Best practices for using a vape

Vape cartridges are one of the fastest-growing categories of cannabis products in the US. They are quickly becoming a go-to in Missouri dispensaries for their ease of use, variety of flavors and effects, lack of scent, and discretion. Not all vapes are alike and it’s important to know how to store and use your carts and power supplies to avoid waste and perceived malfunction.

We all know that with flower, exposure to light and extreme temperatures can impact terpenes and cause the degradation of products. There are best practices for vapes and power supplies that are just as important in the preservation of your cart contents. If you’ve ever had struggles with a cart not drawing or experiencing an unexpected burnt smell, this is especially important information you’ll want to have.

Here are a few best practices to make the most of your vape purchases:

Store upright

The contents of a vape cartridge contain cannabinoids and terpenes and as such, regardless of whether distillate or live, storing horizontally can cause carts to back up.

Store at room temperature

It’s easy to leave your vape in the car or the garage, sometimes that’s the only place you use it, but temperature HEAVILY impacts the ability of the vape to draw. If you’ve experienced a failure in getting your vape cart to draw, it’s likely to be an issue of being stored in cold temperatures, and if you’ve experienced leakage, it could be that it was stored in extremely hot temperatures. Batteries should follow the same rules for storage – room temperatures are always best for maximum performance. Light exposure can cause terpenes to degrade, so keeping your carts out of the sun in your car is not only good for function, but for effectiveness as well.

Store without being connected to the battery

Ideally, store your carts with the silicon caps covering the contacts, and don’t leave them connected to the battery when storing.

Use the right battery

Stick batteries are great in a pinch, especially if you’re out of town and just need to grab a power supply to get you through. But voltage settings can heavily influence your vaping experience. Batteries with an adjustable voltage could be a great investment if you are a frequent vaper and use a variety of different vape cart types. Regardless of whether you’re vaping distillate or live contents, voltage is important. You’ll use different temps with a distillate pen than with a live resin one to avoid burning the concentrate and negatively impacting the flavor as well as the smoothness or harshness of the hit. If you aren’t interested in paying for adjustable voltage, at the very least, consider the button version of the stick battery so you can preheat your carts for the best performance.

Be gentle with contact points and go easy 

When you connect your cart to the battery, don’t overtighten – it can restrict air flow, and cause damage to the connection point. Cart won’t draw? Try unscrewing the cart and reconnecting without such a tight connection – you’re going for secure, not torque. Drawing too hard on a cart repeatedly will cause the contents to heat up and thin to the extent that it will pull excess contents into the posts and could leak or clog. After you’ve had a few pulls, let your gear cool down for the best results.

Missouri’s adult-use sales are set to begin in a few weeks and with an extensive range of product types and price points, make sure you’re getting the best results from whatever cart you choose to purchase.