Last week, our Lion’s Breath cartridge post attracted another comment by someone urging us to check back on the company under the assurance that they’d gone legit. We’re glad they did that, because we learned quite a bit about how these unlicensed cart companies abuse lab results.
Lion’s Breath – new packaging, new deception
Here is a Reddit poster who begins today’s investigation story. They pull a QR code off a Lion’s Breath cartridge which leads us to this page. It is hosted at Amazon Web Services. We extracted the pages of the PDF to show here:
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Let’s take it from the top:
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The pages show a company called “Flower Potency Testing.” They actually have nothing to do with this test. If you go to the website for Flower Potency Testing, they show that they are an R&D lab only at this time. This means “research and development,” which we will explain below. We find no license on file with the California BCC for Flower Potency Testing, but that is fine since they’re not for commercial use yet.
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Pages 2-4 show an embedded image of lab test results from Infinite Chemical. We reached out to Infinite Chemical who helpfully explained to us that they have no affiliation with Flower Potency Testing. When we showed them this link, they confirmed that this is not an authorized way to display their results.
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Note also that – familiar story – the lab test page carries no license number or address given for the testing party. You can do this only in the case of an R&D test! Infinite Chemical confirmed to us that this test is NOT intended for public release, and NOT intended to endorse a product’s safety.
What is R&D testing?
R&D testing, also known as Quality Assurance testing, in cannabis labs is meant as an informal, small-batch test. In this case, you can bring in any old vial of oil you want, get it tested, and the results are intended for your own information. R&D is also allowed for private citizens, for examples CBD patients wanting to test a sample for their own safety.
This is not the same thing as compliance testing. In compliance testing, you put up an entire batch of the oil you intend to sell. The lab then selects samples from that batch, tests it, and puts their results out as a public guarantee of results for that batch.
We’ll get to revisit the topic even more with the next Lion’s Breath cartridge.
Different QR code, same deception
We then come to this Reddit post, which WAS showing a video of a new Lion’s Breath cartridge. This was posted within one day of the other post. Before the video was taken down, we froze a frame of it and managed to get a read off the QR code on the package. Then we got this link.
This time we show Encore Labs‘ test, and this time it’s hosted on Confident Cannabis‘ domain. Confident Cannabis does not do lab testing on their own, rather they supply software for cannabis testing facilities.
We reached out to Encore Labs as well, who did confirm this was their test, and once again – note the lack of a license number or address for the testing party. If you guessed “another R&D test”? You are correct! Encore Labs, likewise, assures us that this test was not intended for public review.
This time, Encore Labs publishes a full and very helpful guide on the difference between Quality Assurance testing and Compliance testing as required by California law.
Compliance cannabis testing is a heavily rigorous process
To summarize a few excerpts from the Encore labs page, this is what compliance testing is like:
- The sampling and transportation process of the tested batch must be fully documented to the Bureau of Cannabis Control.
- All information is sent to METRC, a third party track and trace system that locates the sampling process from beginning to end.
- The client makes the entire batch of oil available to the laboratory for testing. The laboratory sends out personnel to collect random samples from your entire batch.
- A video recording of the sampling process will be required by the distributor personnel. That’s right, they film this!
- Once obtained, the sample is sealed and tamper-proofed.
This is just some of the formal procedures involved in compliance testing. This is fully secured, fully documented from beginning to end. The lab test results from a compliance test are to be sent to the California BCC, regardless if they pass or fail.
R&D / QA testing is informal
In Research & Development testing or Quality Assurance testing, none of this process occurs. You just bring in any old container of oil you want and say “test this for me.” This is for several purposes, including private consumers who want to assure their own safety. Mainly it’s so a production cultivation / extraction facility can check their process for their own internal assessment. Naturally, if you harvest a new crop of flower, or you alter your BHO extraction process, whatever, you want to know if there’s a problem with it.
Infinite Chemical also conducted a buy-back program to test street vapes
One more shout-out to the San Diego company, who responded to the vape health crisis by obtaining black market cartridges from the street via a trade-in program, in association with Mankind Dispensary. They then tested the black market cartridges and found predictably alarming results:
- 79% were deemed unfit for consumption
- 50% tested at less than 50% THC, despite percentages claimed on the packaging
- Almost all of the samples tested had trace levels of Vitamin E Acetate
- 5 cartridges contained levels exceeding 20% vitamin E acetate
- One sample contained 87 times the legal limit of lead
There’s much, much more to these results! We’d like to thank Infinite Chemical for this heroic and eye-opening effort, and encourage readers to pass these results around. This case study was done in January of 2020. Think of all the media exposure that the vaping health crisis has had. Anybody who handles carts has had every opportunity to be informed of the dangers of dirty carts by now.
If nothing else, we hear a lot of black market customers insist “maybe other carts are unsafe, but I trust my plug! My Cali plug is my homie, he’d never steer me wrong!” We hear this all day every day. The above results show this not to be the case. 79% is a 4 out of 5 chance that you’d be vaping a harmful product. A few of them tested as flat-out deadly poison.
Update: Spammer pushes Lion’s Breath carts with false health claims
Two weeks after this post, we noticed a posting coming up in the Reddit r/fakecarts forum (we work closely with that sub), with the following ad:
The FTC has already come down hard on medical benefit claims even for CBD vapes, so this Lion’s Breath seller is committing even more blatant fraud. The claims on this Reddit post are far and above everything even suggested in medical research. Not to mention being a black market offering, so it’s even worse to consider unsafe ingredients being sold as medicine.
UPDATE September 21, 2020 – How about a REAL lab test done by a neutral third party? A lab test result on a street cartridge bought off a plug shows a Lion’s Breath cart with less than 3% THC.
Lion’s Breath is not the only company we’ve caught falsifying lab results
We run into these on and off lately for suspected black market brands. Frequently a test will post on Instagram, the favorite platform of fake cart brands. Readers, we’ll turn the mike over to you here in the comments or in our forum.
I got lions breath and I usually get west coast carts and I don’t like these blue god is horrible tastes like Lysol and blue dream is okay but mimosa is also horrible!
Do not buy these I thought they were good at first because of the thc buzz, but its more than that. They make me sick and my throat/lungs reject them. Gives me weird pressure in my head more than just thc. Can’t vape anymore, have to eat it for awhile.
I thought they were good at first but the more i used them the worse my symptoms got. Whatever the test results say, the reason i’m on this page is because after using lions mane carts my lungs/throat are all inflamed and hurts and they give me weird pressure headaches that no THC only product would ever cause. Increased my plem production and makes my lungs feel like they have acid reflux. My body is totally rejecting whatever the hell is in them. I would not recommend them to anybody. My advice is throw them away if you have them and don’t buy any more from this company. Btw I do not work in the cannabis industry and am not affiliated with any companies, this is a personal and honest review of this product. I’m writing this in hopes that nobody else gets duped by this product that is marketed as a health aid to help people in need, that really has the opposite effect. These things have me seriously concerned for my health because thc does not effect my body this way, there is clearly something bad in them my body is rejecting. I’m done with carts altogether after experiencing this and realizing how little fucks some people give about the wellbeing of others.
I purchased two of these this weekend. At first the delta 8 on the package is what threw me off. Then the QR code’s did NOT match up with the packaging. Gold liquid, bubbles move fairly quick compared to the real deal ones from dispensary which are usually so thick! I got GOT! Stupid of me to think I could get a real one off the street. A friend swore their person was legit! NOT at all! I’m not smoking poison! I’ll never purchased off the street again!
Any update on this brand? I see my plug is selling them & I wanted to be super sure it’s legit.
Just came across this. Plug had some so wanted to do my research first. Thanks for all the useful info, I’m never getting a cart black market again. I did find they have website now though.
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Hello thanks for commenting! That site appears to be a possible scam site though
I have a Chinese company attempting to sell me Lions Breath packaging with empty cartridges so I can fill them myself. This may be the reason many people are seeing the Lions Breath brand name with compromised product inside? FYI – Only buy from a licensed and reputable seller because the black market can (and will) fake anything.
That’s possible. Either way it’s best to get a legal cart if possible, but if that’s all there is we see why people would choose it.
Any update after that last comment from them on March 1st??
No reply and we emailed them
Message them on Instagram I got a reply in two days I asked them about the carts being fake and they told me I could call the lab to confirm the results. They also said there are fakes going around but as long as the wax is clear then I should be fine.
I see lions breath commented I just want to know is it safe to smoke these? I’ve had fake carts that are dark yellow but never have seen ones that are as thick or clear as lion breath.
We emailed them and never heard anything back. They are not registered, but do appear to have some central processing. Proceed with caution.
I just bought a clear one today I still don’t know if they are fake or not
The fake ones have a gold color wax like you usually see that have the QR code linked to the strain “Blue God” when the package says a different strain and info.
The real ones are a clear wax that link up all the information correctly with the site.
Both come from the same packaging so can’t really tell the difference I wouldn’t recommend unless you know you’re getting real ones bc the clear ones r fia
any new information on them after they commented ??
Nope even emailed them directly since we can see the email on their end. Nothing!
Bought these and they made me feel sick. Not normal weed high. March 2020 batch – threw them away after 2/3 days
Well, they replied! Did y’all clear things up? I currently have these carts in my possession and am obviously concerned/interested at this point.
I don’t think we did get a reply but I will check up with our staff
Lmao 😂 all street carts are FAKE!!! What do you guys not understand. Go to a legit dispensary and get one the right way. 👍 These strert carts are killing you very slowly and hurting your brain and you think it’s THC 🤦♂️. The only cart I’ve tried that’s street is Cali Plug. Oil is very slow and gold oil.
Lmao yall are dumb as a bitch it does contain thc therefore you’ll get high by no means is anyone saying that there is no thc in it but the fact of all the lead contaminates and other shit that has been legally tested and record sheets have been published of them yall go ahead and kill your lungs in you want to its so easy to falsify same packaging as legit companies have so unless you’re testing your carts before you smoke odds are you’re another idiot that got got
Any update if that was the real lions breath that commented on this article?
No reply at all from them! On our side it shows the email so we did email.
If you guys are so against Lions Breath and want to prove them to be fake then why don’t you buy your own Lions Breath cartridges and test them?
We put the info out as it comes. They had the wrong type of results up people should just know that.
hey I’m just looking for some help I picked up three Lions breath carts blue dream, strawberry cloth and King Louis… although the boxes all look different different colors etc… I scanned the QR code on the strawberry cough and it came up blue God strain from Lion’s breath, then I tried King Louis and scanned the QR code and it came up blue god again and finally I’m sure you’ll guess what happened with my last one I picked up blue dream. I scanned the QR code on the back and that one also came up blue God.. has anyone and this type of issue with these lions breath carts. So I got three different cards with all different strains on them and colors but got the same blue god strain. someone I know recently picked up a good amount of them and something tells me that every strain he got is going to be that blue god strain… I know he got at least eight more strands but I think they’re all going to say blue god… Can somebody please give me a hand with this if they’ve been through anything like this with this company please thank you very much
Fake packaging has the same QR code copied from one box to another.
yea what?!
Has Lions Breath said anything after they commented on this article? Because I’m looking to buy a lion breath cart but worrying that the lab results are fake.
Nothing at all from them! And not really expecting a response from them at this point, been a while since we hit them up
i’ve bought one of these should i be worried?
Any update on this after Lions Breaths comment?
Nothing at all! Emailed them too
i’ve bought one of these should i be worried
Hard to say I probably would not get their products
Any update from Lions Breath officials comment?
Thanks for commenting! Absolutely nothing. No response and emailed them directly as it shows their email on the admin end.
This is really confusing. I’m heading to D.C. soon and am a novice vape user. I have tried to read as much information as possible to find the cleanest vape carts in D.C. and thought from others reviews online Lions Breath was legit. After reading this post I don’t know what’s legit or if it’s even possible to find clean carts.
#confused
Washington D.C. has no licensing in place to sell carts, extracts, edibles, or flower. It’s a 100% unlicensed market as long as the laws stay as they are. Currently everything trades hands on a “gift economy” policy.
https://dabconnection.com/featured/washington-d-c-legalization/
This is completely false you can call flower potency testing themselves and confirm our results. We have spent over 30k on lab results and would like to clear up many false findings on this page.
Thanks for commenting our writer will reach out to you regarding this.
Been awhile since lions breath sent that comment. Regarless of how much money they claim to have spent on lab results, clearly they didn’t want to spend enough to even be able to match the batch with the proper flavor or current up to date lab results on each batch. Still couldn’t find a legit website to prove any of these claims. If you have spent so much on lab results where are they?