Filling vaping cartridges with distillate is a popular way to consume cannabis. It's easy, discreet, and allows for precise dosing. But how long should you let the cartridge sit after filling it? The answer is simple: allow the cartridge to lie upside down for at least 30 minutes or longer after filling it. Some of our partners have told us that they will leave their carts upside down for up to six hours.
This process ensures that all excess air trapped inside the chamber can escape safely. Once the distillate has reached the desired heat, you can add the terpenes. The amount to be added usually ranges from 5% to 15% of the amount of distillate used, so a little goes a long way. Terpenes will also affect the viscosity of the oil.
The more terpenes, the finer the oil will come out. Stir the mixture for an even distribution. Many patients prefer to vape their distillate by filling empty vaping cartridges for use with standard 510 or other batteries. Like the full cartridges sold at dispensaries, this option allows for easy and discreet use while traveling. It's also much easier to take lower, consistent doses compared to rubbing, making it a better starting point for patients who have less experience with medical cannabis concentrates.
Many patients find that certain vaping oils irritate the lungs, throat, nose, eyes, etc. This is usually related to the quality of the ingredients in the distilled oil. When the distillate is made, natural terpenes are destroyed. Since they are important for the medicinal effect, they should be added again after the fact. The origin of these terpenes varies: some come from cannabis and others do not. Stick with products labeled CO2 or oil distilled with terpenes derived from cannabis.
Luckily for all of us, filling vaping cartridges is often done by hand or with small machines that almost anyone can use. Whether you just want to fill your own personal cartridges or want to mass-produce many cartridges for distribution, we'll show you the general principles of how it all works. Most cartridge filling machines act as a heat source and as an injection syringe, and can make the filling process much faster. The syringe will serve to inject the distillate into the cartridge reservoir, and the heat source makes the distillate more fluid to make it easier to inject. If you make several cartridges of different strains, use permanent markers or small rubber bands to label them or color code them to know what is what. If you have a supply of distillate, you're going to use cleaning equipment to consume it or a vaping cartridge.
I like the Amigo Liberty V9 cartridges because they are easier to fill, but the CCELL cartridges are also sufficient. If you use a cartridge filling machine, you can pour oil into the device and adjust the injection settings to the specific quantity you want for each cartridge. A variety of cartridge styles are available, but to vape cannabis, you need to design them to withstand the viscosity of thick distilled oil. We generally do not recommend reusing cartridges, as they are meant to be used only once and this can result in hazardous and wasteful oil. To fill a vaping cartridge with distillate, you'll practically only need the oil itself, the cartridge, a syringe and a heat source. While filling, you may need to pause and gently tap the bottom of the cartridge against a table or apply heat with a hair dryer to let the oil slide down. If you have a cartridge filling machine, you should have the option of adjusting the temperature of the oil it contains. Once the cartridge is full, you can cover it with the same plastic caps that came with it or seal it with a mouthpiece.
