HOW LONG WILL MY CARTRIDGE LAST?
The good news about THC cartridges is that they’re much more shelf-stable than cannabis bud. Nevertheless, like all plant-based products, vape oil must be stored properly or it can lose potency over time. For the occasional smoker, it’s generally best to buy one cartridge at a time to avoid the breakdown of cannabinoids. Still, with proper care, majority of cartridges should be good for six months to a year without losing any of its flavor or potency.
These factors determine how long your cart will last:
- The capacity of your cart
- How often you vape
- How well you maintain it
Cartridge Capacity
You may wonder how many puffs one cartridge will give you. Since everyone takes varying hits, it is hard to determine exactly how many you will get out of one cart. It is also important to keep in mind the potency of the product plays into that factor as well. Overall, we can only say what the majority of people’s experiences are.
In general, prefilled carts come in two sizes;
- ½ gram (500 mg) To finish this size cart, an average person will take anywhere between 75 and 150 puffs, based on a 3 to 5 mg hit. Tentatively we’d say if you’re a light inhaler and you take as many as 30 puffs a day, then your cart will last you anywhere from 3 to 5 days. You could make your cart last about 50 days if you only take about three puffs per day on a one-second inhale.
- 1 gram (1,000 mg) To finish this size cart, an average person will take anywhere between 150 and 300 puffs, based on a 3 to 5 mg hit. Tentatively we’d say if you’re a light inhaler and you take as many as 30 puffs a day, then your cart will last you anywhere from 5 to 10 days. But if you only tend to take about 3 puffs a day on a one-second inhale, you could make your wain last about 100 days!
Vape Frequency
For those who go through their cart in a matter of days, we salute you! You’ll only have a problem if you don’t have a backup cart handy when you move on to the next one. It is important to keep in mind that there may be other concerns for light vapers.
The minute you receive your cart, the oil is already losing freshness and potency. The oil is going to breakdown over time because it’s made of complex chains of lipids and molecules that don’t have the strongest bonds. It is possible for these bonds to break, leading to the deterioration of your vape oil. However, it should still keep the same potency after 6 months to a year, if you take care of your cart. It’ll have then effectively reached its expiration date of 1.5 years, depending on what cannabinoids and terpenes are present in your cart. This may be a concern for you, if you aren’t the type to vape every day.
Proper Storage of Vape Carts
For the casual stoner, it’s generally best to buy one cartridge at a time to avoid cannabinoid degradation. Even so, with proper care, most cartridges should be good for at least six months to a year without losing any potency or flavor and can still bring as much enjoyment or relief as they did on the very first day.
When stored properly, your vape cartridge should still have the desired effects after six months or even a year. However, if exposed to high temperatures or direct light, the THC will degrade quicker and will no longer have the same potency as before.
Nonetheless, you have to take care of it, if you want your cart to last. It’s important to be aware of the factors that cause it to degrade quicker. The best place to store your vape cartridges is in a cool, dry, and dark place like a drawer, cabinet, or refrigerator with a moisture- absorbing packet of silica gel. Never place a vape cartridge on a window sill. The cartridge should be placed upright and the battery removed to prevent the battery from heating the oil (even slightly), as this will gradually degrade your oil.
- Heat Exposing your cart to higher temperatures can quickly cause the oil and the cannabinoid compounds to break down. This can include the heat from inside a car, or even something as seemingly benign as the heat from your pocket. The optimum temperature your cart should be stored at is 70 ℉. nonetheless, keep it in its case to help protect from external factors, if you must travel with your pen.
- Light Not only does sunlight contribute damaging heat to your cart, but the light can cause the oil to become darker and less potent over time. This doesn’t only apply to sunlight; all light has the capability to degrade cart oil.
- Moisture High moisture levels can change the molecular structure of your Delta- 8 cart. This forcing of moisture into the molecules could make them break down quickly. Make sure to keep hemp products out of the bathroom, as well as out of the kitchen where steam can be created from cooking.
How it’s stored Vape cartridges should be stored in an upright position and unscrewed from the battery. It’s preferable to keep the cart in a case for extra safety. Leaving the cart on its side could cause it to leak. And expending all the liquid inside in this way won’t help it last long!
Now that we have answered the question” How long do vape cartridges last,” you should be better prepared to plan your purchases accordingly and store your cartridges in a way that promotes the maximum shelf life.
