Short answer
A distillate cartridge holds a refined cannabis or hemp extract in a small tank with a heater. Distillation removes most plant compounds and leaves one cannabinoid at high purity. Distillate carts for THC or CBD hold 80% to 95% total cannabinoid by weight. A 1 mL cart at 85% holds about 850 mg of cannabinoid.
How distillate is made
- Extraction. A solvent such as ethanol, butane, or CO2 pulls cannabinoids and terpenes from plant material.
- Winterization. The extract sits in cold ethanol. Waxes, fats, and lipids drop out and get filtered off.
- Decarboxylation. Heat converts acidic cannabinoids into active forms. CBDA becomes CBD. THCA becomes THC. A common range is 100 C to 140 C for 30 to 60 minutes.
- Distillation. A short-path or wiped-film still runs under vacuum. Cannabinoids vaporize below 200 C and condense into a separate flask. Terpenes boil at lower temperatures and come off first.
The output is amber to clear oil with 80% to 95% cannabinoid, few terpenes, and little taste. Makers add terpenes back for flavor and to thin the oil.
Parts inside a cartridge
Most carts use a 510 thread, an M7 by 0.5 mm threaded connection. Tank material is glass, plastic, or ceramic. The wick is cotton, silica, or porous ceramic. The heater is a wire coil or a ceramic element. Battery voltage runs 2.5 V to 3.8 V. High voltage burns terpenes and shortens coil life.
Distillate Vape Carts: What They Are and How to Use Them
CBD distillate compared to THC distillate
CBD crystallizes at room temperature once purity passes about 60%. A CBD distillate cart can turn solid in the tank. Makers add terpenes or a carrier to hold flow. THC distillate stays liquid at higher purity, so it needs less thinning.
What a COA shows
A certificate of analysis reports results from a third-party lab. Look for these panels:
- Potency: mg per mL of each cannabinoid.
- Residual solvents: state limits, often 1 to 5 ppm per solvent.
- Pesticides: a list of 60 or more compounds.
- Heavy metals: lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury.
- Microbials and mycotoxins: mold, yeast, E. coli, aflatoxin.
Check that the batch number on the COA matches the batch number on the cart. Check the lab accreditation. ISO 17025 covers testing labs.
Risks
The CDC tied vitamin E acetate to the 2019 to 2020 EVALI outbreak. Vitamin E acetate is a thickener added to dilute oil. It was found in lung fluid samples from EVALI patients. Unlabeled carts from unlicensed sellers carry this risk plus pesticide and metal residue.
Storage and use
Store carts upright at 15 C to 25 C, away from light. Heat causes leaks, clogs, and oxidation of THC into CBN. A clogged mouthpiece clears with a two-second preheat. Draw slowly. Long draws pull oil into the air path.