What are and how to use wax cartridges

Most vape pens and e-cigarettes require a cartridge that contains the liquids or concentrates that are inhaled when vaping. These containers can come pre-filled, but many of them are also designed to be reused and offer the user the option to fill them with concentrates or e-juice instead of having to throw them away. Though some vaping devices do allow for pure marijuana bud to be used to fill them, the high levels of THC that concentrates currently offer are easily twice as potent which has led to them becoming the more popular choice among cannabis enthusiasts. One of the strongest marijuana concentrates is wax. Here we will explain what wax is, the benefits of vaping wax, what wax cartridges are, and of course, how to use them.

What is a wax cartridge?

A wax cartridge is a chamber that is designed to contain marijuana concentrates. Often these are different than those that are meant for e-juice, as the temperatures that are required to effectively vaporize wax range much higher than some are made to ever reach. A wax cartridge will be either prefilled, or refillable, and is affixed to a vape pen or e-cig by threading that is located at either end of the container. A pre-filled wax cartridge will come preloaded with a wax that is ready to use immediately after it’s been installed.  

What is wax?

Wax is a cannabis concentrate that been extracted using a solvent and then processed. Wax will usually have a yellow, gold, or brown color and has a texture similar to a soft candle wax, both moldable and breakable. Wax concentrates often contain up to 90% THC making them one of the most potent marijuana products you can smoke, vape, or dab.

How is wax processed before it is added to cartridges

Vaping is a precarious method of ingesting different products and the way the wax is prepared before it is used to fill a cartridge will depend on the model of vape device that you have. Some will offer the luxury of adding pure concentrates to a large chamber, but the majority will require some processing before it can be vaporized efficiently. This step is often done by adding a small amount of a solvent like alcohol to essentially water it down enough that it flows freely inside of the cartridge so that the coils can get hot enough to vaporize it. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that some of the valuable natural flavors and scents are destroyed. At this point in the process, there is often flavoring or other additions to enhance the user’s experience when vaping the contents of the cartridge. Some of those chemicals such as glycerine have shown to be carcinogenic when heated, so it is important to remember that no all wax cartridges are created equal and aim for a company that offers only the purest processing methods.

Benefits of using wax cartridges

Vaping itself offers the health benefit of avoiding much of the lung irritants that are involved in the process of smoking and is even better than dabbing is done correctly. Wax itself is antibacterial, neuroprotective, antifungal, anxiolytic, and contains anti-inflammatory properties, and is often usedas a medical treatment for pain, anxiety, depression, nausea, seizures, headaches, Alzheimer's, and more. Wax cartridges make ingesting wax as simple as possible with the least mess, and least risk to an individual’s health and lungs.

The downside of using wax cartridges

The most significant drawbacks of using wax cartridges and at least somewhat avoidable if you know what to look for in a product. The ultimate deal breaker for some is the loss of taste and smell, as the processing of marijuana is not effective at safely removing the terpenes from the plant resulting in a potent but uncomparable substitute for their regular herb. Any other negative aspects of Wax cartridges are up to the purchaser to be aware of. Choosing a cheap or highly processed wax cartridge that contains several additives is not going to give you the same benefits or enjoyable experience as using a pure wax will. Stick with companies that list all of their ingredients and make sure you understand what each one is. If you don’t know a listed ingredient, then chances are there are too many additives that could pose a possible risk to your health.

How to use a wax cartridge

Wax cartridges will work on any vaping device that is equipped to work with 510 threading on the battery.

Prefilled - If you have purchased a prefilled cartridge, then this task will be simple. Just screw the threaded end of the cartridge into the battery and then apply the mouthpiece. Once it’s completely installed, you can turn the pen on and begin vaping just as you normally would with any other juices.

Empty wax cartridge - If you have a used or new refillable wax cartridge then you will have a bit of work ahead of you. These steps will begin assuming you have a brand-new tank that you need to fill and install.

To start, you will need:

• 1 empty cartridge
• 1 10mm syringe
• 1 vaping device with 510 threading
• 1 marijuana concentrate
• 1 small glass mixing container
• vegetable glycerine
• 1 small metal spoon
• 1 saucepan
• water

Steps

1. Add the concentrate to the small glass mixing container and prepare a saucepan with an inch of water on a burner.
2. Set the stove top to medium heat and place the small bowl in the middle. Be sure the water level isn’t high enough to enter the bowl.
3. Prepare the syringe and cartridge as the concentrate liquifies over the heat.
4. Once the concentrate has been turned into a liquid, you can add 3-4 drops of the dilute which in this case is vegetable glycerine.
5. Use a small spoon or pin to combine the two liquids by stirring.
6. Use a syringe to suck up the mixture until the bowl is empty.
7. If you find there is too much air in the syringe, you can point the tip upwards and tap the top of it until the air bubble reaches the top. From there you can push it out with a small press on the center of it and continue until the juice is entirely contained within the syringe.
8. Remove the gasket from the wax cartridge and feed the tip of the syringe into the chamber.
9. Once you have fully inserted the syringe tip, you can slowly release the concentrate into the cartridge. Do not overfill it.
10. After you have filled the chamber, you can return the gasket to the top of the cartridge, and it’s now ready to install.
11. Install the wax cartridge by threading the bottom of the tank onto the battery and the top of it to the mouthpiece. Your filled wax cartridge is now ready to use and will function just as any e-juice normally would.