Vaping has been around for longer than you think, and its use case has morphed drastically from decreasing nicotine consumption to indulging in cannabis products. As the hysteria caused by the lack of facts and misinformation from the recent EVALI crisis subsides – vape cartridges are slated for increased demand as the cannabis industry continues to rev its powerful engine.

There’s no better time than now to incorporate industry-leading automated concentrate cartridge filling technology to reap the benefits of tomorrow. 

Before making your mark on the future of vaping, it’s important to learn about its past. So, here, we’ll catch you up on the history of cannabis vaping, including the answer to the question, when were weed carts invented? and when they were improved upon, too. 

Read along to learn more and understand how to scale up your vape cartridge production process to effectively reduce overhead and increase revenue while improving consumer safety and quality control.

The History Of Vape Pens and Who Invented Them

Joseph Robinson created the first electronic vapes in the 1930s, long before there were vape carts as we know them today. Although it’s unknown whether he created a prototype, he is credited as the first person to come up with the idea.

From that point onward, many iterations of vaping devices came and went. However, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that vaping became a commercial success, thanks to the invention of the vape cartridge. However, all of these products were geared towards nicotine consumption in the form of e-cigarettes, neglecting the burgeoning market for cannabis oil and THC oil [1]

As we fast-forward through time, vaping became a rapidly rising trend as of 2011, with over 7 million users. It’s since ballooned to over 41 million users as of 2018. [2]

It’s likely that the dramatic rise in use is the culmination of new and more reliable vape products and the convenience of the vape cartridge as a consumption device. Vape devices are unmatched in consumer preference when it comes to form-factor and ease of use.

Modern-Day Inventions of Cannabis Vaping Devices

Currently, oil cartridges can be filled with any type, whether it’s THC, CBD, or nicotine-based. These extracts should be produced according to regulations that demand safe production practices and ingredients. However, taking short cuts during the product formulation stage can have disastrous consequences, as the recent EVALI crisis demonstrated.

Aside from the vape oil itself, vaping hardware and filling techniques are the most widely scrutinized aspects of vape cartridges. The reason behind this is the prevalence of the black market, which continues to distribute faulty and ill-equipped vaping cartridges, or utilize filling processes that expose the oil to toxic materials. Poor handling techniques during the filling process can lead to product contamination, illness, and, in severe cases, injury and death.

The vaping scandal of 2019 was the result of the black market selling tainted THC cartridges, which are widely believed to be the compound vitamin E acetate, a significant health risk when inhaled. Vitamin E was used to ‘cut’ the THC distillate, reducing the potency and reducing production costs. [3]

Since the EVALI crisis, the FDA and federal regulators have tightened their grip on the vaping industry, which means everything if your business incorporates or produces vape products.

Vaporizers and the Cannabis Community: A Growing Demand Despite Hesitations

According to Grand View Research, a leading market analysis group, the vape industry will reach over $67 billion by 2027.

While the EVALI health crisis caused a public perception hit to the perceived safety of the vape cartridge, it is a good idea to remember why consumers chose them in the first place. Even though personal vaporizer devices for nicotine consumption list health and safety as their primary motivating factors in purchasing decisions, those consumers consuming cannabis and hemp-derived products overwhelmingly select them for convenience and form factor, not perceived health effects.

In fact, companies in the cannabis vape tech space, like KandyPens and Dr. Dabber, recorded between 350 and 500 percent growth in 2017. [6] Even more, former Apple product developers and Silicon Valley types are credited with launching some of the highest-tech and most successful vape devices on the cannabis market today. [7]

As consumer confidence rebounds and proper QA techniques are adopted, the potential is sky-high for your vape-based businesses.

What Is A 510 Thread Cartridge?

If you’re now wondering, when did cannabis carts become popular? It’s around the time 510 thread cartridges launched in legal markets. So, for the industry newbies, next let’s answer the question: What is a 510 thread cartridge exactly? 

A 510-threaded cartridge is a universal vapor product that’s filled with cannabis oil. When attached to a vape battery, and powered on or activated by draw, the oil is heated and inhaled by the consumer. 

In today’s world of weed, 510 thread cartridges are available in .5 gram and 1 gram and are viable vestibules for a wide variety of extract types from distillate, to live resin and rosin.

The Future of the Vape Market & What Does This Mean for Your Business?

With increased regulations and rapidly rising demand, your vape business is looking towards a crossroads. How will you incorporate heightened quality control checks while managing the pressure of increasing demand?

The answer lies in consolidation and scalability. However, the idea of revamping your entire production process may sound daunting and, quite frankly, difficult to incorporate.

However, consolidation and scalability are accomplished with the help of automation. Automation can take many forms, but typically, when we think of automation, we think of production and manufacturing devices such as the Vape Jet automatic distillate cartridge filling machine.

The process of filling and checking the quality of cartridges is incredibly time-consuming when done manually. However, automated systems, such as the Vape-Jet, incorporate a pharmaceutical-grade fluid handling system and advanced machine vision alignment capabilities.

With the use of an automated vape cartridge filler, multiple tasks are accomplished effectively and up to regulatory standards. By using a cartridge filler for CO2, rosin, or distillate, your business can quickly consolidate resources and scale according to the demands of the market.

No longer will your business suffer from the love-hate relationship of increased demand. Instead, an industrial vape pod filler  will streamline the production process while simultaneously ensuring quality control and the integrity of vapor products.

The Future of Cannabis: Reduce Your Cartridge Production Overhead Through Automation

If you have yet to incorporate automation into your vape business, you’re likely paying more than you have to. Without automation, your payroll is dedicated to individuals who are hard-capped as to the number of vape pods they can fill per day.

Automation opens the horizon to thousands of carts filled per day in comparison. This means that you’ll never miss out on a large order because you aren’t producing at scale. Instead, your clients will never lose confidence in your company’s ability to generate any amount of vape cartridges at any time, ensuring a consistent supply for consumers looking to vaporize.

The result of producing products at scale is that you’ll never miss a profitable opportunity. Furthermore, your overhead will plummet as you incorporate automation into your oil cartridge filling process.

Let’s take a look at how your business can reduce overhead while increasing revenue with Vape Jet.

• Reduce labor cost
• Increase production of vape cartridges
• Decrease the cost of each cartridge
• Reduce overall operational cost
• Decrease the number of wasted cartridges
• Find defective cartridges before the filling process

As you can see, the Vape Jet system single-handedly reduces the need for a large workforce while simultaneously increasing output. Overall, the Vape Jet system consolidates your entire vape cartridge filling workforce under a single automated machine. In other words, pure efficiency.

Further Reading

• [1] http://www.casaa.org/historical-timeline-of-electronic-cigarettes/
• [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44295336
• [3] https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/lung-injuries-associated-use-vaping-products
• [4] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/press-release/global-e-cigarette-vaping-market
• [5] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/e-cigarette-vaping-market
• [6] https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/20/vaporizer-industry-takes-a-page-from-apples-book.html?view=story&%24DEVICE%24=native-android-mobile
• [7] 
• http://www.businessinsider.com/silicon-valley-vape-marijuana-tobacco-tesla-firefly-2014-2

Beginning in June 2019, doctors in a small city of Wisconsin noticed a sudden rise in lung-related illnesses. Each of the cases was similar, yet they did not follow the same path of other documented lung illnesses, such as pneumonia. This was something new – and they were right.

After 54 deaths and over 2,400 people sent to the hospital, federal authorities and researchers honed in on the culprit – vitamin E acetate.(1) More importantly, it was found that this compound tested positive in illicit THC vape products that were purchased on the street or via online shops.

The vape industry for cannabis and tobacco products came to a screeching halt. What was once a multi-billion dollar sector was now poised for a complete collapse as legislators and lawmakers began pointing fingers as the vape scare raged on.

However, once the CDC pinpointed the cause of the outbreak and concluded that illicit manufacturers were to blame, the vape industry is experiencing a rise to its former heights – and beyond.

However, the latest vape scare came with a price. The industry must collectively change to ensure compliance with state and federal regulators. Aside from the vape product itself, vape hardware must change to keep consumers safe and to keep your business out of the iron-sights of regulators.

If you own a cannabis extraction facility or manage a vape production facility – read along.

Get Your Cartridges Tested

There’s no better time than now to get your cartridges tested to ensure that your vape company remains in compliance with regulations. Unless your business has the capacity to do quality control checks in-house, then you’ll need the help of a third-party to ensure your cartridges are free of contaminants and are faultless. 

Not only does it mean a better and safer experience for the end-user, but it also reduces the instance of returns/recalls. By reducing the rate of returns, your business will turn a quicker profit.
The balance of regulation, client satisfaction, and consumer safety is met by having your cartridges tested.

Enhance Quality Control Measures

Quality control is beyond necessary across every manufacturing channel. From the tiniest screw to an intricate piece of hardware – everything must undergo a safety test that meets specific standards.

The standards for the vape industry are continuously changing, however, regulators all agree that they want to ensure that vape manufacturers are producing clean cannabis extracts without additives into cartridges that work.

There have been many instances where vape cartridges break, leak, or overheat prematurely. The time is now to step up your cartridge safety before you’re forced to.

Upgrade Your Vape Cartridge Hardware

The vape scare left many consumers and regulators on the edge of their seats. Although the vast majority of vape products were legitimate and untainted by vitamin E acetate – the damage was done.

Upgrading your vape products with enhanced hardware is an incredible way to recapture the confidence that so many vape companies once enjoyed. As a business owner or manager of a cannabis extraction facility, you want to ensure your product is enjoyed safely and carried by legal marijuana dispensaries.

If consumers are weary of your product because they contain “old” parts, then you may see a drastic drop in sales. Any business-minded individual knows that change is necessary, and we’re currently in a transitional phase.

Switch to Tamper-Proof Mouthpieces

Aside from keeping your clients happy and the end-user absolutely safe – what about from a legal standpoint?

The revelation from the CDC spurred the FDA to come down hard on all vape companies – not just those related to cannabis.

One of the most notable changes from the FDA is that from this point on, all vape companies must comply with preventing access by minors. (2)

If you’re wondering how you can prevent minors from accessing vape cartridges filled with potent THC, it’s through the use of press-fit mouthpieces that are entirely tamper-proof. The overall vape industry is quickly moving away from twist-top mouthpieces and transitioning to the press-fit design because it prevents content exposure.

Once a manufacturer installs the press-fit mouthpiece, the end-user cannot remove it. This is seen as a child-safe and tamper-proof method that complies entirely with the wishes of the FDA.

Furthermore, this method stops end-users from removing the mouthpiece easily to add additional ingredients into the vape product. In other words, the press-fit design is a protective measure for end-users and for your business.

The last thing your cannabis extraction or vape company needs is a sudden report that your product made someone sick – although they added additional “flavorings” to the cannabis extract.

The Success of Your Business Relies on Compliance

Ultimately, the vape scare has changed the cannabis extraction and vape industry forever. Some may argue that it was better before; however, the end result is a focus on consumer safety.

Overall, upgrading your vape hardware should be seen in a positive light because it only adds to your company’s value. Legal cannabis dispensaries were also affected by the vape scare heavily. Therefore, it only makes sense that they will want to only carry safe, reliable, and high-quality vape cartridges that are made from compliant hardware.

With the help of a few uncomplicated hardware upgrades for your cannabis or vape business, you’ll find success quickly by staying ahead of the curve.

It was 2016 when I found myself walking through a cannabis extraction lab. It was my first experience behind the scenes of the nascent legal cannabis industry, and I vividly recall my intense fascination surrounding the inner workings of this new world.

The science and technical aspects of the production process captivated me. The extraction company finished giving me their grand tour, and I’ll admit, I was left in a daze after all that I had seen. Of course, this made them even more proud of what they had accomplished.

However, remembering the purpose for my visit, I rose to my position and asked

“Why are there so many people working on filling these cartridges?”

Aside from the myriad of otherworldly devices that move concentrated liquid from one container to another, I noticed the multitude of workers doing the same monotonous job. Countless individuals were filling cartridges with a cannabis concentrate. Peering at each of them, you could see many different attitudes – some of which were making jokes while others looked entirely frustrated.

It was at that moment that I realized there was a glaring problem with this cannabis extraction facility. It was my job to find inefficiencies – and find them I did. My mind began to race, and I saw clearly that the nascent legal cannabis industry was still experiencing crucial growing pains. How could a multi-billion dollar industry even allow a handful of employees to hand-fill cartridges?

Immediately, I resolved that, as an individual that strives to create efficiency, that automation was the key. Without it, cannabis extraction facilities like this would be left behind as others would implement it.

It was from that moment that automation in the cannabis industry became my primary focal point.

The main idea behind automation is to increase efficiency while reducing manual labor time. Although it sounds simple, many companies in the legal cannabis sector have yet to implement it.

Filling cartridges by hand is highly difficult and incredibly expensive. It costs roughly $31,200 for a yearly employee that makes $15 per hour. Once you add payroll taxes (6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare), the total jumps to $33,586.80.

However, compare that to an automated cartridge filler, such as the Vape-Jet, which can fill approximately 4000 carts per day. Compared to an individual using a hand-held filler can reasonably fill just 1000 per day.

Yearly, the Vape-Jet can produce approximately 1,040,000 cartridges. An employee filling cartridges by hand can only complete 260,000 per year. This equates to a per cart cost of $0.002 for the Vape-Jet, versus $0.13 for human labor. That is a $0.12 cost per cart! The number of carts to breakeven here is approximately 250,000, and the return on investment is reached within 65 days.

In the case of the Vape-Jet, scalability is possible as well. A single person could reasonably operate up to 5 Vape-Jet automatic cartridge filling machines at once. Whereas with human labor, the scale is linear. This creates another problem, as many of the current solutions require a single operator working a single machine.

In the case of the Vape-Jet, due to its machine vision technology, the company employing a Vape-Jet can take the foam trays that cartridges are shipped in, and then directly put them on the machine. Other devices use jigs that need to be loaded, requiring human labor to remove each cartridge and put them in the jig. These are then removed from the jig and put back into the foam trays for safe transportation.

As you can see, this method is far less streamlined when compared to the Vape-Jet.

The primary consideration is the cost when deciding on manual labor or automated cartridge fillers.

In some cases, such as small companies, hand-filling is still optimal. However, as a company begins to grow, it’s far better to implement efficient operations sooner rather than later. However, industrial-size cannabis extraction facilities will increase their efficiency exponentially by utilizing an automated cartridge filler, such as the Vape-Jet.

Other key considerations are:

• Quality Assurance and Quality Control: Our auto-cartridge filler can sense if the cartridge is defective.
• Decrease Injury: Repetitive stress from hand filling can occur and does not when utilizing an auto-cartridge filler.
• Reduce Damage to the Product: Hand-held cartridge fillers with high-heat can cause damage to the final product.
• Reduce Down Time: Automated cartridge fillers do not experience downtime due to sickness or holiday.

As the cannabis industry matures, so will the technology that provides the backbone of the production process.

Automation in cartridge filling is the first step towards more efficiency, cost-savings, and quality standards.  For more information on automation technology for cartridge filling and the future of automation innovations – drop us a line.

The design and operating conditions of Vape-Jet 3.0 enable the reliable manufacture of high-quality vaporization cartridges which maintain the intended cannabinoid and terpene profiles until the point of consumption. No other automated filling solution has the degrees of freedom necessary to control dispensing accuracy whilst simultaneously preserving product integrity and quality.

Overview: Fluid Dynamics and Thermal Degradation

The problem of fluid dynamics is the primary obstacle to reliably filling a vaporization cartridge. The dynamics of cannabis derived fluids varies greatly from highly viscous to free-flowing, with every possibility in between depending primarily upon the concentration of cannabinoids (THC, CBD) relative to terpenes (linalool, myrcene, etc.). Fluid viscosity generally decreases with increasing temperature, and increases with decreasing temperature; i.e. warm fluids flow more easily than cool fluids.

The problem of thermal degradation is often an afterthought in the task of filling vaporization cartridges. Both cannabinoids and terpenes are susceptible to thermal degradation, with terpenes being especially vulnerable to heat in the presence of oxygen. McGraw, Hemingway, et al reported in a 1999 study of terpene thermal degradation that 23-37% of α-pinene is destroyed at temperatures between 90-120C, other terpenes exhibited degradation of as little as 7% or as much as 100% under the same conditions. Coffman and Gentner reported that THC degradation of 8-14% occurs at temperatures above 85C, with similar figures for CBD degradation; the result is a dramatically increased proportion of CBN, the oxidized product. By comparison, THC degradation at 65C resulted in only 3.4% loss, or 159% less degradation than 85C, or 300% less degradation than 105C.

Profile Preservation

The desire for ever increasing throughput has resulted in the adoption of extreme operating conditions by competing vaporization cartridge filling solutions. Competitors routinely make claims of filling 100 cartridges in as little as 2-5 minutes, which is completely achievable with operating temperatures in the neighborhood of 90C-120C. However, as has been illustrated, these temperatures will invariably result in thermal degradation of both cannabinoids and terpenes, resulting in a not-true-to-strain effect for the end user of vaporization cartridges filled in this manner. Not only is the profile different from the originating whole flower, the batch-to-batch and inter-batch variability will also be higher since these extreme temperatures create time-dependent changes in the overall profile. For example, the cartridges filled at Time-0 at 90C will be substantially different than the cartridges filled at the end of that batch.

Vape-Jet is designed to maintain strain specific profiles of cannabinoids and terpenes, whilst striking a balance in throughput via increased automation and gentler operating conditions. Vape-Jet is able to operate at 50C-70C due to the utilization of pressurized Modified Atmosphere Processing (MAP) techniques. With the assistance of pressurized nitrogen, mixed cannabinoids and terpenes are able to be accurately dispensed into vaporization cartridges with significantly reduced thermal degradation and oxidation products. The pressurized product line results in a modified fluid dynamic system, enabling reduced heating to create flow from reservoir to cartridge.

Quality Control and Assurance

The reduced operating temperature of Vape-Jet has the added manufacturing benefit of decreased cartridge leakage, since the product cools immediately upon filling, the atomizer doesn’t become over-saturated before the cap can be installed. Together with pre-fill inspection, Vape-Jet provides unrivaled reduction in waste and batchwise variability. Cartridges filled with Vape-Jet are more true to strain for the end user than any cartridge filled by a competing device. The filling accuracy of Vape-Jet, both in terms of quantity and quality, is unrivaled and assures that the customer receives exactly what was purchased, no more or less.

References:

G.W. McGraw, R.W. Hemingway, et al. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Thermal Degradation of Terpenes: Camphene, Δ-Carene, Limonene, and α-Terpinene. Retrieved from: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/1366

C.B. Coffman, W.A. Gentner. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Cannabis Sativa L.: Effect of Drying Time and Temperature on Cannabinoid Profile of Stored Leaf Tissue. Retrieved from: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/bulletin/bulletin_1974-01-01_1_page006.html