How Do I Know My Vape is Safe?

Vaping is an easy, fun, and discreet way to smoke your THC. But after all the horror stories that have been circulating the news of sketchy vapes putting people in the hospital, you might be feeling pretty apprehensive about ever buying a THC vape device again. You’re probably wondering; How do I know my vape is safe? Fortunately, you can take measures that allow you to feel more confident about using your vape.

Importance of Safe Vaping

Of course, buying bad THC vapes can result in you, as the consumer, being ripped off. But, that isn’t the most concerning thing about shopping for vapes on the black market. Smoking black market THC vapes can be extremely dangerous to your health. Black market THC cartridges have been known to cause lung disease and put people in the hospital due to difficulty breathing that, in severe cases, can even be accompanied by nausea and fever. 

The horrors that can come from smoking a black market THC cartridge result from the ingredients that are too often found in unregulated cartridges. These can include ingredients such as vitamin E oil, heavy metals, and even pesticides, each of which can cause a slew of short-term and long-term lung damage when inhaled. This is why it is crucial you choose a safe one when shopping for a new vape device. Again, it is not just quality that you need to worry about; you need to worry about your health and safety as well.

Tips for Choosing a Safe Vape

So, how do you know you are getting a safe THC vape device?

Buy from legal retailers and dispensaries

Buying legally is the number one way to ensure the safety of your THC vape cartridge. Legal retailers and dispensaries are subject to state regulation and quality control to ensure that no dangerous substances have been added to the cartridge, either intentionally or unintentionally. As a result, most legal dispensaries will post lab results to prove to the customer that there are no unsafe ingredients in the cartridge. 

Furthermore, buying from legal sources means what you see is what you get; there’s no risk of cartridges being sold as reputable brands when the cartridge was emptied and filled with cheaper ingredients by an unethical seller. 

Review lab test to see what’s in vape

As we mentioned earlier, most legal retailers and dispensaries will publicly display lab results to show the vape ingredients. As a consumer, you can, and should, review the ingredients in your vape cartridge before you buy it to make sure that there are no dangerous ingredients. 

In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, there is a whole list of nasty chemicals that can potentially end up in vape cartridges and cause cancer and/or severe lung damage. Fortunately, it is not very important to know all of the dangerous ingredients to look out for off the top of your head, as most lab results will simply list all harmful ingredients that can be found in vapes and indicate whether or not each was detected during testing.

Make sure it has the legal seal

Suppose you’ve ever bought a THC cartridge from a legal dispensary in California. In that case, you may have noticed a sticker with a little marijuana leaf and exclamation point, inside a triangle, above a “CA” or some other variation of this symbol, depending on the state. These stickers are all to indicate that the THC cartridge they’re stuck on is confirmed to be in keeping with state safety regulations, and therefore legal to sell and safe to consume. 

Unfortunately, these stickers can sometimes be removed carefully enough to be stuck on a different cartridge by a black market seller, unbeknownst to the consumer. This is another reason why buying from a legal dispensary is so important. 

Research your device

We understand that sometimes it’s just not possible to buy from a legal dispensary. If you’re in a situation where your only choice is to buy on the black market, there are still measures you can take to check the safety of your THC vape. First, you can feel more confident about buying devices in sealed packaging. This increases the likelihood that you’re getting a device that hasn’t been tampered with, and the device is the brand that it’s supposed to be. 

After buying, it’s a good idea to look up the vape brand online and find images of the exact battery and/or cartridge you purchased. Compare details of your device to pictures and descriptions from reputable sources on the internet, and pay extra close attention to the appearance of the actual cartridge and the liquid inside. This is not a guaranteed way to verify the safety of your THC vape, but it can definitely help. And remember, when in doubt, throw it out; it sucks to waste the money, but hospital bills are a lot more expensive.

You get what you pay for

This is a straightforward tip, and it isn’t the most significant one, but it can be a helpful idea to keep in mind when you’re trying to determine if your vape is safe. If you’re not buying from a legal dispensary, figure out the market value for the kind of device you’re looking to buy before you purchase it. 

Suppose your seller is charging significantly less than legal dispensaries are charging for a similar device. In that case, it probably means it was way too cheap for the seller to obtain or make. This means the cartridge contents were likely cut with something cheaper than actual THC resin or distillate. But, just because you are buying a vape for a price similar to legal retailers, it does not necessarily mean it is safe. 

Again, the best way to feel confident about the safety of your vape is to buy from a legal dispensary that is subject to state regulations. Your lungs will thank you for being able to enjoy another day of consuming cannabis.