Vaping cartridges are called carts, and counterfeit cartridges are often referred to as fake carts.
These fake carts are not only injurious to health but are also harming the reputation of genuine manufacturers in the cannabis vape market. It has therefore become essential for everyone to be completely aware of counterfeit carts to avoid buying them by mistake and only buy authentic vape carts.
Understanding the fake carts
Fake carts are sold in every cannabis market, but the manufacturers are not aware of these practices. These are manufactured illicitly and often resemble the same legitimate vaping carts from highly popular brands. The sale of these counterfeit carts is carried out through unauthorized channels on online markets and by street dealers.
The fake carts are used just like the genuine ones and do have cannabis elements like THC, CBD, or any other cannabis-derived component. However, the levels of cannabis compounds in these counterfeit carts are completely different from the genuine ones.
Dangers of fake carts
Fake carts are not easily recognizable, and some people do not even pay attention to the details that can help them buy the right product. There are multiple dangers associated with counterfeit carts, and it is important for you to know them if you are willing to buy vape cartridges anytime soon.
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Harmful substances
The most prominent danger related to the use of fake cartridges is that they contain harmful substances and chemicals. These elements can be pesticides, heavy metals, synthetic cannabinoids, and solvents that may lead to serious health issues.
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Lack of quality
Quality is the most important thing that you need to get in cannabis-related products, but with fake carts, you will get none of it. The counterfeit cart manufacturers do not adhere to quality control regulations and, therefore, sell you poor-quality items. Its production is done in unregulated environments, and there is barely any control over hygiene, handling, or consistency, which can expose the consumer to many health risks.
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Unknown potency and dosage
The production of fake carts is barely regulated, and the labels do not provide relevant information about the potency and dosage of the carts. Lack of information makes it highly difficult for customers to buy products as per their tolerance and control. This may lead to overdosing and adverse effects from cannabis consumption.
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Health risks
Using counterfeit carts comes with a high potential for health risks. The production is not regulated, there is no proper hygiene at the production site, and it has several harmful elements mixed in it, which makes the fake carts highly harmful to health. It may contain some elements like lead, butane, and more, which can lead to respiratory problems, lung damage, and, in extreme cases, life-threatening conditions.
Identifying counterfeit carts
It is highly important for you to be capable of recognizing fake carts if you love vaping. Here are a few important factors that can help you identify if the cart you are buying is genuine or counterfeit.
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Packing discrepancies
The details specified on the packaging of vape carts are pretty important, and you must ensure to read them carefully. The packing and labels on the fake carts carry a lot of misspellings, incorrect logos, and inconsistent fonts, and they have poor-quality prints. The carts from legitimate and genuine brands always have high-quality prints and professional packing, whereas the flaws on the counterfeit carts are easily noticeable with a keen eye.
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Price discrepancies
The fake carts available in the market will always have a price way lower than the other average vape carts. It is an easily noticeable red flag. It has a very low price so that the buyers can be easily attracted to the products.
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Lack of appropriate labeling
It is important to check all the details on the labeling of the carts. All the genuine brands make sure that information, including CBD/THC content, price, and ingredients, are specified on the label. On the other hand, the counterfeit carts have missing or incomplete information on these aspects.
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Unusual viscosity and color
There is inconsistent viscosity and color in the fake carts that you can see in the market. The color and consistency on these carts may appear to be overly thick or runny; the color would appear to be off than usual, indicating the counterfeit product.
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Suspicious brand Imitation
Most of the time, fake cartridges will appear in the form of popular brands. It is, therefore, important to make yourself aware of the brands, logos, designs, and product ranges coming from the reputed cannabis companies in the market.
How to stay safe?
When there are a lot of face cartridges present in the market, it may not be very easy to avoid buying them all the time. Sometimes, it is an exact replica of a genuine product, and you can mistakenly buy it. Therefore, it is important for you to know how to stay safe while buying vape cartridges. Here are a few guidelines that will help in this department.
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Buy from licensed dispensaries
In the states where cannabis is legal, you can easily come across a licensed dispensary. Always make sure you buy vape carts from these licensed dispensaries in order to avoid buying a counterfeit cart mistakenly. Buying it from an authorized trailer automatically minimizes the risk of getting a counterfeit product.
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Research brands and verify their authenticity
When you are out in the market, it is important for you to be familiar with the brands that are genuine. In order to be aware of this, always do research before you buy vape carts from any brand online or offline. Make sure to consider the reputed brands and go through their website for all the information. Also, you can contact the support team of the vape brand to verify the dealer or dispensary that markets and sells its products.
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Examining lab testing results
All the brands that are popular and trustworthy in the eyes of consumers get their products tested by an authorized third-party lab to ensure quality and safety. Always check the lab test results to ensure that the cart you buy is free of any harmful contaminants. Also, it helps validate the THC or CBD content of the vaping cart that you buy.
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Report suspicious products
While shopping for vape carts, make sure to keep an eye on any suspicious products, and if you come across one, inform the authorities about it. If you report this to the appropriate law enforcement agencies, your actions can contribute to putting a full stop to the illegal fake cart market.
The Top Fake cart brands to watch out for!
Figuring out the fake carts become difficult owing to their stark match with the real ones. Here it becomes necessary to know about them for the sake of your health and well-being. Worried about falling into the trap of fake cart brands?
Following are some of the fake carts that you must be aware of before making your next cannabis vape purchase;
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TKO Extracts
TKO is one of the most authentic cart brands that gained immense popularity among the masses. The sales of this particular brand skyrocketed in the United States, leading to massive growth figures. The enticing statistics convinced the dupers to create a fake cart under the same name and continue the sale in the market.
Nevertheless, it got caught the cannabis lover’s eye when the designs did not match. The authentic brand launched a new Vape cart design, while the fake carts continued with the older TKO extracts’ vape cart design. The difference helped the customers differentiate between the old and the new.
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Cookies Carts
Cookies are one of the most influential and dominant names in the vape industry. Consequently, the term “Cookies” refer to the diverse strains of cannabis products available for consumption.
The popular and high-profile rapper named Berner joined hands with GPen to launch effective vape cartridges under the banner name “Cookies”. Later numerous notorious personalities launched fake carts under the same brand’s name that was believed to have crossed the authentic one in terms of sales figures.
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West Coast Cure
Another popular vape cart brand that got replicated by fake producers is the West Coast Sure. The crown on top of the vape cart makes it distinct from the other brands, sparkling a different tint of flamboyance.
WCC management was the original company behind this vape cart, which started as a street brand and closed down due to high competition and licensure resilience.
Now they have an authentic CPDH production license as well as a distribution license. Thus, when you opt for its purchase, consider checking the license before paying the bills.
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Dank
Dank is one of the fakest vape cart brands available in the market. The consumers of this product are bound to suffer from the side effects and pulsating health conditions. The vape carts are full of Vitamin E acetate and have no authenticity of the cannabis present inside.
Numerous researchers invested their time and hard work to find out details about the brand but to utter failure. Consuming this brand would open the doors for lung diseases without fail.
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Dagwoods
Another fake cart brand on this list is Dabwoods. While it has numerous names in the market like “Deepwoods”, “Dankwoods”, “Backwoods”, etc, all of them appear to be fake. The cannabis industry tried to dig out the authenticity of this brand but found nothing but a fake presence.
The brand is a hollow shell of a cannabis vape cartridge with only the packaging as an offering.
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710 Kingpen
There was a lot of confusion regarding the authenticity of the 710 Kingpen among vape lovers. The doubts concerned its license and authentic cannabis inclusions. The research helped in finding out that 710 Kingpen is a brainchild of the brand “Clean Cannabis Initiative LLC”.
Controversial situations sparked when some cannabis consumers complained the Vape carts had dirt inside.
Such disputes arise when fake brands circulate in the market. Provided you have any doubts about the 710 Kingpen vape cartridge you own, consider checking it on the Kingpen website where QR code validation is available to check the authenticity of vape carts.
If the QR code shows inauthentic, you have come under the influence of a fake cart.
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Cali Plug
Often deemed as a brother of Dank, Cali Plug is another fake cart brand, that has nothing to offer but the packaging. Detailed research about the brand revealed their non-existence among authentic vape cart brands.
There has been a significant rise in fake carts in the market recently, which poses serious threats to the life of vapers. It compromises the reputation of legitimate brands and manufacturers in the cannabis vape market. Everyone must understand the risks associated with the use of counterfeit carts and must be able to identify and avoid using fake carts.
To contribute to curbing down the fake carts, buy from authentic and licensed dispensaries, verify the authenticity of the products, and stay informed. It will also allow you to have a safe vaping experience.
