The Definitive Guide To Vape Oil Cartridges For The Modern Cannabis Lover

Vaping, especially pre-filled cartridges and disposable pens, are making consuming cannabis, easier, healthier, and more discreet than ever. In fact, data by BDS Analytics and ArcView Market Research recently found that thanks to vape pens, cannabis concentrate sales could overtake flower in five years. That’s because, without going through the laborious process of grinding up weed, rolling a joint, and smoking which can draw unwanted attention, with vape pen carts, you can just inhale and go without any smoke and hardly any smell. But what are vape oil cartridges, what’s the difference between them, and where do you get them? We tried a bunch of the best vape oil cartridges and single-use vape pens in California to give you the complete lowdown on this cannabis trend that’s here to stay

What are Vape Pen Cartridges?

Known by a variety of names like vape pen cartridges, vape oil cartridges, hash oil “carts” and concentrate cartridges, they are the easiest way to consume cannabis virtually anywhere (well, in any bathroom). Sold as either single-use pens or pre-filled cartridges, they are 0.3 to 1.0 grams of cannabis concentrate made for your vaping convenience. While other types of vaping exist, like dabbing
concentrates with a whole glass dab rig, or cartridges you can fill yourself with vape juice, not to mention vape pens made for flower or wax, pre-filled cartridges are by far the simplest way to vape. But choosing the right pen and cart can get tricky, so we’ve laid it all out for you

The Types of Vape Pens Available: Cartridge and Battery Combo

Where do you begin when choosing a vape pen? Most cartridges are formatted with a “510” thread that screws into any battery with 510 threading. The number 510 refers to the size, but don’t worry because there aren’t a ton of different sizes to choose from. In fact, most batteries and carts are threaded for 510, so once you have one battery you can screw any vape pen cartridge into it. Sometimes the batteries come with the cartridge like when you buy a Bloom Farms Highlighter it comes with a cute battery and charger for free. But you can also buy the hardware online and at dispensaries and smoke shops for $20 or less.

The only exception to the universality of 510 vape products are brands that have created their own hardware and so require specialized cartridges. The most popular brand to do this is PAX, referred to by many as the “Apple of weed”. Pax makes a super smooth vaporizer with temperature adjustments that many people swear by. However, you need to buy specific PAX Era Pods for your PAX vaporizer. Pax Era Pods are made best farms in legal states, and while they may be more expensive than 510 cartridges, they are well worth the value.

Disposable Vape Pens

Of course, there’s also disposable or “single-use” vape pens out there too. With these, you don’t need to screw the cart into the battery
or even charge it. Single-use pens come pre-charged to last for the exact amount of cannabis concentrate it holds, which is often 0.5
grams. Because you don’t need any equipment, disposable pens are arguably the most convenient way to get high and are especially
good for infrequent users and tourists. In fact, brands like Select have even begun making a disposable pen called the “Weekender”
with only 0.3 grams of cannabis oil, making it perfect to bring to a party or to try at your first trip to a dispensary.

However, the most obvious con to single-use pens is how much waste they produce. Because you can’t recharge and reuse the pen, the whole piece of equipment is trash after its contents are used up. For someone buying vapes regularly, this is a major environmental hazard. However, as an introductory gift to a non-cannabis user, brands like Beboe, who make single-use 1:1 THC to CBD pens in gorgeous flavors and packaging, are sure to impress.

The Types of Cartridges: CO2 vs Distillate vs CO2 vs Live Resin

When selecting a vape oil cartridge to buy, you may notice there are a few different options, like CO2, distillate, and live resin, for different prices. So what’s the difference? It all lies in how the hash oil was made, which affects its taste and potency. The most common type of concentrate cartridge is still made with CO2 oil. CO2 oil refers to the type of extraction method used, which, in this case, uses CO2 as the solvent. CO2 oil is extremely popular for r vaping because it retains so much of the strain’s original flavor. You
can read more about the pros and cons of CO2 oil in our explainer here.

The next most popular type of cart that’s quickly gaining on CO2 is distillate cartridges. Distillate is a new and potent form of cannabis concentrate. Distillates are made by taking winterized concentrates, which is CO2 or Butane Hash Oil (BHO) chilled at extremely low temperatures, and then distilling them, concentrating the THC even more. Basically, you can take a hash oil with 75 percent THC and turn it into a distillate with 95 percent THC, making distillates popular with frequent consumers or patients who crave a stronger product. Distillates also cost a little extra, but that’s because you’re paying for the extra strength, purity, and time it takes to make. Brands like Honey make distillate cartridges in all of your favorite strains, guaranteeing 75 percent or more THC

Another new emerging trend is live resin cartridges. Although more rare and expensive, if you crave the full flavor of cannabis, live resin carts are the way to go. Live resin is created by flash freezing freshly cut (aka uncured) cannabis and then making a CO2 or BHO extract. This is done to preserve all the terpenes and flavor profiles of fresh cannabis because many terpenes are destroyed in the drying and curing process. It’s definitely the most flavorful way to enjoy cannabis extracts and a worthwhile treat for any enthusiast.

Strain-Specific Cartridges

While more and more hash oil cartridges are being labeled solely by the experience they’re supposed to invoke like “uplift” or “relax”, most are still labeled by their strain. Craving Skywalker OG? Or are you more of a Green Crack person? Brands like Cobra Extracts make a wide variety of strain-specific cartridges so you can vape your favorite strains on the go.

Terpene-Infused and Experience-Specific Pens and Cartridges

When selecting a vape oil cartridge to buy, you may notice there are a few different options, like CO2, distillate, and live resin, for different prices. So what’s the difference? It all lies in how the hash oil was made, which affects its taste and potency. The most common type of concentrate cartridge is still made with CO2 oil. CO2 oil refers to the type of extraction method used, which, in this case, uses CO2 as the solvent. CO2 oil is extremely popular for vaping because it retains so much of the strain’s original flavor. You

The next most popular type of cart that’s quickly gaining on CO2 is distillate cartridges. Distillate is a new and potent form of cannabis concentrate. Distillates are made by taking winterized concentrates, which is CO2 or Butane Hash Oil (BHO) chilled at extremely low temperatures, and then distilling them, concentrating the THC even more. Basically, you can take a hash oil with 75 percent THC and turn it into a distillate with 95 percent THC, making distillates popular with frequent consumers or patients who crave a stronger product. Distillates also cost a little extra, but that’s because you’re paying for the extra strength, purity, and time it takes to make. Brands like Honey make distillate cartridges in all of your favorite strains, guaranteeing 75 percent or more THC.

Another new emerging trend is live resin cartridges. Although more rare and expensive, if you crave the full flavor of cannabis, live resin carts are the way to go. Live resin is created by flash freezing freshly cut (aka uncured) cannabis and then making a CO2 or BHO extract. This is done to preserve all the terpenes and flavor profiles of fresh cannabis because many terpenes are destroyed in the drying and curing process. It’s definitely the most flavorful way to enjoy cannabis extracts and a worthwhile treat for any enthusiast.