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Do Vape Cartridges Expire?

Posted by CANNASaver on Wednesday, 06 July 2022 in Canna Blog

Okay, scenario time, folks:

You’ve decided after smoking a particularly strong sativa that you are going to clean and organize your room. As you dig through various piles of stored away nostalgia, you come across many different marijuana vape cartridges you didn’t fully finish. Some of them are even about full. You feel like a pirate. You have, like Jack Sparrow, found lost treasure.

As you look at your current cartridge, you only have maybe one or two hits left before you’ll need to go to the dispensary. As beautiful as that sounds, the cleaning was about all you were wanting to do before chowing down on some snacks and maybe taking a nap.

You vote to might as well finish off the cartridges you have with the newly-rediscovered cannabis. After all, some of them are almost full! Nothing beats the glorious taste of a puff on some golden nectar found within vape cartridges. Absolute treasures.

But then you begin thinking, "I don’t remember the last time I bought that brand. How old are these cartridges? Can marijuana go bad? Do vape cartridges expire?"

As they say, “Nothing good lasts forever” and unfortunately, marijuana vape cartridges are no exception.

The Vape Cartridge

To give you a simple definition of a vape cartridge itself; it’s the device (plastic or glass tank with a mouthpiece) that carries cannabis oils and their properties (the fun part) into your body.

You should be aware that any little piece of this marijuana contraption, from the cannabis concentrate to the battery, is very much at risk of wearing out, failing, or “being bad”. Vape cartridges should not be looked at as a device built for longevity like pipes or bongs. Though this doesn’t mean you have to throw a cartridge away after a few uses.

Vape cartridges contain THC concentrate rather than actual marijuana buds/plant material. This means the vape cartridge will keep terpenes from evaporating and will not lose potency because of drying like with buds.

How Long Are Vape Cartridges Supposed To Last?

The best answer I can give you is that it depends on a few different factors: the size of the cartridge (half or full gram of oil), how often you are puffing on it, how well the cartridge stays together, etc.

How many puffs does a cartridge last? 

A full gram vape cartridge is supposed to last around 300 seconds of total inhale time.

So, if you are on the lighter side of smoking, for example, you take 3-second puffs. This would grant you about 100 puffs from the cartridge. 

If you proceed to use the cartridge but only once per day, the potential for you holding onto a cartridge for a much longer amount of time is very possible.

As opposed to those who use marijuana products more often, let’s say these individuals hit the device for 6 seconds, five times a day. Suddenly, that gram cartridge only lasts roughly ten days.

So, Can Vape Cartridges Expire?

If you haven’t guessed it by now, the simple and short answer is yes. 

Much like many prescription medications/foods/drinks, vape cartridges (and wax concentrates) do expire. 

However, unlike the meds/foods/drinks, vape cartridges don’t necessarily have an expiration tag or sell-by date, per se. 

Expired vape cartridges will give indications of age and overall product degradation.

When cannabis oils found in the cartridge degrade, the potency of the oil lessens. The longer you take to finish a cartridge; the weaker the effects become when using an old vape cartridge. No “high” feeling being produced when you are wanting to get high is a bit of a bummer to say the least.

Signs that your vape pen may have expired are:

  • The oil has changed color and has become sludgy in appearance. Either a dark brown or black. No longer a beautiful golden color.
  • The oil has a funky taste and is incredibly harsh. A baking-soda-left-in-the-back-of-your-fridge kind of taste.
  • The oil has no smell and, with a lack of smell, likely comes a lack of potency.

What Happens if I Smoke an Expired Vape Cartridge?

The only real consequence of smoking an expired cartridge is a lack of taste, smell, and potency of the THC. 

But, depending on how your cartridge was stored, the most disgusting thing that can happen to your vape cartridge is potentially growing mold. 

Moldy weed doesn’t exactly taste great and furthermore, inhaling mold can lead to various lung-related diseases.

The silver lining is that vape cartridges do not go bad very quickly. 

Most vape cartridges have a shelf life of about 1-2 years.  

If the cartridge’s oil is still close to the same color and there are no signs of the oil becoming a sludgy substance, you are good to go. Proper storage of the cartridge will ensure it stays better for longer.

How To Prolong the Life of Your Vape Cartridge

Here are some tips to keep those vape cartridges fresh:

Avoid Sunlight

The absolute, most important way to store a vape cartridge is to keep the device completely away from direct sunlight. Sunlight destroys cannabinoids at a chemical level.The color changes from gold to brown, leading to reduced potencies and changes the way terpenes taste or smell (not in a good way).

Keep The Temp Down, But Not Too Low

The ideal temperature for storing cannabis vape cartridges is around 70F. 

If vape cartridges are left in higher temperatures, much like with flower, it loses what makes them shine to begin with. 

You can store your carts either in a drawer or you can store them in the fridge, but do not freeze your carts. It causes a laundry list of problems to the cartridge.

An Upright Cartridge is the Happiest

One thing that many miss while attempting to expand the life of their vape cartridges is to keep the mouthpiece part facing up, vertically, when not in use. This keeps your cartridge from leaking and creating clogs in the mouthpiece.

Now, armed with knowledge, you can now decide whether that old cartridge is worth having a puff on or not. 

I'd still stay away from that cart you found under the couch cushion, though.

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Tagged in: vaping vaporizers
CannaSaver Blog

1 Gram Cartridge Price

Posted by CANNASaver on Tuesday, 30 November 2021 in Canna Blog

So, you’ve decided to dive into the cannabis concentrate world. It’s a different experience, but a good one, nonetheless! Experienced and novice canna-consumers alike enjoy the convenience of vape pens, both in terms of health and ease of use. But what should you expect when buying a cartridge for the battery you just bought? What are typical prices you can expect to pay for those delectable marijuana cartridges, like, for example, a 1 gram cartridge?

Kick back, relax, and let me get you informed on these wonderful devices.

What is a Cannabis Cartridge?

The marijuana cartridge (pen cartridge, THC cartridge, etc.) is a device that transports cannabis oils into your body through a glass tank/mouthpiece for a maximum cannabis experience (your high). 

These devices are speedy and efficient.
This advanced style of marijuana consumption is an incredibly popular and convenient method in the cannabis industry. When attached to a battery, the device is the equivalent of a pipe and lighter combo without the combustion or amount of stuff you have to carry.

What Goes Into a THC Cartridge?

When you’re looking for a cartridge, what exactly should you be looking for? What are they made up of and just how much THC is in them?

Types of Oils

Let’s start with the types of oils you can find within THC cartridges.

CO2

CO2 is a special solvent-based cannabis oil. CO2 is seen as a natural solvent and offers a healthier alternative to butane-extracted cannabis oils.
CO2-based oils are achieved by using extremely high temperatures with high pressure. These oils require extremely specialized equipment to extract.

Distilled

Distilled cannabis oils are made through the process of, you guessed it, distillation

Similar to how whiskey is made, cannabis distillation is achieved through fractional, short-path distillation. 

The process begins with raw cannabis oil and is purified through winterization and decarboxylation

Full-Spectrum

Full-spectrum cannabis oils contain various cannabinoids in the oil. 

It can be a mixture of CBD, THC, CBG, THCa, THCV, etc. These kinds of oils are some of the best in terms of overall healing properties.

Different Sizes of Cannabis Cartridges and Average Pricing

Marijuana cartridges typically come in 500mg (half-gram) or 1000mg (full-gram) sizes with smaller cartridge variants coming in a disposables category. 

500 mg (half-gram) Cartridges

  • Tend to get between 60-150 puffs per lifecycle (depending on use & length of puffs)

Half-gram cartridges are the cheapest of the sizes. 500mg Cartridges range in price between $20-$40 in Colorado. 

1000 mg (full-gram) Cartridges

  • 1 gram cartridges tend to get between 150-300 puffs per lifecycle (depending on use and length of puffs)

1 gram cartridges in Colorado range in price from $40-$70.

Pricing Influences On Cartridges

There are a few reasons prices can vary when you’re looking for cartridges, whether it’s a half gram or 1 gram cartridge.

Taxes

In Colorado, retail marijuana has taxation of 15%

With the addition of such a tax, expect to pay at least that much more when looking at menu prices.

Potency of Strain

The amount of THC present in the cartridge can drive prices high. Looking for potent strains? Expect to pay a little more.

Specific Brands

Certain brands can influence cartridge pricing. 

Some companies offer specialty batteries and cartridges which only work with that specific brand.

Deals on 1 Gram Cartridges in Denver

The Stone has two dispensaries locations in downtown Denver.

Current deals on cartridges are:

Herbs 4 you is located in the Capitol Hill Area.

Current deals on Cartridges include:

 

Also of interest, Do Vape Cartridges Expire?

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Tagged in: vaporizers

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