Unfortunately, the THC cartridge market’s rise also brings the surge of black market products, and we made a fake cart list of the most heavily sold counterfeits and fake THC cartridge brands. These products particularly appeal to young individuals looking for ways to go around local laws for a lower price. However, these “good deals” come with high risks, including pesticides, chemicals, and other fillers that can cause detrimental respiratory issues. Consumers who have used these black market products report lung pain and uncontrollable coughing, and in some extreme cases, even report hospitalization.
As a cannabis consumer in 2021, you have to know how to identify these fake products and avoid the harmful effects that can they may cause. That’s exactly why we wrote this article.
Cannabis Communities Build to Combat Against Fake THC Carts
One of the widely used resources to combat fake THC carts’ circulation are community threads on various online platforms. Reddit subs such as r/cleancarts and r/fakecartridges are communities made up of individuals who share cart brands that they found to be “legit” or “clean” and call out brands that they have found to be contaminated or “dirty” and “fake.”
The communities are made up of members who often provide their input about brands, making carts at home, and warning signs of fake THC carts. R/cleancarts, with 18.7k members, frequently promotes brands that they have found to be clean and offers locations where you can buy the products legally. They have compiled an in-depth list of every fake cart ever reported on their subreddit here.
R/fakecartridges is a community with 41.3k members. They post a wide variety of questions, real or fake checks, and memes. Both communities have rules and standards to keep their operations efficient and away from individuals who may seek to promote fake products.
These communities frequently come together to keep one another safe from the dangerous chemicals and bacteria that can lead to health problems.
Fake Carts List of Popular Brands and Counterfeits
These fake products appeal to consumers for their suspiciously low prices. However, these black market products skip lab tests and regularly monitor the ingredients in their products. In a legitimate THC cartridge, the product is monitored from its growth, harvest, and then throughout the entire extraction process until it is packaged securely in a cartridge. Throughout this process, the product is also tested to ensure that there are no harmful chemicals or pesticides that can cause health issues, an issue that has been seen around the world as users of fake products report mysterious lung illnesses.
All 50 states across the United States have reported lung illnesses attributed to illegitimate vape products. By not going through a company that regularly tests and complies with government regulations, consumers lack the knowledge of all the ingredients in the products they are using. However, there are ways to become familiar with brands selling fake products and identify warning signs that products are not legitimate.
The following list begins with the top 10 fake cannabis oil cart brands and then moves on to the top 10 most counterfeited THC cartridge brands. These fake products can be detrimental to a person’s health if used, so it is important to check for serial numbers to determine whether the product comes from the company they claim to be produced from.
20. MuhaMeds
The hashtag #muhameds is often looped into black market accounts that attempt to sell fake copies of the product. The company appears to be legitimate as they offer a method of countering this through a verification process on their website. Still, they have no licenses available or a physical address.
Therefore, this is just another unlicensed operation, perhaps their cannabis oil is clean, but it can’t be for certain. Customers can find a unique serial number on the product box and input it through the company website, which will then take them to a page that claims to verify the extensive lab results that their products go through. Yet, the company does not have their lab tests available for customers who wish to verify the product’s legitimacy before purchase, which is another reason to avoid.
Glo Extracts
Glo Extracts, known for their bright yellow logo, also frequents the black market. Customers can buy empty Glo Extracts cartridges filled with any substance they want and sell them as legit THC cartridges on several wholesale sites.
The verification codes on their products even pass the verification process on their website. They also have a page on lab results. Still, many customers will notice wide data gaps between the distribution of their products period (ex. A nearly 5-month gap between products produced from September 2020 and February 2021). The lab tests are also not compliance testing results. The website lacks proof of a distribution license. We respect the hustle and efforts of the lab test results, but we encourage doing things the right way, so consumers are protected. But it’s great to see they are consistent with their lab test results that can be verified.
Although this brand is on our fake carts list, we’ve seen other street brands eventually get their licenses and will update if they ever do.
KRT Yang
This company lacks the same general guidelines that an individual would look for in a verified THC cartridge company, such as no verification, no license, and no website to purchase products.
Though the company has several Instagram accounts claiming to be the brand’s main source of communication with customers, many will find that they are redirected to Snapchat accounts, Twitter DMs, and even WhatsApp to make a purchase.
Given the lack of a website and platform, there is no way to verify that the products go through lab testing, though it would be safe to assume that they skip over that process.
Lion’s Breath
This company fits the same description as many of the others previously mentioned. However, their website has gone through an extensive rebranding process to convince customers that they have become a legit company. Yet, their lab results remain inconclusive and do not prove that they have been thoroughly tested. Customers have even taken to community forums such as r/fakecartridges and reported lung pain after using the company’s new carts.
Springfield Farms
With their use of The Simpson’s characters in their packaging, Springfield Farms has attempted to appeal to a wide audience using social media to promote their products. Mainly operating through an Instagram account that touts “NO SALES,” they also failed to supply a website to see any lab results or verification process, leaving suspicion as to how they gained over 9,000 followers without being able to provide a means to sell their product.
There are many reports of this Simpson cart on Reddit about it being fake, and there is no distribution license available for them.
CaliCarts
CaliCarts appears to be a legitimate brand, with its fancy packaging and carts that include their unique logo. However, after a quick search, it is not difficult to find empty cartridges, boxes with pre-noted serial numbers and percentages from “labs,” and bags that can be resealed that include this brand’s logo.
The company lacks a website and customer service, preventing individuals from verifying that their product’s serial number is legitimate. We do not recommend these Cali Carts because there is no lab test results or distribution license.
Cartnite
An obvious play on the popular video game Fortnite, Cartnite carts come in a myriad of flavors that can be filled with anything since they, like many other fake products, have empty cartridges sold online, ready to be filled with any unregulated product.
Aside from the clear trademark violations that come with using a popular video game’s logo, the company also lacks a site, lab testing verification, and their online presence mainly consists of individuals who have turned the company into a meme or warn of their fake THC carts causing health problems.
As we all know, there is just no way this video game company would legally allow
Off White Carts
The distillate oil looks great, but there is no proof available that off-white THC carts are clean.
With their sleek packaging, Off White Carts gives off the impression that they are a serious company that takes pride in its products. Yet, a quick search will indicate that the company’s website leaves something to be desired. There is no accessible collection of lab reports, and the company also appears to sell competitor brands. According to wholesale sites, their products are also available as empty cartridges that are “easy to refill.”
These factors are reason enough to be suspicious of the legitimacy of these products.
Choices
One huge red flag these are fakes is the white runtz strain label. I highly doubt this unknown strain has these difficult to find cannabis genetics.
Choices has already found itself on the r/cleancarts fakes list, and Choices has taken steps to rebrand themselves as a real company by publishing a lab report. However, the report falls short of a Certificate of Analysis and not a Compliance Certificate that would help legitimize their products and verify that they are safe to use.
Users have also reported having odd side effects after use, indicating other unreported elements in the cartridges.
Legion of Bloom
The California-based company touts an impressive process for their products, including easily accessible lab results from a third party that verifies the legitimate products. However, they have also come under counterfeits as wholesale retailers have begun to sell copies of empty carts with their logo in large quantities.
The brand boasts many awards but has yet to acknowledge the presence of sellers claiming to be their brand on the black market or provide a type of verification process.
TKO Extracts
Another California-based company, TKO Extracts, has taken steps to prevent the circulation of their products and fake TKO products from entering the black market by ceasing production of stand-alone cartridge products altogether.
TKO Extracts currently only sells edibles and disposable cartridge products, meaning that if there is a stand-alone cartridge on the market, it does not come from the original company.
Big Chief Extracts
The company has a long history of being associated with fake products. Big Chief Extracts has continuously struggled between being dubbed a legitimate and illegitimate company due to some wholesale companies selling empty cartridges with the company’s logo.
However, in late 2020, the company appeared to have gained a license to distribute their products, meaning that they are regulated, but many fake products remain in circulation.
Rove
After knock-offs of their product ended up on the black market, Rove took their verification process to the next level.
The company developed an app linked to a unique QR code on every single one of their products. The app rewards users for buying legitimate products to link back to their company and lets users know if another user has scanned the QR code previously, indicating that they have received a fake product.
Moxie
Moxie has been around since 2015, making them one of the most well-established cannabis companies on the market today. Unfortunately, with that history comes to the inevitable black market products.
Moxie has seen some counterfeit empty cartridges come up online. However, the company keeps its legitimate products incredibly accessible to customers, keeping the need for black market fakes low as consumers can navigate their online platform.
West Coast Cartridges
Though the company name may have customers thinking otherwise, if a West Coast Cartridge product is a THC cartridge, unfortunately, it is a fake.
The company currently only sells pods, buds, concentrates, and pre-rolls. Any cartridge with the West Coast Cartridge logo on it is an instant indicator that it is a fake product and is not regulated.
5. Pure
A company that has been featured on both CNN and CBS is not immune to the THC cartridge black market’s reach. Empty pure cartridges have made their way to distribution sites that look identical to the company’s packaging.
However, on their website, they offer several legitimate distributors that sell their products and easily provide their lab results to ensure that customers who buy their products can validate that they are getting what they pay for.
Runtz
The company, which gained popularity after being acquired by Cookies, has also fallen victim to the black market counterfeits.
Runtz can have a wider variety of resources at their disposal since being acquired by Cookies, including being able to effectively test their products to ensure no excess of pesticides and chemicals in their cartridges.
The only real Runtz vape cartridges are sold in Cookies dispensaries in California. The real Runtz carts are plain purple with a white Runtz logo on them. The Runtz packaging sold is just knock-offs and the reason why we added them to our fake carts list.
2. 710 King Pen
To combat the growing number of products attempting to impersonate their company, King Pen went through a fairly extensive rebranding.
The black market versions of their products had various placements of their logo on the cartridges. The company countered by changing the logo on their cartridges entirely, making fake products easy to identify until fake companies figured out how to recreate the new logo and its placement.
They have been having major success and can be found in many dispensaries in California.
1. Raw Garden
The final unfortunate victim of fraudulent black market products is Raw Garden. The company has put their products through rigorous third-party lab testing for years and has a loyal following that seems to sing praises for their products regularly.
Unfortunately, this made them a target for black market sellers. Empty cartridges with the company’s logo started to appear on wholesale sites, and months later, individuals who had bought these fake products were taking to platforms to question the legitimacy of their purchase. However, Raw Garden has several reliable retailers available on their site to make the buying process easier.
Many of these companies who built their brand’s reputation over the years have been harmed by these black market fake products and have had to make numerous, expensive attempts to win back their customer’s trust.
Changing products, or in some cases taking products out of circulation altogether, is ultimately harmful. This is no fault of their own and ultimately hurts them and their employees. They focus resources on rebuilding their brand’s perception instead of delivering new, safe products for their future and existing following. Fake carts list such as ours and others will help combat the counterfeits and put a dent into their sales, hopefully enough to discourage these illegal sellers.
Stay Away From Fake THC Cartridges
Vice did a great documentary on the dangers of vaping fake THC carts and how some can be potentially deadly with high levels of pesticides and other impurities. They also include many vape cartridges that are on our fake carts list.
While there are numerous fake products available for purchase, they are not worth the risk of potentially fatal damage to an individual’s respiratory system. Users have reported lung pain, shortness of breath, and bouts of coughing when combined with products such as Vitamin E acetate, a product that is harmless when applied to the skin but can be dangerous when inhaled and is commonly found in black market products due to its ability to replicate the viscosity of THC oil.
THC products not only lose their potency but can pose a serious health risk. Thus, companies and community members have come together to combat this growing industry and keep customers safe.
When purchasing a product, most customers are best off with a licensed distributor who has vetted the products they put on their website’s shelves. Many distributors strongly oppose selling products that they have not been able to verify as legitimate and safe for consumption to avoid continuously helping to keep these products in circulation. As long as these products remain on the market, they continue to harm honest companies and consumers who are hoping to get quality products and instead put them at risk for the sake of profit.
If anyone on this fake carts list feels like they do not belong here, please send us an email explaining why. We are always welcome to share comments in our content from any brands that we mention.
