In the world of cannabis, does it sometimes feel as though the actual plant has become almost irrelevant to the end users? These days, it often seems like everyone has abandoned dry herbs in favor of extracts, and vape cartridges have a lot to do with that. Why worry about all of the headaches that go along with dry herbs – storing them, controlling the smell, managing the moisture content – when you can buy a pre-filled cartridge that gives you the equivalent of several lengthy smoking sessions in a package that fits in your pocket?
If you’ve seen the hype surrounding vape cartridges and have thought about trying them for yourself, this is the guide for you. In it, you’re going to learn the most important tips that can help you have the best possible experience with vape carts.
You Can Fill Your Own Vape Cartridges
Your first exposure to vape cartridges will probably be in the form of pre-filled cartridges found either online or in your local dispensary – and while you can certainly have a great experience with pre-filled cartridges, it’s worthwhile to know that a top supplier like Hamilton Devices will carry an extensive selection of empty vape cartridges that you can buy and fill yourself. Using pre-filled vape cartridges is very convenient, but filling your own cartridges has several benefits as well.
- You choose the hardware. You can experiment with different vape cartridges and find the one that provides your ideal balance of flavor and vapor production.
- You choose the vape oil that you use, which means that you always know exactly what you’re inhaling.
- Filling your own vape cartridges is more economical because you can buy concentrates in bulk – or even make your own – and you can usually refill cartridges several times before they start to taste burnt.
Know the Brand Before Buying the Cartridge
If you’re going to use pre-filled vape cartridges, it’s extremely important to know the brand before you buy and to ensure that you’re getting an authentic product. This is very important for two reasons.
- Some vape cartridge “brands” aren’t actually brands at all. They’re just empty packages with catchy names printed on them. Anyone can buy those packages and put just about anything inside them.
- Fake vape cartridges do exist, and they’re more common than you might think. You wouldn’t want to buy a counterfeit product because you’d have no idea what you were inhaling.
To ensure that you know what you’re getting, you should always buy pre-filled vape cartridges from a licensed dispensary or directly from the manufacturer of the cartridges. Research the brand before buying.
You Need a 510 Battery to Use Vape Cartridges
A vape cartridge isn’t a vaping device; it’s just the component that stores and vaporizes the oil. To use a cartridge, you need to connect it to a battery with 510 threading. There’s no need to worry about the “510” term because virtually every threaded vaping device on the market complies with the 510-thread standard. It is important, though, to choose a device that operates at a lower power level. Otherwise, you’ll experience an unpleasant burnt flavor when vaping.
To use a vape cartridge, all that you need to do is charge your device and connect the cartridge. Depending on the design of the device, you’ll vape either by holding the fire button or by simply puffing on the cartridge.
Make Sure the Cartridge Will Fit Your Device
Before you buy any vape cartridge, it’s a good idea to make sure that it will fit your vaping device. The threading isn’t a major concern since, as we just mentioned, virtually all cartridges and devices comply with the 510-thread standard.
In many small 510 batteries, however, the threading is hidden inside the body of the device. If you have a device with that design, you’ll want to make sure that a cartridge will fit inside the device before you buy that cartridge. Luckily, most pre-filled and refillable vape cartridges are narrow enough to fit in all devices.
Vape Cartridges Are Designed for Gentle Inhalation
To have the best possible experience with any vape cartridge, one of the most important things to remember is that you should always inhale gently. Vape cartridges have very small airflow holes, and it’s easy to overwhelm a cartridge’s capacity for airflow management by puffing too firmly. If that happens, the atomizer coil chamber in the middle of the cartridge will flood with oil.
In case, the oil will either spit into your mouth or leak out of the bottom of the cartridge. Needless to say, you don’t want either of those things to happen – so you should always inhale with very gentle air pressure when using a vape cartridge.
Go Slowly with Vape Cartridges
The next important thing to remember about using a vape cartridge is that you should always go slowly when using an oil cartridge for the first time because concentrates can be very potent. You’ll probably find that you can get the same effect with just a few puffs from an oil cartridge that you would have gotten with a lengthy smoking session using traditional dry herbs – so start with just a few puffs and pause for a while to see how you feel.
The other reason why you should vape at a slow pace when using oil cartridges is because it’ll help you avoid unpleasant burnt flavors. It takes time for a thick vape oil to absorb into a ceramic wick. If you use your device again after you have just puffed on it, the wick will probably still be dry from your previous puff. You’ll get a burnt flavor as a result. To prevent that from happening, wait several seconds after each puff before puffing again.
If There Are No Dispensaries in Your State, Try Delta-8 Instead
If there are no dispensaries in your state that sell pre-filled oil cartridges, you may not have to resort to making your own vape oil because pre-filled Delta-8 THC cartridges are available in many states where no legal cannabis programs are in place.
Though milder than the better-known cannabinoid Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 has a pleasantly sedating and relaxing effect that becomes more potent with increased consumption. It’s legal federally and in many states as well.