Vape Carts – Real vs Fake

• For years, luxury and premium items have been faked. From designer purses, to jewelry and apparel. Now THC vape carts join the high-end goods being replicated, but the cheaper cost for THC consumption comes with a cost of their its own. The two main dangers of fake carts are that they could affect your health, and though they often seem cheaper, they are a waste of money.

Safe THC Vape Carts Exist

Safety risks are trending in mainstream media, but what’s not often reported is the fact that legitimate, safe THC vape carts do still exist. Here we’ll go in-depth into how fake carts are giving THC vaping a bad name, and how to truly spot real vs. fake vape carts.

Fake vs. real CARTS: SPOTTING THE DIFFERENCE

To put it simply – if you’re purchasing from a licensed dispensary or retailer like NUG’s California Cannabis dispensaries, then your real vape cart has passed for safety assurance by the State of California. With that said, one test that’s not yet required by California (and most legalized states) is for Vitamin E acetate, or other additives approved by the FDA. Although brands like NUG that are going above and beyond are now providing these results or assurances too.

For education purposes and to ensure your own health – here are a few things to look for when purchasing vape carts in general, to tell the difference between fake and real.
Check the packaging. Real vape carts provide specific manufacturing information on the package label. This includes manufacturing date, packaging date, batch or lot number and track the product’s journey through seed-to-sale systems. Look for spelling or grammar errors as another common red flag for known fake carts.
Check the front, sides, and back of the product packaging to see if anything is missing, distorted, or just looks “off.” 

Labels on all California Cannabis products will include:

1. A manufacturing date
2. A packaging date
3. A batch number
4. A lot number

Check the price. If the price is too good to be true – it probably is. Real vape carts are made of the purest cannabis compounds – high levels of beneficial cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes too. The process to extract and isolate these precious goods – isn’t cheap itself. So when real vape carts are priced as top-shelf goods – there’s a good reason. Avoid any low-priced knock-offs to avoid fake carts altogether.
Check the consistency. Hold your suspected vape cart upside down. Real carts will be thick in consistency and slow moving. Most fake carts, due to the additives will be thinner, faster moving and may contain bubbles too.
Check the COA or Certificate of Analysis, the testing panel. If you’re not purchasing from a trusted retailer, put your detective hat on and do your own research. You can contact (or check online) the third-party testing lab’s information, and request the test results directly. If fakers gonna fake, they can photoshop too.

Fake THC carts, real consequences

Fake THC vape carts are proving harmful to for many who have been duped. In fact, according to Federal health officials 12 people have died from lung illnesses associated with vape pen use, and over 800 have been hospitalized in 46 states.
So what are these cases proving to health officials trying to find a solution?…. It’s a few key ingredients in low-quality vape cart that are the cause of the mysterious rise in lung conditions.

Fake vape carts typically contain additives to ‘cut’ the amount of cannabis that’s used, reducing the potency, quality, and safety of the fake product. The best carts on the market are using high-quality flower grown in top-notch facilities. This eliminates, or at least significantly reduces, the risks of residual pesticides, fungicides, molds, and mildews in your cartridge adding to vape related health issues too.

Here’s a quick view into why and how fake carts are causing real consequences –

Fungicides & cyanide

NBC news found that 10 out of 10 fake THC carts products contained hydrogen cyanide is also tied to another finding that fake vape cart investigators are eyeing as a harmful source – myclobutanil. Myclobutanil is a fungicide, also found in many fake vape carts recently tested. And what’s worse? Upon heating, myclobutanil transforms into hydrogen cyanide (a highly poisonous gas).

Additives & oils

To cut the cost of manufacturing, many fake vape cart producers are using additives to mimic the purity of the real deal, Vitamin E acetate being the most popular. What sounds like a daily dose of nutrients is not meant for inhalation. In actuality, inhaling the cutting agent coats lungs with oil causing inflammation.
Inhaling Vitamin E can also cause lipoid pneumonitis, a once rare condition that comes from particles of fat being consumed into the lungs. Other additives that cause similar symptoms are Vegetable Glycerin, Polyethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol. These agents are actually approved by the FDA, but again not for inhalation.

Overall, a lack of testing and regulation for fake vape cart pens is doing more harm than good. With any real or trusted vape cart manufacturer, you’ll be provided a third-party testing report or certificate of analysis. These tests will also confirm that your real vape cart pen is under the threshold for pesticides or contaminants allowed by the regulating state. If you want to learn more about testing vape carts, check out our more in-depth article here.

Don’t waste your money on fake carts.

When you buy Fake cannabis carts, you’re NOT getting pure product. Those fake THC vape carts may be full of fillers, additives and potentially toxic ingredients. So instead of paying for one gram of pure cannabis vape cartridges typically contain a mixture of cannabinoids, terpenes, when you buy fake, you’re wasting your money on things you don’t want to buy.

Trust NUG’s authentic live resin vape carts

With a plethora of information in the news today, like any topic – it’s best to always check your facts. And when in doubt – always stick with a source you trust. NUG has been committed to quality since 2014 – with innovation and single sourced premium flower as a catalyst in the brand’s mission. For a safe, discreet and delicious real cart, choose NUG’s latest premium vape cartridge product to hit the shelves.