Often, when enthusiasts discover that their new marijuana vape pen or cartridge is in a crystallized form – whether it has just arrived from the mail or have been sitting around for a few days, the panic. “How am I supposed to vape this?”, a frequent message some certain customer support staff may have an abundance of experience with. Contrary to popular belief, when the distillate within a vape pen or cartridge crystallizes, it does not mean it’s broken, or spoiled or any of the common accusations.
In fact, the crystallization of THC and CBD concentrates actually represent the high purity and quality of the extract.
If you have been wondering why your vape pen is forming crystals and stabilizing, what it means, and what you can do about it to revert it to a consumable state, keep reading on.
Crystalized CBD and THC Distillate Indicates High Purity
Common sense has it that anything originally in liquid form is deemed defective if and when it crystallizes. However, in the case with cannabis oil, it is the opposite. Not only does crystallized marijuana oil indicate a higher purity in its extraction process, it is also the ideal quality of oil to be used for the best experience, so long as you have the minutes to spare to heat it back into liquid form.
Before we get into how you can turn your crystallized cartridge back into liquid form, let’s first discuss some common misconceptions. There are a few rumors floating around that vaping crystallized CBD is bad for your health. While this is in no way true (the same chemical makeup, just in a different form), pulling blanks from your vape pen may indeed harm health in ways of frustration and anger. Thankfully, we are here to disperse that rumor.
Why Do CBD and THC Oil Crystallize?
Unlike other fluids we commonly work with in everyday life, the purest quality CBD will start to stabilize when left alone. An analogy can be drawn between it and high-grade honey. If you have been fortunate enough to experience the delightful, natural taste of high-grade honey, you would understand how it crystallizes over time.
For CBD and THC oil to crystallize from the form of vape concentrate, two things need to be present. As mentioned, the first thing involves the concentration and purity of the extract, while the second is temperature. When the temperature is cold and the quality of the concentrate is high, the extract will then crystallize.
Expert marijuana extractors have agreed in unison that the highest grade of marijuana extract tend to have more crystals when packed into a vape cartridge and is a sign of high purity. The utmost highest purity of THC extract, known as “terp sauce” can be found in few high-end shops for $100/gram.
How to Fix a Crystallized Vape Cartridge?
THC and CBD, whether in crystallized form or free-flowing in the cartridge, will provide you the same properties either way. However, they’re obviously harder to work with when in crystallized form. To melt them back to the consumable form, try the following:
Put your vape pen or cartridge, if removable, in a Ziploc bag. Make sure to seal it tight. Run it under warm/hot water for 2-3 minutes.
Place the vape pen or cartridge in the over, preset for 200 Fahrenheit, for 3-5 minutes. Make sure the vape pen or cartridge is facing upwards to prevent any possible leakage. Monitor closely to ensure it doesn’t burn!
Remember, if you chose to use any of the above methods, let your pen rest for a while before picking it up to avoid burning yourself! If you’re experiencing crystallization in any of your vape pens and cartridges, do let us know about your experience. We’re always receptive!
