They are everywhere now. In fact, most people can't even tell if it's tobacco, or weed, in your vape these days. If you're joining in on this huge trend in smoking, it would be good to know a bit about that stuff. In this lesson we will take a look into how cannabis cartridges are made, and what to look for when buying them.
We must first address that cannabis cartridges are different from "e-cigarettes." That nicotine fueled e-juice uses a base ingredient of pg/vg (propylene glycol, vegetable glycerine). Those types of solvents are what are known to coat your lungs, which has been referred to as "popcorn lung." They also burn at a different temperature, so you cannot use both types of cartridges in the same batteries.
The major difference with cannabis is that the "base ingredient" is just the wax concentrate extracted directly from the plant. Based on the extraction method, that wax is extremely pure. The problem with vaping is that those little batteries are bad at heating up such a thick wax, consistently and safely. The way to fix this is by "mixing" the wax with something that can thin it out, and is safe to smoke. The best options are either using cannabis derived terpenes, or MCT oil (made from coconut oil).
So what are you looking for when purchasing your cartridges from the dispensary? The first thing is to avoid butane extracted concentrates. Luckily, legal states are enforcing stronger regulations to prevent this. The general rule of thumb is, the clearer the concentrate, the cleaner it is. Though, that is not the case 100% of the time. Either way, if it's a clean product your budtender should be able to tell you about it. Many cartridges will also be described with the term "510 threading," which simply means it works with the same sized batteries. This is an industry standard in most legal states.
The last thing I'd like to touch on before we dismiss class has to do with cannabis concentrates versus traditional flower. Concentrates are mostly THC, with current products testing over 80%. The flower in your joints is only in the 15-25% range of THC, meaning a higher ratio of other cannabinoids and terpenes. While vaping is a great and discrete option, some medical uses would be better the old fashioned way.
Thank you, now enjoy recess.
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