A vape cartridge is an easy way to vape your favorite cannabis concentrates using a vaporizer or vaping device.
Being a key component of a vaping apparatus, or more specifically, a vape pen, vape cartridges come in all strengths and flavors to give you a unique experience every time.
Available in both reusable (refillable) and replaceable (one-time use only) forms, they can be easily attached to their matching vaporizers for a quick and instant weed session.
What makes these vapes rather famous in the pot-smoking community is not just the ease of use but also the quality of inhales that are rather smooth and less harsh than traditional “joints.”
Done by vaporizing the content; instead of burning it straight away (as is the case with smoking), vaped cannabis is believed to be relatively safer for your throat and lungs.
Moreover, they boast a plethora of mouth-friendly flavors and different degrees of strength that you can choose from depending on your taste and requirements.
Regardless of the wide range of flavors, vape cartridges only come in two standard sizes of 0.5 ml and 1 ml or half a gram and one gram respectively which represents the quantity of oil or concentrate they carry.
As such, choosing the right size isn’t rocket science at all.
Before we delve deeper into the number of hits you can expect from each size, let’s clarify any doubts you may have about a vape cartridge.
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ToggleWhat is a Vape Cartridge?
A vape cartridge or vape cart refers to that part of a vape pen that contains the cannabis oil, or the vape juice to be specific.
It could either be replaceable or refillable in the case of a reusable vape pen or disposable if you have a one-time use-only vaporizer.
In any case, vape cartridges being the main storage container of your precious oil tend to embed a heating element or coil and a mouthpiece for an untempered and seamless inhalation.
As such, it can also be called an atomizer.
No matter what you like to call it though, a vape cartridge usually works by attaching itself to the vape battery using a 510 thread mechanism.
In simple terms, it allows your portable vape pen to use its features such as temperature adjustment and puff intensity on a detachable vape cartridge.
As we mentioned above, vape cartridges only exist in two sizes- 0.5 ml or half-a-gram and 1 ml or one gram which you can choose from depending on the size of your vape pen.
Needless to say, a 1 ml cartridge will naturally have more content than a 0.5 ml cartridge and will give you more hits on any given day. Or will it?
Well, it’s not so simple!
You see, the true extent of a vape cartridge is not solely to do with its figurative quantity but also its qualitative quantity and the type of extracts or cannabinoids used in it.
Like most other marijuana products, vape oils come in a wide range of strengths and flavors to give you the preferred high or experience.
Ranging from isolates to broad and full-spectrum products, some of the common variations of vape oils include THC-dominant, CBD-rich, and delta-8 products.
Likewise, other minor factors can influence the number of hits you can take from a vape cartridge.
Without further ado, let’s get that through.
Factors That Affect the Number of Hits in a 1 Gram Vape Cartridge
Apart from the quality and the type of the extracts, the way you vape also plays a crucial role in affecting the anticipated number of hits.
This is where all the advanced settings of your fancy vape pen also come into the picture.
That said, some of the important factors include:
• Variable Voltage Settings
Since modern vape pens come with adjustable temperature/voltage settings, they allow you to decide how much you want to heat or vaporize the content in the first place.
Higher voltage means more temperature and a faster heating of the content which leads to stronger hits and a faster rate of consumption.
• Inhalation Style
Likewise, the intensity of the puffs or ‘pulls’ you take can also influence the number of hits.
That is, the longer you pull the inhale the more the content you end up utilizing. Whereas, shorter puffs naturally use less oil for vaporization.
• Frequency of Usage
Similarly, the number of times you use your vape cartridge also affects the number of hits it can produce.
The more often you vape, the faster you will empty your vape cartridge.
• Oil Consistency and Quality
Apart from your usage behaviors, the quality of the oil or vape juice can significantly influence the number of draws you get to take from a vape cartridge.
High-quality vape oils are generally more viscous and thicker due to rich THC concentration and thus require extra heating to produce the desired consistency of vapors.
Keeping these factors in mind, let’s now check the average number of hits in a standard vape cartridge.
Average Number of Hits in a 1 Gram Cartridge
Since there are only two specific sizes (0.5 gm and 1 gm) of vape cartridges that you can find, knowing the number of hits in a 1 gm or 1 ml of cartridge will be enough to give you a fair estimate of the other.
On average, a high-quality 1 gm vape cartridge bought from an authentic dealer like Royal Apothecary can provide you between 200-300 hits depending on the factors mentioned above.
For instance, someone who is a regular or heavy user might just get about 200 to 300 hits from a single unit. Whereas, an occasional or light user who seldom takes a longer hit can get about upwards of 250 to 500 short inhalations per 1000 mg vape cartridge.
As such, while the latter or a moderate user can make it last for multiple weeks or a month at the end, a frequent user might only sustain it for a few days or a week at max.
The same applies to a 0.5 mg vape cartridge which can give you about half the number of hits of a 1 gm cartridge depending on the factors mentioned above.
Ironically, the same factors that influence the number of hits in the first place can also be used to maximize them.
How to Maximize Hits from Your Cartridge
The first thing you ought to do is control or limit your weed consumption be it through vaping or any other method for that matter.
Too much cannabis is never a good idea if you want to live your life to the fullest. At the same time, consuming weed in limited dosages has shown to be quite beneficial for health in all its aspects including mental, physical, and emotional.
With that out of the picture, to maximize the number of hits from your favorite vape cartridge, here are the tips that you can use:
• Use lower voltage settings to minimize the utilization of the content as it vaporizes much slower compared to higher temperatures.
• Control your puff intensity by practicing shorter pulls instead of heavy and longer inhalations. Shorter puffs naturally end up saving more oil than longer puffs.
• Store your vape cartridges properly in ideal conditions such as a cold and dark place away from any fluctuations in the weather/temperature to avoid evaporation.
• Use the right set of batteries as they largely vary in settings. Avoid using batteries that are meant for a higher level of heating unless you use highly potent and viscous oils for your vaping sessions.
When Should You Replace Your Cartridge?
Replacing your vape cartridge is something you will need to do from time to time.
For starters, when your existing vape cartridge runs out of juice or oil.
Apart from that, you might also have to replace the cartridge if it is damaged, clogged, or leaking regardless of what caused it.
Here are certain signs that can help you figure out when it’s time to replace the cartridge:
- Low or empty cartridge.
- Burnt or bitter-tasting vapors.
- Clogging and an intermittent airflow.
- Inefficient performance by the cartridge even when the battery is functioning properly.
- Oil oxidization or color change can signify a lack of desired taste and quality.
So if you come across any of these issues, chances are it is time to replace the cartridge.
Conclusion
As a popular method of consuming weed, a vape cartridge is an easy-to-use and essential accessory for a vape pen.
Making it further convenient for users and sellers alike, there are only two options that you can find- 0.5 ml or half a gram and 1 ml or one gram.
A 1 ml or 1 gram of cartridge can give you as much as 500 or more puffs given you use it responsibly with lighter and shorter drags. Whereas, a 0.5 gram of cartridge will give you about half.
In either case, when using a vape cartridge of your choice, it is important to be mindful of the settings of your vape pen, including the voltage/temperature, your frequency and style of use, and the way you store your vape cartridge in the end.