tell if dank Vapes are fake?

The Packaging The first sign that you might have a knock-off Dank Vapes cart can be found on the box. If it looks like an older design, it's pretty safe to assume it's fake at this point. Dank Vapes' newer design features a black background for all flavors (previous boxes featured an array of different colors.)

How do you tell if a cart is real or fake?

“Most certified carts contain manufacturer stamps,” he says. You can check your favorite cart brands to see if they have a stamp that distinguishes them from fake copycat products. You might also find additional help from brands that add QR codes, which can be scanned for verifying information.

What do fake carts 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 do fake carts do to you?

Fake cartridges often come with unsafe batteries, which can cause combustion, or overheating of the vape. Low-quality materials used for the cartridge container may release poisonous fumes that are dangerous to inhale. Long-term use may lead to vaping-associated pulmonary injury, which can result in death.

What are disposable vape pens?

Disposables are a treat for vaping fans who prefer convenience and value for their buck. Wherever you live, you can easily find premium vape pens from Mr Fog, Posh Plus, Puff Bar, Stig, and countless other world-renowned brands. However, it’s getting increasingly easy to run into fake disposables.

Why are counterfeit disposables bad?

Counterfeit disposables lack the flavor, strength , and overall feel of the original, authentic products. Plus, they pose a threat to your health due to low production quality and cheap ingredients.

Do disposable vape pens have nicotine?

Disposable vape pens feature multiple e-juice concentration levels. However, fake disposables usually lack nicotine strength and flavor intensity. In other words, you’ll have to inhale the vapor several times to get the effect you would otherwise get from a single puff.

Do posh plus vape pens have a code?

Posh Plus vape pens contain special security codes on the packages. All you have to do is scratch the code section. Afterward, follow this link and enter your product’s code to see if it’s authentic.

How many fake THC cartridges were seized?

A week later, police in Georgia seized over 2,000 fake THC vape cartridges. And recent crackdowns in Wisconsin and Minnesota, both early centers of the vaping illness epidemic, netted hauls of 31,000 and 77,000 counterfeit THC vape cartridges, respectively.

When did counterfeit THC vapes come out?

Image Credit: By 420MediaCo on shutterstock. Ever since the first vape devices hit the American market in 2006, counterfeit THC vape products have been a cause for concern among government authorities, legal cannabis businesses, and consumers alike.

What is the potency of a THC vape cartridge?

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.

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.

How to tell if a lab test is legitimate?

To determine if a product’s lab test is legitimate, the first step is to check if the lab even exists (a quick Google search should do the job). If you’re still suspicious, it’s worth contacting the lab and providing detailed information about your product, like its brand, batch number, and manufacturing date.

Is Amazon vape cartridge California compliant?

However, it’s still possible to find unbranded vape cartridges and “California compliant” ...

What can help to phase out unwanted imitation products?

Thorough regulatory measures can help to phase out unwanted imitation products and the damage they cause. Guadagnino is optimistic that black market products will be subdued by the increasing standardization of the cannabis industry.

Can counterfeit vapes harm the public?

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.

Why do people vape?

For many people, vaping is a convenient way of consuming cannabis due to their discrete appearance and smell. Over the years they have become widely popular, with consumers taking the opportunity to smoke while they’re on the go to their next destination, at an event, or even relaxing outside.

What is the bottom portion of a vaporizer?

Modern vaporizers come in many different styles from various manufacturers. They’re designed to be discreet, with many of them taking on a pen-like or USB stick type of design. The bottom portion of the device is usually the battery, and provides the power used to heat the cannabis oil inside to generate the vapor.

Is vaping a problem?

Cartridges that contain exorbitant levels of pesticides are a big problem in the illegal vape market. When the oil is vaporized and inhaled, these pesticides will invade your body and cause health problems. In order to avoid this, it’s important to purchase cannabis products from reputable brands that properly test their products, screen for pesticides, and make their results available to see.

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 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.

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!

What happens if a pen overheats?

If the heating element overheats, the liquid combusts instead of vaporizing. In other cases, the low-grade materials surrounding the cartridge releases poisonous fumes. On occasion, the pens leak, and if you’re really unlucky, the pen could explode and cause serious injury.

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.

Aspire

Since entering the market in 2013, Aspire have continued to produce premium vape products that utilise among the best technology and designs. Subsequently, many copies of their vape products are being manufactured and distributed to unsuspecting retailers and consumers.

VOOPOO

As a leading brand in the vape industry, VOOPOO have also become susceptible to counterfeit versions of their products. To protect their customers against fraudulent products, VOOPOO now have a robust authenticity check system in place.

Geekvape

Geekvape is another top brand on the market with an array of enviable vape products to choose from. As such, a number of retailers and consumers are coming across forged Geekvape products from dishonest sellers. In particular, Geekvape’s Geek Bar disposable vape device has seen an influx of fake replicas due to its extensive popularity.

SMOK

SMOK is among one of the most recognisable e-cigarette brands in the industry, known for their boundary-breaking vape technology. Due to this, several of its products have been illegitimately reproduced.

Uwell

Since launching in 2015, Uwell have released a series of futuristic vape products with consumer care at the forefront of their designs. Uwell’s strong reputation has unfortunately led to an increase of fake product replicas circulating around the market.

Vaporesso

Vaporesso is famed for its diverse collection of vape kits and hardware which combine contemporary designs with reliable performance. As a highly-regarded brand, Vaporesso has also been targeted for product forgery.

OXVA

OXVA is a top vape brand renowned for their premium vape products catered towards all experience levels. As one of the biggest names in the industry, a number of their products have also become subject to counterfeiting.

What happens if you use a counterfeit vape?

Batteries that are used in counterfeit vapes are typically low-quality batteries. These batteries lack the power necessary to operate the device and when this happens, it can often spell disaster in the form of fires or explosions. If you are lucky, you will only get an e-cig that will fail to charge due to the poor quality of the battery.

What happens when you activate a fake Pax 2?

When you activate an authentic Pax 2, a brilliant light will shine out of the display. On fake devices, the light will not be as bright. It can also be a different color than the original. The following colors are to specific procedures.

Why do you have to double check the text on the packaging?

This is the reason you have to double check your product and the text on the body of the packaging with the actual packaging to see if there are any discrepancies. If you notice anything that seems out of the ordinary, you are probably dealing with a fake product.

Is there a fake vaporizer?

There are some vaporizers that are more popular when it comes to producing counterfeit vapor izers than others. Off the bat, sometimes it's noticeable because of the color of the vape or even the box. If you are considering purchasing the best weed vape product , take a look at some of the pieces below to better understand how you will be able to spot a fake vaporizer when you come into contact with it.

Is the Pax 3 fake?

Like the previous fake model, the counterfeit Pax 3 comes with quite a few fake pieces designed to charge the device. The charger holes are smaller on this piece and the connection cables that are supposed to feature the Pax symbol are plain instead. The materials used in the construction of these external pieces are cheap as well and will indicate a fake device.