Questions continue to pop up every day about the THC vape cartridge brand Big Chief Extracts. We’ve researched this fast-moving brand for months now, and as of now, Big Cheif is a registered brand.

UPDATE disclaimer: Big Chief seems to be a pretty controversial brand out there. We here at DabConnection would like to clarify that this post is not an endorsement of the company’s legitimacy, quality, or business practices. Our sole mission is to help cannabis consumers find out the truth. We stand by our objective and fair research, which is made to the best of our ability.

SUPER DOOPER Update: We added on a whole other Big Chief Extracts post, where we try some more to verify this company. Turns out we’re even more disgusted with Big Chief there than we are here. With the uproar, we raised out there. Maybe that was telling us that Big Chief is too janky a brand even if we do dig up a license.

UPDATE 8/21/2020: Big Cheif’s license is reinstated. Big Chief is officially back on the straight ‘n’ narrow, though the legion of counterfeits out there remains.

Cali_blue_Sky_rides_again

Get ready for a long, complicated story…

Fact #1: There are black market fake Big Chief carts available

Recently in our forums, your Present Author reported finding a whole batch of empty vape cart distributors online. Previously only sites like DHGate and Alibaba were the known prime conduits for counterfeit cart packaging. But the rising proliferation of the vape cart black market has spawned a half dozen imitators.

One of those retailers is where we find this:

Big Chief empties for sale

So there, incontrovertible proof that $2.55 will buy you at least 200 empty Big Chief Extracts cart packaging. We also did find a Big Chief packaging offering on DHGate after all:

Big Chief empties for sale

So we have to conclude that regardless of the company’s legitimacy. There’s a chance that Big Chiefs bought off your local street plug are fake.

Note that the listing on Vapes-Wholesale there says “lab testing” – isn’t that a funny thing to put on an EMPTY cart? Let us explore that aspect:

Fact #2: QR Codes on Big Chief packaging is sometimes invalid

Just recently, a Redditor apprehended a Big Chief box. The photo is helpfully a clear shot of a QR code.

fake Big Chief package with fake QR code

That QR code goes to this link. It’s the 404 page for Confident Cannabis, saying the requested sample is not found. Confident Cannabis, as far as we’ve been able to figure out, is a software / B2B service for cannabis laboratories, but they will also host lab results. If these boxes are being sold on the black market with a QR code printed on the package like this, then they’d naturally all go to this 404 page.

This ties in with a disclaimer made by Confident Cannabis specifically about Big Chief, calling them out for misrepresenting lab results. This was posted by a moderator at Reddit’s clean carts forum. Now it’s impossible at this point to pin down whether it was a black market package or a package produced by the “company” (we’ll get to that part) itself. But the one fact we can nail down is that there are QR codes on some Big Chief boxes which go to bogus lab results.

We just got done raving about these bad-faith lab test result practices back here. Indeed, that other brand also tosses around the name of “Confident Cannabis” on some misrepresented lab results.

Fact #3: We’ve found Big Chief being sold directly by vendors online, probably which are fakes

A sure sign of at least a counterfeited brand, if not a black market brand, is vendors openly advertising to sell the product directly online.

Twitter black market vendor

There was also a Twitter user who reported back five months ago doing likewise, but that account has since been vacated.

And we find this report of somebody buying a Big Chief cart through Twitter and ending up on a ventilator.

Speaking of social media, we have found no less than four Instagram accounts claiming to be Big Chief Extracts: Bigchiefextracts2, bigchiefextracts (set to private), bigchief_extracts_mx, and bigchiefsextractsofficial (likewise private).

Big Chief’s info has not always been there

At least two of those Instagrams link to an official website. To be sure, a product verification method is posted right on the front page. So, is this an actual, legit company, at least? Well, that part seems to be complicated. According to whois, the site has been registered since February of 2019. And yet this is their “about us” page:

OK, a whole year is too long to not finish building your site! Especially when there’s a runaway counterfeit of your product out there.

Incidentally, the Big Chief website does point to one of the four Instagrams. It’s one of the ones set to PRIVATE!

Once upon a time when a Big Chief lab test page was visible. It showed the testing party as a company called “Cali Blue Sky Investments, LLC.” License # C12-0000254-LIC checks out at the California BCC currently – but it was suspended before and has now been reinstated. However, we can’t find any official website for Cali Blue Sky itself. We do find records of this company popping up on sites that track this sort of thing, and they’re only listed as a “domestic stock” company.

It’s funny that a domestic stock company would bother registering for a cannabis license in the first place. The California C12 license, as we show in our helpful guide, is for “Microbusiness”: A small cultivator (less than 10K sq. ft.) acting as a seed-to-sale distributor. It’s the only California BCC license where you can produce and sell your own extract without a separate CDPH license.

So this alleges, so far, that there exists somewhere in the world, a cultivation facility that is growing cannabis, extracting oil, filling carts, and distributing them under the brand name of “Big Chief Extracts.” Wherever this place is, it is probably not at the address under the corporation listing. 1055 WILSHIRE BLVD, STE 1945, LOS ANGELES, CA, 90017. That’s an office building. Meanwhile, the BCC’s license sticks the company out in San Bernardino.

We got Cali Blue Sky Investments LLC on the phone

We did reach out to the phone number listed at that BCC record. The voice that answered affirmed that they speak for Cali Blue Sky Investments, LLC, and they are the makers of Big Chief Extracts. And we asked if they were aware of the counterfeits of this product flying around and the person responded they were well aware and were taking steps to mitigate that.

Here is the point we take exception with: We’re a professional website invested in bringing cannabis product reviews and information to the public. And yet we had to do ALL THIS detective work just to tease out the fact that there is, indeed, some form of life behind the name “Big Chief.” What chance does the average consumer on the street have?

About page

All it would take is five minutes just to fill in that “about” page. “We’re a subsidiary of Blue Sky, license number so-and-so.” Hundreds of other cartridge brands manage to do that. Why not make your Instagram page public, what are you hiding??? When you run a tightly closed operation with so little information getting out to the public, that’s how counterfeit brands pop up.

As it stands, the actual company is so obscure and the counterfeits so widespread that it’s listed on many “fake brands” lists. Right when we point to somebody about the Blue Sky license, it gets suspended. When it gets reinstated, nobody believes us.

Big Chief Extracts’ web page offers just one other pertinent bit of information: a distributor’s page. We did contact these two distributors and verify that yes, they do retail Big Chief, despite neither of them listing the brand on their own websites.

UPDATE 5/9/2020: Possible raid?

This is based on nothing but Internet rumors so far. But apparently, somebody out there thinks Big Chief carts got raided. All we’re seeing is a bunch of Snapchat screenshots about this, with no credible sources. This screenshot, and this Reddit thread, seem to say so, while this screenshot is claimed to be the owner of Big Chief refuting the rumor and calling it fake news.

We have no idea what’s going on. Until we find something substantial from an actual credible source we can’t say anything for sure. We’re just saving this story here for later in case it proves out.

Do we have to put out a bounty on a real Big Chief Extracts cart now?

If anybody out there is near downtown LA or Vista, California, and is a patron of either dispensary, could you be so kind as to flip us a phone photo of one of these actual carts? We’re kind of anxious to see one to prove to ourselves we aren’t crazy. Tell us more about Big Chief here or in our forums.

 

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45 COMMENTS

  7. I looked up the big chief site and I clicked the link at the very top of the list and they require a minimum of 200$ for “discreet shipping”, I wish I was more intelligent with technology but also I had to pay them on cash app and then a couple days later I got a email saying that they got caught at the final part of the shipping process, long story short that’s 200$ that I was robbed for of my hard earned money, screw those people and I hope nothing but the worst for them

  8. So I have had real and fake. Even the fake ones, have a QR or scratch off code. The code takes you to a site that says it’s legit and it’s NOT. The real big chief carts make you download the app GENUINITI where you scan the chiefs head on the box, then it verifies you. Any other one is fake.

  9. I buy mine from the street in Texas and they are always legit. QR code’s always work, scratch codes work. Takes me to the website every time I get one.

  10. I’m in New York and I work with Confident Cannabis. I have recently acquired 12 carts from different people in the area, and after testing them, all but 2 were authentic. They were all Big Chief carts. The other 2 were delta 8 thc, and a bunch of unknown solvents. Threw those away, kept the rest. So there are authentic ones out there. However, if I put 1 piece of poison that looks like Candy, in a bowl with real candy, would you trust eating a handful? Same with the carts. You can’t tell the real from the fake, I’m lucky working for a lab, so how do you know which ones will kill you? You don’t. But your carts from a licensed retailer, or message me so I can at least test them out help you find the resources to get them tested.

  12. I live in California and I get my big chiefs from the dispensary and I can forsure tell you that they are legit. I recently got a GSC cart from them and the oil is very clean, also the cart is made with quality too. The box has a QR code for the lab test and to go to their official website which is bigchiefextracts.com, NOT officialbigchiefextracts.com. I entered the code on the box in to the real website and it told me it was authentic and to “stay big chief’n”. All I can say is if you live in an illegal state DONT BUY CARTS AT ALL, especially from a dealer in a illegal state.

  14. Scratch code is on the side of the box. Under plastic rap the QR code is a sticker and it did take me to the website. The cart is in the foam but also in an additional plastic container. If this is bootleg, the packaging is impressive.

  15. I definitely bought fakes. What is in them do y’all think? Should I throw them out completely??? They were so expensive off my dude

  16. Whoever runs Big Chief extracts is an intelligent person. They’re running a United States wide, maybe world wide organization for all we know… and shipping these out as fast as I they can produce them. Shipping them out to wholesalers. Moneys flowing into them without any tax whatsoever… replace Johnny Depp in blow with a guy who we have no clue who he really is, for right now. You’ll see him later for sure. He will come around. Do the research and then the math on what this mans seeing flowing through his bank account. Once you understand that you’re gonna go “yea I see why he doesn’t give much info and stays pretty quiet. Probably to busy blowing down and living it up with that fat cash he’s raking in. 🤷🏼‍♂️😭

    • Maybe but Moxie sold for $500M and they can actually do something with the money to make it big. IF you are black market cleaning the money becomes harder and harder as everything goes digital. The guy from blow eventually went to prison. I don’t wish that on any of the big chief folks, but if they were legit they would have more usable money and in the end probably much more cash in hand.

    • And yet their brand has been so diluted with the rampant counterfeits out there that they’ve had irreparable damage to their reputation. Big Chief is *NOT* worldwide; they’re California only. Only the counterfeits are worldwide. Hundreds of cannabis companies manage to be far more successful going through standard business channels.

      We’re not out to make statements on anybody’s intelligence. People ask “is this cart boof?” We try to answer that question to the best of our objective research.

  18. Get the best big chief products at the highest reputable dispensary in denver Colorado, with lab tested results and high thc level I thought the got fake carts but they are real megacanabisdispensary.com

  19. 1. Make sure the cart is wrapped around heat plastic.
    2. Make sure the QR CODE is a sticker. It’s on the box. And under the heat plastic.
    3. Make sure when you scan the QR Code, if takes you the website to the strain you bought. (For example, I have a blackwater OG cart and if I scan the QR code, it should match the strain and show me its lab results.
    4. Make sure you scratch code inside the box and verify it online.
    And that’s all.
    The codes on the box that you have to scratch are sometimes dumb.
    Because the z’s look like 2’s sometimes.

  21. They are on the black market and get more $ no taxes instead of taxes. Probably why they are standoffishp. Im in NC 7 25 2020

  22. I’ve gotten a lot of big chief carts which obviously if you want to verify it can use the scratch off codes which there are even the fake scratch off stickers but once you put the code on the website it tells you if it was distributed through them but i feel like maybe the faulty carts themselves without the wax may be sold to other distributors to sell that’s why most of the fake big chiefs are more prone to being broken or just falling apart. But even then besides looking closely at the carts and comparing the way the codes are printed on the real and fake items you can even sometimes taste a difference in the wax that comes with the unverified carts. Lots of the bigger brand carts that are supposed to be consistent usually have a consistent taste with the strains and just in the wax in general but when you have counterfeits the taste of the wax and even the smell doesn’t have the usual consistent flavor or smell of the “real” ones. But idk I could be wrong on some of that it’s just from personal observation.

  26. “incontrovertible proof that $2.55 will buy you at least 200 empty Big Chief Extracts cart packaging“

    Incorrect.
    Pricing, if you buy 200 – 499, is $2.55 PER CARTRIDGE = $510 for 200.

    Now, the rest I cannot comment on, other than to say….crap! That sucks! Thought I’d found a good one. 😢

  27. Big Cheif Is a Real Company. The owner has gone fully California Compliant. There are Fakes yes, but there very definitive ways to tell the real apart from fake. A real Big Cheif has 4 verification steps:
    1. Make sure the box is wrapped in heat-sealed plastic.
    2. There is a QR code sticker on the back that will work.
    3. There is a scratch-off sticker under the cart once you open it, scratch it Off and go to http://www.bigchiefextracts.com put the code from the sticker into the verification center and it will tell you if it is real.
    4. The newest addition is a silver seal stamp on the side of the box.
    If it doesn’t have all of these verification steps it is not real…

    • Thanks for commenting!

      Our writer reached out to them and they did not respond. They may do most of the compliance and be a good product, but they do not have a valid BCC number that we could find which means they are not really a registered, legit company, yet.

      You can search here: https://online.bcc.ca.gov/bcc/customization/bcc/cap/licenseSearch.aspx

      There’s nothing with their name of variations of it. Still at least they are trying to make good product and they get credit for that.

    • Hey i think i came across a legit big chief cart. I am located in texas. From what i seen the cart was legit and full and high was also nice. The flavor i had was Blackwater og i just finish it today really. Good weed too besides the scams and counterfeit. The real cartridge is top tier. To be more safe cartridge box just be wrapped in plastic paper and be filled. Make dure the chief logo is reflective gold with some red in feather. But the gold should always have a reflection

  28. There’s definitely something that the guy from big Chief is hiding at the location on Wilshire. First of all the guys reaction to questions about the legitimacy of his products enrages him and instead of explaining, he quickly doesn’t want to do business anymore with people who ask about pricing and sales orders being fulfilled and when they can expect them. He’s more concerned about telling someone that he’s got only the real stuff and isn’t the least bit concerned that other people sell his brand and claim to be him. Yet he gives sales reps a demo package that upon sale he doesn’t produce what is being promised which leaves customers being misled and makes the sales reps look bad and like they’re representing bad products and bad business. Then to top it all off he’s supposedly running a complete operation yet can’t even produce or fulfill one complete order and wastes people’s time with his delays and excuses. They claim to have other locations yet have no products to stock in Wilshire location. Not only that but the attitude and lack of professionalism make me only want to give bad reviews and hopefully the guy running it will get the name his reputation earns. gets even worse name as he deserves and he thinks he’s a big shot. My guess is that he’s selling both black market and the real thing. His huge 10k sq ft building is under construction so maybe that could be why things are slow but if he has 2 other locations I find it hard to believe he can’t keep orders filled or provide a delivery date. Furthermore who sells packaging of their own brand or gives empty demo kit and claims to be the next #1 brand of a product of which they have nothing in stock and have been around all this time. I also remember the website having additional info that is now private. However the staff all seem to speak highly of the brand but then again so would I if I were getting paid. Oh yeah and this guy said he doesn’t sell at wholesale prices and my opinion is that his black market brand does that’s why I bet you he’s only got a limited stock on hand of the legit stuff and my guess would be for his demo kits. Not only that but I’ve seen various forms of advertising from this brand all of which have came directly from them so that’s a red flag . Wouldn’t surprise me the least to hear that the other locations have the black label brand of which they are receiving profit from online sales otherwise I dont know how they cannot fulfill orders of the legit label but have 2 10k sq ft buildings of which have overhead and have to have been selling with legit or not legit and I strongly believe that they set things up on purpose to be misleading to hide things for fear that they will get caught selling a knock off brand.I also feel they would have the real deal readily available or atleast enough stock to fulfill orders especially after already having 2 locations . But I can say the guy running the la location thinks he’s untouchable cause he has money. In my opinion he won’t last long cause he does dirty things and will eventually get stomped on by competitors that can handle the professional and courteous tasks of which are required when operating a business to where you’re not doing people wrong . So 10 thumbs down I will not recommend this brand to anyone and this guy is dirty you can tell cause he promises the load but can’t deliver a cartridge .

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