How To Identify A Fake Cart?

Why Spotting a Fake Cart Matters

More and more states are legalizing THC products, which has made consumption more “normal” than ever, like cracking open a cold beer after work. Creating a huge increase in demand for all types of cannabis products, leading to a ton of new brands making their way into the cannabis industry. Some that are honorable, some not so much.

Most of the players in the game, who were only in it to make a few extra bucks have weeded themselves out - no pun intended. However, there are still some bad seeds out in the world looking to capitalize through the black market, bringing about an increase of fake cartridges making their way into the hands of regular people like you and me.

Not only are fake cartridges a complete sham, but they can sometimes be dangerous causing serious health issues like damage to your lungs. Unlike standard carts sold in dispensaries, these knockoffs can contain unregulated ingredients, contaminants, and obviously a counterfeit product will not go through any sort of lab testing.

This guide will help you spot the red flags so that you can stay safe out there!

Check the Packaging of Your THC Cartridge

Usually manufacturers of fake thc cartridges will mimic larger well known brands, these fraudsters go after the bigger players because their items are well known, trusted, and in high demand.

The first tell is the packaging. You should always check the packaging thoroughly and look for any inconsistencies.

Misspelled Words or Blurry Logos

• When inspecting your packaging look for any misspelled words or sentences that don't make sense, the sentence might be legible but the words are all out of whack. Keep an eye out for blurry logos or other inconsistencies. Well known brands will oftentimes keep their designs somewhat consistent and their packaging quality is clean and clear.

Too Good To Be True Strains, Over the Top Packaging, or Major Corporation Logos

• Sometimes counterfeit cartridges will have “too good to be true” strain names and extra flashy designs on them. Think of packaging that is COMPLETELY overdone. Also, if the packaging is using another brand's logo - like, dunkin donuts, mcdonalds, coca cola, or anything of the sort it's most likely untrustworthy. A reputable brand knows they can get into some trouble for slapping someone else's logo onto their packaging for marketing purposes.

QR Codes and Batch Numbers

• Check for a QR code or a batch number somewhere on the box. The batch number is what companies use to keep track of lab testing. The QR code should be scannable and lead to a webpage where you can read through the lab test, showing potency, contaminants, heavy metals and more. The batch code on the lab test should always match the batch code on your product. If the QR code is not scannable, or if it is but the batch number isn't present on the lab test you might not know exactly what you are consuming.

Warning Labels and Compliance Symbols

• There are certain packaging requirements that need to be present on the outside of a box when producing or selling a product that contains THC, just like cigarettes, and alcohol. You should see a marijuana icon with a triangle around it and/or an “!” exclamation point in the middle to indicate that this product contains thc. Apart from the icons, in most states you must be 21 or older to legally use cannabis recreationally. A warning label informing the consumer of the age restrictions surrounding the product should be on the packaging as well.
• Reputable brands are well aware of the fines and consequences they can face by not including these important compliance/warning labels, and let's face it, no one wants to get their license revoked, fined 30,000 dollars, or sued. Trust me when I say, they would not leave these warnings out.

Verify the Brand of Your THC Cartridge

Verifying the brand can sometimes be a little harder than others, newer brands might not have the means to get their names out there right away. A simple google search should do the trick, you should always be able to find at least a website, contact information, a reddit post or something of the sort.

Be mindful of those knock-offs that imitate well known brands, even in instances like that you might be able to compare your packaging, hardware, and more with what the REAL manufacturer has posted on their website. If you notice any inconsistencies, then it's better to keep it safe and not use it.

Inspect the Oil and Hardware

The oil inside your cartridge is either distillate, co2 oil, live resin or rosin and it should be clear but amber in color. Normally carts contain distillate since it's the most predominately used, higher end carts will sometimes use live resin or rosin, which is made without solvents making it a tad more expensive.

Check the Appearance of the Oil

Distillate has a pretty standard “wax” appearance, as mentioned, it's clear with an amber hue. The consistency is thick, similar to honey, with heat it starts to loosen up so that it's easier to vaporize through a wax tank like a cart. If your oil is very dark in color or it's cloudy it COULD indicate that it's fake, low quality, less potent, or old.

Low quality or counterfeit carts can contain dark looking THC oil that is “unclean” meaning it contains plant lipids, chlorophyll, or worse - residual solvents. You might be asking “what are residual solvents”. Solvents like butane, propane, or co2 are used to extract thc from cannabis plants. The solvent (butane or propane) needs to be fully evaporated from the extracted THC before it's safe for consumption.

Needless to say, inhaling butane or propane is not okay, at minimum it can cause dizziness, nausea, chest pains and shortness of breath. At its worst it can cause lung damage, kidney damage, or liver damage.

A dark appearance can also suggest that your oil has contaminants or cutting agents in it. An example of a cutting agent is vitamin e acetate, which was the chemical oil found in counterfeit cartridges responsible for the infamous “popcorn lung” (EVALI) outbreak back in 2019.

Check the Taste or Smell of Your Cartridge

Distillate is completely stripped of terpenes and other compounds so it is completely flavorless. Since terpenes create a more pleasant effect, some brands will add in specific terpenes to their distillate to enhance certain “moods” like relaxation, stress relief, reduce anxiety and more! Terpenes DO add some flavor, for example limonene will have a slight citrus taste, this is not a sign that your cart is fake.

Be weary of intense synthetic flavors or anything that doesn't taste “natural”. A strong chemical smell is also not a good sign. Cartridges containing potentially unsafe additives or a large amount of thinning agents will produce a lot more smoke than normal, with a very unpleasant odor.

Check the Oil Consistency

As previously mentioned, distillate has a thicker honey like consistency, it moves very very slowly. If your cart contains a thin liquid that can move around easily it is most likely mixed with additives.

Occasional bubbles in a cartridge are usually nothing to worry about, they’re often present because a little bit of air got trapped inside the cart during filling or caused by temperature changes. However, if you see dozens of tiny bubbles, that may suggest that the oil inside your cart could have been thinned out.

Distillate will sometimes be thinned out by less reputable brands using thinning agents like propylene glycol (sometimes found in vape juice), vegetable glycerin (also found in vape juice) or MCT oil (derived from coconut oil).

These agents change the consistency of the oil making it more fluid and easier to vaporize. However, its thinner consistency allows the oil to move around the cart freely trapping air to form visible bubbles. Bubbles can also form from temperature changes and shifts in pressure, causing the air inside your cart to expand and then contract creating air pockets inside of your oil.

Now a small amount of a thinning agent added to your oil is not the absolute worst thing in the world, it's when the thinning agent is used as a cutting agent which causes the problem. As mentioned, some not so honorable manufacturers will add a small amount of thinning agent inside their distillate to allow it to vaporize easier, when a large amount is added it dilutes the oil making it less potent and it can potentially expose you to the harmful byproducts created by intense heat.

Note: Real regulated THC cartridges will not have harmful thinning agents in them, this is why it is important to check a certificate of analysis (lab test) to make sure you know what you are consuming and what you might be exposing yourself to.

Beware of THC Cart Additives

Different Types of Additives:

Risky Thinning Agents:

• Propylene and vegetable glycerin are generally safe, but when propylene is overheated it can release toxic chemicals like formaldehyde. Vegetable glycerin is commonly present in e-liquids but it's not very ideal for cannabis oil, it breaks down under the intense heat that is needed to vaporize dabs, causing lung irritation.
• MCT oil is derived from coconut oil and is perceived to be “safe” since it is natural. Although this type of oil is totally safe to eat, it is not meant to be inhaled. It can cause a build up of lipids inside your lungs after long term use.
• Polyethylene glycol, not to be confused with propylene, is completely unsafe for vaporization, once it's heated to high temperatures it breaks down into carcinogenic compounds. If you don't know what "carcinogenic" means, it means that it is a substance that increases the risk of developing cancer.

Safe Thinning Agents:

• Terpenes can be added into distillate to create a more intense or desired effect, but it can also be used as a thinning agent. Since it's already present in the cannabis plant and is completely natural it is the only safe thinning agent around. With that said, watch out for excessive synthetic terpenes, they can be harmful and or irritating to the lungs.

Flavoring Agents:

Safe Flavoring Agents:

• Terpenes can add a mild flavor and aroma to distillate, providing a more flavorful and potent experience. Stick with natural terpenes for natural flavoring!

Risky Flavoring Agents:

• Artificial flavorings, like anything that is candy or dessert flavored, is most likely either propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, or polyethylene glycol. It is best to steer clear of anything that is heavily flavored or marketed as such since these agents do not do well with high temperatures.

Thickening Agents:

Unsafe Thickening Agents:

• Vitamin E Acetate is a chemical oil that is used to thicken or stabilize other oils. It is commonly found in food, vitamins and different skincare products. Squalene is a cosmetic grade oil that is used to thicken liquids, it's commonly found in skincare products like face washes, moisturizers and more.
• Totally okay to eat and use these oils on your skin, not okay to inhale, our lungs are not built to process oily substances like vitamin e acetate or squalene. These are thick fatty oils! As these oils are vaporized they start to coat the air sacks in your lungs, these air sacks need to be free and open so that they can absorb oxygen. The oil coating blocks oxygen from getting into the bloodstream and it can cause an immune reaction where the lungs fill up with fluid.
• If Vitamin E Acetate is heated up to high temperatures, like temps used for dabbing concentrates it breaks down into toxic chemicals which are irritating and can be deadly when inhaled.

Foamy or separated layers of oil present inside your cartridge can suggest that there is some sort of additive or contamination present so it's best not to use.

Check the Hardware Quality of Your Cartridge

Checking the hardware is a hard thing to explain in writing, but you'll know exactly what I'm talking about once you have the cart in your hand or when you see it in person. The cartridge should be made with higher quality materials that will stand up to the test of time, so it’ll have some weight to it.

• Its middle tank should be made of glass or another comparable material. Be on the lookout for carts or even disposables that are made completely of plastic, these are usually a no go.
• The mouthpiece is usually constructed of some sort of heavy duty metal and not cheap plastic. Any metal hardware on a real cart should have some weight, you'll notice the weight difference between medical grade metal and cheap aluminum. The metals shouldn't oxidize quickly (change color), bend or dent easily, and any protective coating or plating should not chip off.
• If your cart coil is visible, check the middle to look at the coil. Higher quality carts will have white ceramic or a different material specifically made for dabbing. If you spot a cotton wick, it's most likely a fake.
• Threading on the bottom of fake carts is sometimes a little uneven or rough, causing it to not screw onto your battery correctly. Keep an eye out for glues, lopsided seams or anything else that looks off.

Where and How to Buy Legit THC Cartridges

Although it might be tempting to purchase a cart from a friend of a friend, the corner store, or the gas station, it's probably best if you steer clear of these places and purchase your thc products directly from a dispensary. This is not to say that the black market/gray market is full of fakes, but if you would like to be 100 percent sure your product is 100 percent legit, a dispensary will always be your best bet.

Dispensaries tend to be a little more expensive than purchasing thc carts somewhere else, but they also offer complete peace of mind.

What to Do if You Bought a Fake Cart

If you ended up purchasing a fake cart, it's best if you stop using it and dispose of it.

If you continue to use your fake cart, you could get pretty sick, and when it comes to your health no amount of money or thc is really worth it.

Take care of yourselves! Until next time!