It can be hard to know what you’re getting when you order cannabis online or if you dare to buy vape cartridges on the black market.
It seems like every corner store and smoke shop is selling vape cartridges, and many of them even look legitimate. There are so many fake products out there that are designed to fool you and make you think that they came from a legitimate supplier.
That’s why we only work with companies that are transparent about their products and manufacture cannabis products according to state laws.
Here are some tips to help you find legal vape cartridges that pass the test.
Tips for buying weed vapes online
- Make sure the hardware is great!
- Research the hardware used for the cartridge and make sure it’s manufactured by a reputable supplier. If you’re not sure, reach out to the store and ask for more details. It never hurts to be safe!
- One of the best vape cartridges is C-CELL cartridges which use a ceramic wick and are used in many dispensary carts. Some carts on the black market may have chemicals like lead that could potentially leach into the cannabis oil.
- Check for a COA – a Certificate of Analysis
- Reputable cannabis companies test all their products and provide a COA that you can look at. Check the manufacturer’s website and make sure the COA looks good.
- Things to check for on a COA:
- Make sure there are no pesticides in the product
- This is another thing that labs will test for, make sure there are no residual pesticides. This can become a problem when companies manufacture products from biomass, in other words, trimmings, stems, and seeds. This means that parts of the cannabis plant other than the buds / flower are used to make the THC oil, and sometimes when there are residual pesticides left behind, these can concentrate down into your final product and are potentially hazardous.
- Make sure you know what’s in your diluent
- Cannabis vape cartridges are often “cut” with what’s called a diluent, which mixes with the THC or cannabis concentrate to make the liquid more easily absorbed into the wick for vaping. I was working at a dispensary during the infamous Vape Gate, when some black market vape suppliers were using a product called Vitamin E-Acetate that made many people sick, and up to 7 people even died.
- Look for residual solvents in the COA
- Some cannabis vape oils are extracted using chemicals and solvents that may stick around in your vape cartridge and cause harm. Make sure to check the COA to make sure these solvents are all gone from your vape cartridge!
- Make sure the cannabis was extracted properly with safe methods. You may have to ask the supplier.
- This again comes down to analyzing the COA and making sure it passes the test for residual solvents.
- Look for product reviews on the company website.
- Make sure to use the correct battery and hardware with your vape pen.
- If it’s a vape cartridge, make sure you also buy a compatible vape battery.
- This is important because if your cannabis concentrate is heated up too much, then it could cause problems. Some vape cartridge batteries, particularly the ones that are designed to work with tobacco or nicotine vapes, use technology that can overheat the cartridge and combust the cannabis oil inside. Make sure the battery you use is compatible with your cartridge and only heats up enough to vaporize the cannabis concentrate inside, not burn it.
- This is why many people like to use disposable vape pens and disposable vapes in general.
- Make sure to ask your doctor before trying any cannabis products.
- Make sure there are no pesticides in the product
With these tips, you can be more confident that you’re getting a high-quality product.
Make sure to do your own research. We do our best to only feature the safest cannabis products available, and we need your partnership to make sure you’re getting a product that’s right for you.
