KRT is a brand we’ve been meaning to get around to for awhile. It is often shown as “KRT Yang,” or sometimes with other Eastern / Buddhism themes to it. Not to beat around the Buddha, but KRT is 100% boof empty packaging with no company behind it, to the extent we can find.

It’s not every day we see somebody get a tattoo of a fake brand on their arm:

KRT_tattoo

Wow, that is on a whole new level. Buckle up kids, this is going to be one of those *special* fake cart write-ups!

Rule #1 of fake carts: When researching them, you discover a new packaging wholesaler

Your humble fake cart hunter has been curating a list of every known online retailer of fake / black market / unregulated THC vape cart packaging. Today, I got to add a new site to that list, “420 CBD pen”:

KRT_at_420CBDpen

Now you’ll note, sites that traffic in fake carts have lately made a very sloppy distinction between “CBD” and “THC.” Like “420” and “710,” lots of shady sites online have tumbled to the idea that all these mean “weed vapes.” Since it’s an empty package being sold, there’s no difference if you call it an “orange juice cart,” it will get filled with whatever the distributor has lying around.

Naturally, we also find KRT cartridge packaging at DHGate:

KRT_at_DHGate

….which pretty much means you’re going to find them everywhere. Another DHGate hit:

KRT_vape_brand_spam

You see here that wholesalers will just type as many fake cart brand names into the title as they can think of. This is called “keyword stuffing,” trying to come up for any possible hit they think people will search for. Despite Wikipedia’s neutral attitude, it is a “black hat” SEO technique. Just as with the confusion with CBD in the previous example, they don’t care.

Rule #2 of fake carts: When you get a group photo with other fakes!

There’s these three brands that tend to generate a lot of drama in our circle, because while they are counterfeited to infinity and back, there are people behind the original brand either struggling to go legit or trying to convince us of that. I call them “the Three Stooges”: Big Chief, Lion’s Breath, and Muha Meds. When researching KRT, guess what we found at this street cart vendor Facebook?

The_Three_Stooges

Someday when I retire, I’ll have to get this whole photo as a tattoo. This is peak fake cart detective career. It is never going to happen again. I don’t know what “Unhappy” backwards is about down there in the lower left, but we’ll get to that one when its turn in the list comes up.

Apparently KRTs come in a “Big Black Box,” too:

KRT_Big_Black_Box

…abbreviated to “BBB” on the ends:

KRT_BBB

When comments ask about buying, the only reply is one instructing the visitor to ask on WhatsApp.

Rule #3 of fake carts: When you find illicit dealers without even looking at Instagram

Here’s another vendor on Facebook, with a row of KRT Yang boxes lined up next to somebody’s butt:

KRT_somebodys_butt

Meanwhile on Twitter, #KRTCart yields a hit. On Twitter all the hashtags flow together – again, all they care about is you wanted a vape, you’re here, regardless of what “brand” you were searching for. So the hashtag for KRT appears over a video for Guess Who:

KRT_over_Lions_Breath

Lion’s Breath seems to be stupidly popular on the black market. What, are people eating them by the handful?

KRTMuhaDankAbracadabra

We can top that: An account named Muha Meds with a website called “dankvapezone” (as in Danks) that comes up for a KRT search while showing a video of knocked-off “Abracadabra” Brass Knuckles packaging. Brass Knuckles does indeed carry an Abracadabra line, but it’s copied already. Like we say, keyword stuffing.

KRT_fantasy_gifts

This Twitter account is trying to sell KRT on eBay? The link has since been taken down off eBay.

Street vendors are now just stone cold advertising on YouTube (VOLUME WARNING):

And now for a KRT vendor advertising on Pinterest! Yes, we have a live Pinterest hit, mark that spot on your social media bingo card:

KRT_on_Pinterest

But this vendor says to shout out to them on SnapChat.

We also find the obligatory LeafedOut vendor selling KRT vapes. Then we found this:

KRT_14_dolars

Yes, that says $14! Since scam order sites abound for THC carts, this might be an arbitrary price picked to make people bite. When we zoom in here we notice:

KRT_Yang_sharpie

…that yin-yang symbol looks like it was drawn on the box with a sharpie.

And THEN we get to Reddit…

Not even much point to go this far, but here’s someone reporting life support from respiratory failure just one month ago, with a list of carts that include KRT/Yang.

This Redditor found the eBay carts. This post is a roller-coaster and we are never getting off.

Wait, we tried again and found the eBay seller. We missed out but made it in time for six bottles of deer placenta.

KRT_eBay_deer_placenta

Here’s a Redditor doing a quality test on a KRT cart, the gram cart comes in at 0.5 grams.

There’s the usual swell of Redditors finding these carts and asking if they’re legit, but by now our point has been most firmly made.

But you know what we DIDN’T find for KRT?

Sing along with us, gang!

We didn’t find a LICENSE, a COMPANY, a WEBSITE, a PERMIT, not even a state of origin for KRT / Yang vape carts!

UPDATE: the world of KRT on Instagram

A commenter showed up to take exception to our review of KRT carts. First he posts one Instagram which he claims is the “official” one and challenges us to search up “krtvapes” on Instagram.

Well, perhaps that commenter should have tried that exercise themselves first before telling us. Because it’s clear that if you’re trying to find the original KRT producer by searching “krtvapes” on Instagram, you’re going to have a bad time. A full list of every account we find on Instagram just searching for “krtvapes”:

krtvapes, krtvapes_oc, krtvapesplugplay, krtvapes.verified, krtvapesohio, krtvapes.weedcards_online, krtvapescare, krtvapes_official, krt_vapes_, krtvapes5, krt_vapes, krtvapes6, krtvapes_colorado, krt_vapes_wholesales, krt.sd, krtvapes_ill, krtvapesofficialaccount, krt_oils213, krt.vapes, krtvape.la, striker_krtvapes, krtvapes.oc, krtvapes.weedcarts_online, krtvapestheofficialbrand, verified_distro, krt_vapes_bmd, krtvapecartsofficial, krtvapes420, krtvapes415420, krtvapes310, krtvapes7, krt_vapes_best, and krtvapess.

That is stupidly ridiculous! This does not happen, not even with gray-market street brands. KRT just won the “DANK vapes” prize for most “official” Instagram accounts. At this point, we are all the “official” owners of the KRT vape cart brand.

Same commenter circles back and links to Instagram account krtsd_3, a completely *separate* Instagram account because there’s more when you just search for “KRT” without “vapes.” That channel has exactly one post, submitted here without comment:

KRT_test_denial

We have no idea what that is referring to. We here at DabConnection have not tested any KRT carts ourselves. Perhaps that was directed at somebody who did.

For further Instagram accounts, we found the following number of Instagram KRT accounts answering to the following searches: “krtyang” (3), “krtcart” (6), “krt710” (28), “krtpen” (8), “krt420” (46), “krtweed” (2). That’s over 100 accounts on Instagram alone, all claiming to be _THE_ *OFFICIAL* KRT vapes brand.

Update October 2020:

KRT_Halloween_theme

Unlicensed, unregulated brands like KRT/Yang may contain anything

There is a deadly epidemic of lung illness tied to black market cart usage. Vaping-associated pulmonary injury has so far claimed 64 lives and hospitalized more than 2700 users. This was the main health story in the news before Corona Virus COVID-19 cases pushed it off the front page, but people are still getting sick off boof street carts. Unregulated vape carts could contain heavy metals like lead, pesticides, cut such as Honey Cut, or simply bunk. Or they could be fire if you’re lucky. But a lot of people in the hospital right now weren’t lucky.

If anybody has more information on where these are circulating, please feel free to help us protect public safety by sharing it with the community here in the comments or in our forum.

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47 COMMENTS

  1. I have to say I live in upstate New York and these are not the packaging as the ones I have been buying lately in which I love I havnt felt weird or any issues yet also online they are adding barcodes and we codes to scan to verify the legitamicy and the key brand carts I’ve been recieving have this silver wr sticker scratch off serial number that u put into a site and it will verify or not these carts are black not gold and that have a circle for the mouth piece

    • DabConnection: Here is a post with screenshots links and lists to 100s of websites we found all claiming to be the sole KRT.

      You: Hey I found KRTs on a website they must be legit!

      Please, we do this for a living. Truly, There *could* be a person simply buying the copyrights to that name now, like what happened with Big Chief. And even that’s a remote chance! Any brand this busted all over the Internet is just putting dollars into some hack’s pocket. That hack is someone who doesn’t care how many people die from it.

  4. I don’t know… but here. I live in Iowa… yes. Iowa… bought a cart at the gas station from my buddy for 5$ gas money… thought that was fishy so I Google and found this site n what it says about KRT…
    Wtf is wrong with people today
    Won’t stop til all friends are dead … but they have $$$ so who cares right?
    I believe my friend was knoledgaBle Both about krt… what was in the cart- and maybe even was trying to get someone sick and krt was the means… but that’s probably crazy right? Idk but made in Cali? But No I’m in IA here… sent halfway across country… for 30$ or for revenge…
    Idk but ain’t hanging with that ‘friend’s anymore I can tell you that!
    Ty to this site for showing me not to trust krt!
    I’m going back to flower only…
    :-b

  5. A lot of people have gotten KRT wrong. What seems to be happening is basically someone is selling the shovel instead of the gold. Massive produce empty vials and boxes, sell those on eBay, then everyone and their grandma can make their own and sell them as “KRT.” Just check alibaba— you can order thousands of vials and boxes. So one person who has a good experience can be getting an entirely different product from someone on the other side of the country.

    tldr;

    Not worth the risk. They’re not a real company

  10. KRT IS FAKE. Their origin is from Orange County (Santa Ana & Irvine), it is a group of guys who make a living off scamming people. It is 3 brothers who then recruited another guy to design the boxes. They have now created a brand with the same fake THC/CBD named COLORS (colors extract). They have claimed they are legal and have testing, which is obvious it is fake as those are false claims. Those involved have deleted their personal IG accounts and use only KRT and COLOR accounts.

  11. So my pops just hooked me up with a KRT cart, I’ve read that they now have brass bottoms instead of rubber thing and I noticed some #s on my screw on piece. DCS D797 Reckon that’s a manufacture or patent #? Surely that’s gonna be my tale tale sign that this cart is real, right? I know I been LIT but I haven’t had a cart in 4 months only flower so I knew my tolerance would be weak but I’m taking my life back yall and and coming off h & since I been in recovery for 10+ years, they arent new to any of this withdrawl stuff and being the greatest, loving and most compassionate parents a girl could ask for…the fact that they are huge old school thc connoisseurs it only makes since that I was gifted with a few of my moms half full carts, one being a KRT that’s gotten me RIGHT!! NO withdrawals yall. How can I show yall a picture?

  12. Just purchased a cart. So far so good. I will post again if I have a chance. These are in fact located primarily in places where cannabis Is outlawed or shunned. Where I am, politics have yet to decide how marijuana would be legalized let alone accepted, even tho the people are voting to pass laws that will allow people to access it as a medical alternative the government is afraid of the impact it will have.

  14. The people behind KRT live in OC, Ca. Right now it’s based I believe in Santa Ana. It’s a couple of guys who know their stuff is NOT legit. Please stop buying their products if you check the web a lot of people are saying it makes them sick! Let your friends and vendors know too!

  15. But there is not any of there new packaging for the krts on any of thoses websites so y’all don’t know what y’all talking about.And they don’t got any of their new 2020 carts

    • Number one: The fact, as we show in the extensive screenshots, that these carts are sold empty across multiple vape suppliers and sold filled by numerous vendors online already makes them fake. It doesn’t matter if Jesus Himself claims to own the KRT brand now, it is fake forever. That ship left the harbor, it is too late.

      Second, you give a different link for an “official” Instagram at @krtvapes (set private, of course) and then give a second link to a different Instagram at @krtsd_3, which has exactly _ONE_ post, arguing about some lab test trying to discredit it. We don’t even know what that is about.

  19. I agree in finding this a little odd cause I’ve never came in contact with a problem on these carts yes I’ve seen many fakes but if you know where to get them I promise you won’t be disappointed

    • Thanks for commenting! Some people have said that some KRTs are centrally sourced and consistent. Have you found that to be true even if getting from different vendors or it’s all from the same person?

  20. Im a smoker!it gets me high! I think the mistake is oh they are bs cause you can’t Google them! It’s being made illegally people! Its hard to get legit ones these days in states that aren’t legal! Smoking 20yrs! HEAVY! Its not fake….just not going to give a ADDRESS to am illegal operation!
    Common sense,thanks

  21. Ive been buying these for almost a year now. Ive had fake carts (survived the dank vape tragedy) and can tell you this is real deal /quality wax. The packaging has changed as well as the tips on the cart.and i thunk this is done to prevent fake version from being produced. Instead of a rubber stopper at the bottom it is now a brass screw on deal. Theyve stepped up since i started smoking them and feel this whole article is misleading IMO.

  22. I get them from a legit source and have been for about a year..
    They used to have different packaging(the yang version), mine always had a silver void sticker…
    Now they have changed the boxes and void stickers, no longer have yang on them, and now they have gold void stickers with QR code under a scratch off thing… they connect to scanacart.com where they have been tested… I believe people save there empty ones and fill them up with bullshit and resell them and make people sick…
    Just make there being sold by a reputable dealer and use common sense on pricing, I highly doubt it’s real if there selling it for 14$…
    In a year I haven’t gotten a fake one from my source..
    Be smart and always look for recent void sticker..

  23. Do you guys know where I can buy the whole sale krt carts ? For the cheapest price basically ? Cuz I’m a plug and my plug hooking me up for $9 a cart for me to sell them for the price I do I just get them cheaper from him cuz he gets it from another place way much cheaper but I want to know where so I can start getting from where he does or something if y’all know what I’m talking about

  24. every krt ive had has a scannable code with the lab results for each cartridge. Each barcode on the carts are different and unique. how are they providing this information if they are fake?

    • Do you know how easy it is to fake that? All you need is another set of stickers with different numbers and any basic knowledge of an object oriented programming language. They dont come back with “test results” they come back saying “yup its krt” and its stupid because the sticker only covers the top, but you can still open the bottom…

      • > “object oriented programming language”

        Which one? Java, Ruby, VB? I knew bar codes were easy to produce, but never considered OOP came into the picture.

  25. I just got one for 20 and it had a gold seal/ sticker up top that said void and was slightly difficult to remove. So is it fake! It does not say yang how do I post a picture

    • I don’t taste any THC in the cartridge i bought, why i find disappointing is the girls that sold these to me i am a regular where i got these cartridges and i also got other stuff which is good why didn’t the girls boss of the store follow up on this fake product? why would you want to do your customers like this take our hard earned money which our fun time is getting high high from THC and you know this from my previous visits I’ve been a happy customers till now.
      Not so happy or high….

  26. Fond myself on this page after a good buddy of mine got 3 free carts from a friend who “recently quit smoking”. so i started researching. We’re in Buffalo NY and i guess mf’s out here tryin to kill people with these carts!

  27. When krt came out last year they didnt sell packaging online. That’s the first thing I did. Look it up. They began to get popular and that’s when they changed their packaging. The one on DH Gate or whatever is the one from last year. I found out about them on the LA sesh and even met their owner. So far havent had problems and I only get from them and their vendors who know each other. I would say if you buy from someone else then irs fake ?

  28. I have a KRT card that looks nothing like the one shown here. Is there now a legit source? The two that I have one was called bubble Kush and the other was royal cookies. So are these fake? I have more to describe but ran out of text. LOL

  30. I just got 2 bogus KRT vape carts. Thank you for your research and the photos. I live in Sacramento County. I knew it was too good to be true. I’m glad i came home and looked up KRT.

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