Dab Carts

Dab carts combine two of the best things to come out of cannabis engineering: The convenience and portability of a vape cartridge filled with a high-potency cannabis concentrate, or 'dab.'

Modern producers take advantage of technology by buying empty cartridges in bulk. Filling them with any range of distillates or concentrates produces a custom dab cartridge that stands out from the pack.

What are Dab Carts?

According to the Leafly Cannabis Glossary, “dabbing is a method of consuming cannabis that involves flash vaporizing an extract—called a ‘dab’—on a hot surface and inhaling the vapor through a pipe.”

Traditional dabbing requires a ‘dab rig’: a specific type of water pipe for concentrates that can be expensive and extensive. This also needs you to wield a blowtorch that is both unsafe and costly. Handling tiny amounts of sticky or crumbly cannabis dabs can also be hard, even for experienced concentrate consumers. All this before we even start considering cleaning and maintenance.

In the early 2000s, e-cigarettes and ‘vaping’ took off in North America and spanned the globe. After early innovation, the industry coalesced behind a universal standard for how a vape cartridge would attach to a battery. Named after a proprietary technology from Joyetech, the “510 thread” cartridge became standard.

The widespread adoption of the 510 threading in nicotine vaping paved the way for cannabis carts. PAX and a few others have seen success in proprietary pods, but all daily marijuana consumers have a few 510-thread dab cart batteries lying around.

Any producer with access to cannabis oil—distillate blends to live resins and rosins—can produce vape cartridges. The technology provides a low barrier to entry for both brands and consumers.

Are Dab Carts Different Than Vape Carts?

Dab carts are vape cartridges by another name. Yet, like many words used in cannabis, different consumers might interpret a dab cartridge differently. Variations between dispensary carts can also contribute to confusion and blurred definitions.

Both use 510 threading to ensure they are compatible with popular consumer batteries. An exception is disposable dab pens, which use integrated technology to elevate the vaping experience.

Both start as an empty cartridge, though the technology and features may vary between brands and types of vape cartridge. Quality and temperature during use might differentiate simple distillate carts from dab cartridges.

Both vaporize the contents they hold using heating elements that get hotter than 315°F, the vaporization temperature of THC. This is where a vape cartridge might be different from dab pen carts. Dab carts might be able to withstand higher temperatures. This allows them to vaporize different ‘dabs’ without burning the delicate full-spectrum mixture.

Simple distillate carts only need to reach 350°F and fast. This ensures the full release of the contained THC and/or CBD, with nothing to burn if the weed cartridge heats unevenly.

Simply put, dab carts are empty oil carts that contain ‘dab-able’ marijuana. Features and the different techniques of carts for dab pens are usually signs of higher quality and capability. They can also provide a benefit to a distillate vape.

What Types of Vape Cartridges are Available?

Before anything becomes cannabis carts, they begin life as an empty cartridge. They could contain any kind of vapor-producing liquid. There are a few key differentiators between these empty oil carts that will change the way they operate.

Size of Vape Carts Available

Most empty cartridges in bulk come in one of two sizes: a half-gram or full gram. Full-gram options were rare until recently for dabs. This was due to their likelihood of clogging before being able to finish the full marijuana cartridge.

As vaping technology improved, the choice of size is now dictated by the needs of consumers and product branding. You can now find reliable dab pen carts of any size on the market. Variable sizing allows producers to introduce products at target price points and to take advantage of market trends.

Material of Vape Cartridge Chambers

The heating and vaporizing elements of carts for dab pens usually get all the attention. The chamber that protects the marijuana product inside is equally important.

The main choice is between plastic and glass, but there are a dozen different types of each. There are many reasons for choosing plastic or glass for marijuana packaging, dictated by your brand and products. Manufacturers of high-quality vape cartridges should be able to provide details on the materials used. They should also pass on any guarantees they can make about safety and handling.

How you fill your empty oil carts, by hand or mechanically, should also influence your decision to ensure compatibility. The weight difference between two different carts can greatly impact shipping and handling costs when producing on a massive scale.

Number and Size of Vape Cart Intake Holes

The number and size of intake holes in an empty cartridge may seem like irrelevant details. But thicker oils need larger intake holes to guarantee a good flow. Smaller inlet holes prevent runny oils from flooding in too quickly.

Distillate carts filled with a thin liquid may not clog a weed cartridge with few or small intake holes. The same cart may clog or immediately fail if used to produce live resin carts, which usually contain much thicker products.

This factor is especially important when choosing the components for a CBD cartridge. The cannabinoid can crystallize at high concentrations, blocking small or few intake holes.

These tiny holes are the gatekeepers to the precious, hyper-engineered ceramic core inside. The pair need to work in sync to perfectly heat and distribute cannabis oil for ideal vaporization. Without adequate testing, these small gaps can become a massive problem.

Size of Vape Cartridge Aperture

The size of the aperture, or opening through which you breathe, is another minor detail that you cannot ignore. Standard sizes may be fine for simple marijuana cartridges. A complex product like a wax cartridge may warrant deeper investigation and testing.

Up until only a few years ago, vape carts were a one-size-fits-all venture, especially about minor details. Most nicotine vapes are chemicals in a carrier substance. Cannabis vape cartridges can have nuanced and natural flavors owing to full-spectrum extracts.

Like wine glasses, the size of the rim can play a big role in how the beverage is experienced. Beers from iconic brewing nations like Germany and Belgium are served in their own custom mugs and chalices, each meant to elevate the drink.

The vape cartridge aperture can be seen much the same way. While definitely not part of the main show, it can be the final finishing touch in honing the perfect way to consume the concentrate within.

In the development of any marijuana cartridge, testing ‘prototype’ units are the best way to prevent issues from hitting the market. It is also the only way to craft perfection, with every small component taken into consideration.

Vape Cart Tips and Connection Methods

The last key decision in choosing the perfect empty dab cartridge is one of the most important. This will guarantee they will work in your production processes. The final piece of the dab cart puzzle is the tip or mouthpiece and how it connects to the rest of the cartridge.

These tips can screw on with suitable threading or pressed on either by hand or with a mechanical press. The decision will be dictated by, or will dictate, your production processes. A small run of custom dispensary carts can probably be made by hand. A statewide or national brand would need to automate its processes with more sophisticated systems.

Keep in mind that if you choose the screw-top method to seal your vape cartridges, consumers will be able to open them accidentally or on purpose. This may be seen as a benefit to some consumers who may try to refill cartridges. Appropriate warnings may be required to limit liability compared to carts that permanently seal.

How Do You Fill Dab Pen Carts?

Filling dab pen carts is the same, no matter the contents, whether you are doing it at home or on an industrial scale. Yet, some cartridges may have peculiarities, and some cannabis oils may be challengingly sticky or thick.

In the end, the oil needs to make its way into a small cartridge, usually through the aid of a small needle-like applicator nozzle. Rarely, proprietary methods may be required or implemented, depending on factors unique to each company.

Filling dispensary carts can be done by hand, one or a few at a time, depending on the tools available. For a popular brand-name THC cartridge, thousands of them are produced every month. Racks are often loaded into machines that will fill and seal the carts with a tip, all in one smooth process.

Where to Buy Wholesale Empty Dab Carts

Buying empty vape cartridges wholesale can be daunting. Especially when you are working with premium extracts, unique products, or demanding clientele. Making a buy, sight unseen, on the scale of thousands, requires trust in a wholesaler that the details they provide are completely accurate.

Some brands, like the ceramic core RAE vapes, are happy to send samples upon request to ensure their carts are the right choice for your product. This relieves the stress before ordering cases upon cases of empty vape cartridges wholesale.

You have tracked down a brand that suits your needs and tested sample carts with your own marijuana products. You are ready to make your big purchase of empty vape cartridges. Wholesale distributors like 420Packaging.com make it easy to find deals and options that work best for your business. With a price-beat guarantee that never leaves you regretting where you decided to shop.