If you prefer to enjoy cannabis without the smoke, vape carts open up an entirely new world. These cartridges, which may also come with a disposable battery for convenience, contain cannabis extracts. The extract is vaporized with a heated mechanism inside, and you can vape cannabis instead of smoking. The result is similar to what you would expect when smoking cannabis, but vaping is less messy, convenient, and more discreet.
While vape carts have a lot to offer, they can be a little intimidating to understand if you’ve only ever smoked flower. The most important thing to do is get familiar with the concentrates inside vape carts like distillate and rosin. How does potency work with vape carts? What are the differences between concentrates and distillate? Find out below.
What is inside a vape cart?
Vape carts are most often made with liquid form cannabis concentrates like distillate and rosin. However, you will also find carts made with other extracts like live resin and even BHO (butane hash oil), or even a mix of different concentrates.
The Difference Between Distillate and Rosin in Vapes
Distillate refers to a highly purified cannabis extract that is typically clear and odorless. It is produced through a process of distillation, where primarily THC is separated and concentrated to achieve high potency levels, often exceeding 90% THC. By contrast, extracts like rosin and resin are full-spectrum extracts, which means the concentrate contains the natural terpenes and cannabinoid profiles of the strain the extract was harvested from.
Because distillation produces a purer THC extract, most vape carts made with distillate contain terpenes or flavoring ingredients that are added to achieve certain flavors. For example, if you pick up a vape cart made with distillate with a name like Tropical Daydream or Lemon Kush, the manufacturer likely added cannabis-derived terpenes to achieve these flavors.
With vape carts made with rosin or resin, the vaping experience more closely mimics the flavors of the strain. These extracts are made in a way to preserve terpenes. Therefore, you will experience those same aromatic/flavorful compounds in vape form. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon for vape cart makers to “beef up” the flavor profile with the addition of more cannabis-derived terpenes or flavoring agents.
What are the differences between concentrates and distillate?
Distillate is a type of cannabis concentrate, but it is unique from other types of concentrates like wax, rosin, and others. In the most basic terms, distillate is a distilled extract with primarily THC. Other concentrates tend to have other plant-derived elements, including other cannabinoids like CBD or CBN and terpenes. The distillation process breaks down most minor cannabinoids and terpenes, which is why the THC potency level of distillate is so high.
How does potency work with vape carts?
The better question is, how does potency work in concentrates? Vape carts are technically made with cannabis concentrates. So, to better understand how potent a certain vape cart is, it is a good idea to get familiar with concentrate potencies.
With cannabis flower, potency ranges are much lower, typically somewhere between 15 and 30% THC. However, when shopping for concentrates or vape carts, you will see the THC percentages are much, much higher, some as high as 90% THC or more. This can mean a vape cart is anywhere from three to six times as potent as your favorite flower. The reason for the difference is that with flower, you get a lot of material that does not contain THC. With concentrates, the plant material has been primarily stripped away. Therefore, most of what is being vaporized in a vape cart or disposable is THC.
The thing to remember is this difference in potency levels can drastically change how much you need to vape to achieve the best level of effects for you. For example, if you normally take several puffs from a pre-roll to achieve the desired effects, you will likely only need a puff or two from a vape. If you are new to vaping, pay close attention to the THC percentage and start slowly. Gauge your effects and adjust how much you vape as needed.
Explore a Broad Spectrum of Cannabis Vapes at Eastern Green Dispensary
If you are new to vaping cannabis, access to a broad selection is important, so you can explore various products and find something that suits your preferences. At Eastern Green, our menus are stocked with one of the largest collections of high-quality vapes in the state. Be sure to explore our recreational and medical menu to find what you want and order ahead for pickup.
