Being a recreational vape fan in the 2020s is tough. The epidemic of vaping-related lung illnesses has so far claimed 55 lives and hospitalized 2.5K users, from tainted fake and counterfeit carts. This news has been out there for months, and yet just this last week a string of illegal vape shops in L.A. were busted.
The black market carts at the unregulated L.A. stores tested out as: “75% of the vapes contained undisclosed additives, including the thickening agent vitamin E acetate, which has been blamed by federal regulators for the majority of lung illnesses tied to the outbreak.” Not only that, but THC levels in the bunk carts were as low as 18%, despite being labeled up to 85%.
What’s a vaper to do? We can’t do much (we wish we could), but we can try to help consumers out there make the most informed decisions. So here’s a list of top faked carts on the black market, along with a little inside info on each of these brands’ backstory.
The Top Ten Vape Brands To Watch Out For…
We’re going by DHGate, a Chinese eCommerce website which is one of the chief conduits for black market products entering the US. They have a product category called “Wholesale Atomizers,” which is the category that moves all the fake THC carts. Sort by “best selling” and you know the brands most likely to be currently on the street.
Note that they are sold EMPTY! For as little as five cents, you too can buy an empty cart and fill it with whatever liquid pops into your mind, and then become a distributor of one of these “brands.” We’re not saying these carts are automatically bad. It depends on the filling, or in the case of counterfeited legit brands, whether you got the cart at a legit distributor. But when you see one, and you are not going through official channels, you should see red flags.
UPDATE – We have been notified that the recent reports of the death of Kingpen and West Coast Cure have been greatly exaggerated.
{1} TKO Extracts
TKO was one of the original counterfeits we covered back in May 2019. There is a real TKO brand, follow them to stay up to date on the latest packaging. Here is TKO’s CDPH license number. As we mention, TKO fakes are pretty easy to spot, and it doesn’t look like the black market has bothered to update the old style look at all.
The TKO fakes are even more obvious now! TKO has updated their packaging and cartridge, everything is different from the DHGate picture.
{2} Cookies Carts
Cookies should come as no surprise. “Cookies” is originally the name of a strain of weed. Then a high-profile rapper named Berner teamed up with G Pen to come out with a line of vaporizers under the Cookies brand name. We have covered a post on telling fake Cookies from (what we believed to be) real, but we’re suspecting now that the massive volume of fakes out there have driven the original oil distributor (High Flyers, last we heard) out of business.
SOS! If you are a real Cookies pre-filled oil cartridge distributor or know definite, concrete proof of a licensed oil distributor, please let us know in the comments and we will correct this post.
{3} West Coast Cure
The distinctive abstract crown logo hasn’t changed at all. We’ve covered West Coast Cure fakes before, however, even the original company (WCC Managment) was once a street brand that tried and failed to get licensed. The website of WCCmgmt.com, listed under West Coast Cure’s license application, is now just a dead Godaddy domain.
HOWEVER, we have received word that West Coast Cure lives on in a new domain. They have a CDPH production license there and, more importantly, a distribution license, both California. But their products menu is now just Pods, Concentrates, Flower, and Pre-Rolls, so any oilpen products out there might still be bunk if we’re not mistaken. But it’s good to see the regal crown on a legit product at last.
{4} Dabwoods
We get tired of looking at DabWoods around here. Known by a million variations including “DankWoods,” “DeepWoods,” “BackWoods,” etc., we’re going with “they’re all fake and always have been.” We tried flushing any legit original company out of the bushes way back in August of 2019. We came up with zip, zero, zilch. The theory is that there was a brand of pre-rolls out there, but even WeedMaps doesn’t think they’re licensed anymore.
DabWoods is a case of a fake brand that is nothing but packaging. All bunk, no skunk.
{5} Dank
We see Danks in our nightmares! Not only have Danks been one of the most notorious brands reported by lung illness victims, but we have searched to the ends of this Earth and have found no original company. To add to our efforts, many websites have also investigated the Dank brand name trying to find a legit company, such as this excellent write-up by Emma Betuel at Inverse. She, too, met nothing but dead ends.
Dank is the fakest fake brand there ever was! Dank is the poster child for lung illness, the reigning king of inhaling vitamin E acetate, the laughingstock of fake brands. If you see this brand anywhere, you should be doubly cautious, because you have to be really stupid to try to pass off a Dank.
{6} 710 Kingpen
It’s been so long since we reviewed Kingpens we forgot they were out there. Yet, judging by the high search traffic volume, many people are still encountering these. Kingpens were looking to be closed out, but the company is back now.
We have handy proof that Kingpen is/was produced by a real company named “Clean Cannabis Initiative, LLC” on Wilshire boulevard in Los Angeles, California. We known that because they were named in a lawsuit alleging that their pens tested dirty. It has since become one of the most widely publicized cases of a lawsuit concerned with a faulty product. That company is licensed to Paracorp, Inc., the biggest thing we can find out about them being how to serve them with legal papers.
HOWEVER, we have been notified that there is a Kingpen official site, with vape cartridges now featuring a QR code validation. That is one older and wiser company, for sure. Validate your Kingpen carts there, problem solved.
{7} Brass Knuckles
Another one of the most consistently counterfeited brands we’ve seen. Brass Knuckles knock-offs could practically fill their own category, but we try to keep a post updated for spotting fake BKs with packaging changes.
We feel bad for Brass Knuckles, even if our review of their product wasn’t the most enthusiastic. Then there was a lawsuit out on their brand too, due to allegations of dirty testing oil. But Brass Knuckles OG stays in business still, so we respect them for not turning chicken.
{8} Cali Plug
Besides “Dank,” the two words that can make a Dab Connection staff member have to suppress a gag reflex are “Cali” and “Plug.” Cali Plug is another completely fake brand we’ve investigated, being nothing but packaging. This is another fake brand which has spawned a dozen mutations, so the same goes for “Cali Cart,” “Cali Confidential,” “Cali Piff,” and so on.
There have been glimpses seen of a “Cali Plug” “company,” but they bill themselves as a “lifestyle brand,” selling hats and Tshirts only. They show up at festivals with a tent, that sort of thing. In any case, there is no registered, regulated distributor of oil in anything called “Cali Plug,” and certainly not in packaging that looks like Robert Crumb puked on it.
{9} Smart Carts
The ironically named “Smart Carts” got a bad review from us for their bunk cart, and even then we ascertained most of the Smart Carts out there to be fakes. We were skeptical about the existence of a company behind the brand at all, even then.
We’re now pretty sure all Smart Carts and Smart Buds are fake. Both brands, the last anyone could find out, were run out of two websites, smartbud.ca and smartbud.us. Both of those are parked GoDaddy domains, so whatever subterfuge of pretending to be a real company behind this brand there was have since vanished.
{10} GLO Extracts
And this brand… is one we’ve never covered before! GLO Extracts does have its own website, with its own extensive authenticity verification system, and here they’re getting counterfeited already.
Whelp, we’ll have to check out GLO’s product sometime.
Black market brands like these 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 55 lives and hospitalized more than 2.5K users. 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 to share on any subject we touched here, please share it with the community here in the comments or in our forum.
ASKING ABOUT OTHER CART BRANDS:
This post was originally just to show the *TOP TEN* most common faked brands. There are infinite brands out there and only so many licenses, so there are many more fake brands. We encounter dozens every week. The top ten even rotates over time.
If you’re asking about a cart, please take it to our forums and post a thread in cartridges. It helps a LOT if you can provide photos of the packaging, where you got it (at least the state), and if you got it from a dispensary, delivery service, swap meet, plug, or whatever. Our rule is, if you didn’t get it from a licensed dispensary, it’s usually fake.
What about ‘weed is medicine’carts?anyone have a clue or heard of them before? Any help much appreciated. Thanks in advance
What about live carts?
Is kgb carts fake?
I bought a moonwalker, peach revenge cart and to me it don’t taste like it has thc in it and kinda chokes u up. Anyone know if these are faked?
Bought a cali plug cart so theyre not real? it has a barcode and i scanned it but idk .. the packaging look different the one i have is white
Anyone know about “Boring” carts?
Are friendly farms counterit
Friendly Farms is a real brand which is often counterfeited:
https://dabconnection.com/culture/friendly-farms-fakes/
If you didn’t get it at a dispensary in a legal state, it’s fake. Friendly Farms counterfeits are really saturating the fake cart market out there, we get several comments and forum posts every week about them.
Anyone know where to purchase wholesale carts at a decent rate at?
i get cali reefer carts for $40 i’ve been doing research and i can’t find them anywhere. i need help i don’t want to use laced carts
Are “Live” carts real? I just bought one for 30$ Expecting it to be a half gram cart with like 75% but I when I opened it, it was a full gram cart with 87% and as I’m hitting it it feels a lot different from the carts I usually buy it’s a lot less intense for 87% and I’m starting to freak out a little bit I think it was cut with something because this isn’t how it’s supposed to feel but maybe it’s just old anyways it’s a live cart inside of a white grey and black little box it has a scannable bar code sticker on the back, is it fake or real? Pls let me know
I’ve had em…I like em….I know they come from Maine and are a legit company. You can purchase them in maine dispensaries. They do fuck you up….I would say yes….I’m actually getting a sour diesel one in a little bit
So these Glo carts…my guy had been getting them by the case for a min. I’m 90% sure they are unregulated. Is there anyway to tell definitely.
Are Boring Carts fake?
I just got a KRT cart and idk if it’s fake or not can someone reply with an answer
KRT is absolutely faked everywhere. Never see a black market site without them. We have never been able to find any original KRT company, so I’d go with 100% probability fake.
there could be people making real wax putting them into krt cartridges so all the carts it’s depending on who you get them from and a certifying sticker/code on them
Depends who you get it from
It is I promise
Anyone knows about Premium vape carts uk. I just spend money on them, now they give me a silent treatment when I ask about my order. It was a 24hr delivery. Now its been 48hrs and they dont answer my chats
Bro you’ve been scammed. Cannabis is still illegal in the UK so obviously you can’t buy real carts from a website. Find a seller on Instagram etc. – there are loads
https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/premiumvapecarts.co.uk
i just bought box of choices premium thc cartridge one being .05 and one being .05 sky walker other being mars og 500mgeach with a cart id number 3369560 so my question is are they real or fake .
i’m not sure because i have bought choices and i got one with a weird looking tip and it made me feel like shit after ward where the previous ones i tried feel good. i believe they are real but just have many fake versions but redditors are jus assuming everything is fake
On a side note:
I appreciate the frustration with Redditors and their knee-jerk reactions (it ain’t the first time anybody’s complained). But the market really is terrible and something like 90% of all cart brands out there are fake, counterfeited, black market, or gray market. From the average Redditor point of view, it’s easier just to say “buy it from a dispo or it’s fake.” It’s just really disgusting and the enforcement just isn’t there, especially out west. Just trying to track down a brand some days I feel like I’m living in the Matrix inside a dream from Inception after a Total Recall mind implant.
Generic label Cannacart, purchased from a friend who has what he believes to be a reliable source. 100mg. Thoughts?
If by chance you mean this: https://cannacarts.ca/ – That’s a Canadian company. Canada has completely different laws and policies about regulation. We’re in the US and just don’t have the expertise to comment on the matter currently.
If you mean something else, have no idea since we don’t seem to have encountered it yet. In any case, you’re purchasing from a friend who’s apparently purchasing from another friend. It’s up to how much you trust your network.
How about krt, slabway, and big chief?
Are the starman farm carts reai
Anyone no about shadoow mountain carts? I think there great but need real opinions.
What about West coast or Boring carts? These are the brand names supposedly
So the item I have shows to be real by y’all’s information up until I get to the part of now West Coast Cure Curepen now being pods?! Could it be possible I just have one of the cartridges they use to sell? Cause everything seems legit.
It might still be possible that you got hold of some old stock. WCC cartridges were very popular for their time.
Since we posted this back in January 2020, WCC came out with SaucePods we review here:
https://dabconnection.com/reviews/cartridges/wcc-pod-live-resin-sauce/
However, WeedMaps is still showing a CurePen sauce cart for sale right now:
https://weedmaps.com/deals/xaler-delivery-35-1g-curepen-sauce-cartridge-c272025b-15eb-4764-948a-8cc231b9f3d8
*shrug*
are primal live resin carts real
Curious about Muha Meds. From the packaging, it looks like the new Dank Vapes. Yikes.
R there west coast co. Fake carts? With a fire symbol next to the strain symbol, ik they always change the containers but this one today looks and tastes wei
Anyone tried Dime Carts before?
What about Elevate Extracts
Has anyone tried Trudose cause I wanna buy them but I hear they’re fake
What about Gold Coast clear ??
Yup, we covered it, it’s unlicensed at least:
https://dabconnection.com/reviews/cartridges/gold-coast-clear/
Has anyone heard of BTY or “Better Than Yours” carts?
amazing, chef’s kiss
Someone sold me two RecommendedLA* brand carts and I can’t find info on them anywhere. Anyone heard of them??
Some one sold me a wax pen and the brand name is “Avion vapes” and the flavor is “insane punch” is it legit?
Can anyone tell me if mastyr chief premium vapor oils are legit r fake
Has anyone ever heard of Insanity Xtracts?
California Golden? Anyone know?
What about Live Carts? Fake or???
i had one. it hit good. it had the scan code so i assume real
Hey anyone know about Lions Breath? I can get one but everyone is saying it’s fake…. Is it?
Seems to be street but not all fakes:
https://dabconnection.com/culture/lions-breath/
Those are about fake as shit steer clear from lions breath
yeah they’re fake someone in my town got sent to the hospital after hitting a lions breath
yes it is
yes it is fake
Their fake carts no real company
What about Exotic 420 thc vapes. Fake products and site?
Where did you see these?
Need to know about Muha Meds too.
Yea I’m trying to get some info about Muha Meds got a couple carts here 3-4 different but they all have the same code on the back where the QR code is. Hmm Strange
Well they want to go and pull out the Glo card. I don’t even know why they even reviewed them considering they haven’t even refuse them yet. But I guess the Articles not about the review of the cart it’s the most faked cart review. But yes I’ve been a cannabis user for over 20 years and due to glows seed-to-sale distribution they have won my business. They have a full Lab Test on their page of their carts only problem is they’re not licensed. But they do a good job of keeping away the counterfeiters by using the QVC code and constantly changing the look of their product. But I do have to say these are great carts and I will continue to buy them. Glo Nation
Has anyone tried or heard of push carts here in cali they go for 35 a full gram
What can you tell me about faded carts? I got a granddaddy yesterday and someone told me it’s fake. How can I tell?
What about Big slick sativa?
Where did you see those?
Choices carts? California
Where online did you see those or were those in person?
Are they
We get them here in Vegas… they are legit! Really, really good…
You gotta check out Tumbleweed and Kanji at TheDispensary. 2 for $50 and 2 for $40 quite often. There’s no reason to get street carts in Nevada.
Anyone know anything about muha meds carts I think they are legit my first one smacked and was amazing but I’ve heard they may not be but idk
Ive been hearing it’s fake to. I bought one right now and that shit got me so high I needed to sit down 😂
Anyone know anything about muha meds carts I think they are legit my first one smacked and was amazing but I’ve heard they may not be
Heard of riplicious carts?
Do you happen to know if halo carts are fake or real?
I dont know if they are but just know that the brands above are legitimate brands that unfortunately became to popular and caught the attention of counterfeiters, there’s counterfeit Colgate toothpaste. 🤣
Ever heard of farm friends or lions breath?
I’ve tried lions breath before, they’re actually really good. Even their sativa strains-which im usually not a fan of when it comes to carts-are good.
Lions breath fake as fuck
Anyone ever heard of high note extracts
How much do byt carts cost usually
Has anyone ever heard of honeywax? It’s a popular street brand in the New England area and I’ve been smoking it for a while with pretty much no complaints.
Yooo stay away from honey wax the wax starts to separate and gets a dark color at the bottom proving it is mixed with way too much to be clean!!
Are moxie carts fake? My homies lungs started hurting as soon as he started with the pen
No. If you got the moxie in the despo or in the store moxie it shouldn’t be fake. There shit is 101
On the other hand, we did just report on Moxie cart fakes showing up:
https://dabconnection.com/culture/fake-moxie-carts/
So if they got it off a plug, it might definitely be fake.
anyone here of valley clear carts?
I just had clear wax of valley clear but my next batch is coming this Monday but it’s going to be gold wax
Yeah this what I want to know too. Ive alr went thru like 4 of these and j bought 3 more from my plug
Anybody know about delta 8 carts?
They are real and here is an example of one from 3Chi:
3Chi Delta 8 THC Cartridge Review – Surprisingly Good Effects
According to our reviewer they are comparably strong to some black market carts and some of the weaker regular THC carts like Kings Garden.
Anyone ever heard of jeeter juice Carts? Some guy has it for $45 but I don’t wanna buy it before I get some info on this company. Don’t wanna smoke pesticides
Anyone know about Liquid Honey? I think it’s a fake thing the vape cart I bought is awful tasting like kerosene I’m in MI. thanks for help I should have known better it’s a delivery service only 😡
Anyone know about Liquid Honey? I think it’s a fake thing
Where did you see it?
are dark mark carts real
are dark mark carts real
Just about anything you get off the streets for $30,$40 a pop are fake
Not if the supplier is buying in bulk and selling for $40 they still make there money back after selling so many. I know someone who goes down to Chicago weekly to pick up new stuff and sells it for 40
Anybody out there know about culture carts?? Have been getting that brand recently on the black market, and just wondered?? Thanks for any info:)
Are filthy carts real? Please lmk. Thank you !
Thanks for commenting! we will get some info on these had not heard of these. Where did you first see them?
anyone heard of FIRE EXTRACTS cartridges?
Are “coastal cartis” real, from Illinois
The packaging had a dude with purple hair, eyes, eyebrows, and facial hair and three words “coastal cartis” are underneath him. There are palm trees and birds in the back
Pretty sure they are a black market brand. For IL check out Rhythm or Joos by Nature’s Grace. Even though they are a bit expensive they are so much stronger than street carts your $ per high is better.
I just picked up a Lifeline Live resin cart with “Runtz” Sativa written on the box. 90-95 % Distillate.
Are they boof fake?
Most likely not 90-95%, might be boof, probably not legit, but till might work!
What about “Rolling stoned” carts? I’ve tried google and don’t come up with much of anything.
Yes. Totally real. You can check out their lab results here. Super clean.
https://pulse-brand.com/lab-results/
Are Soda Stix fake or real ?
Not totally sure but either way not legit
Anyone hear or every seen Canna Del Mar carts??? I can’t even find anything online about them.. but a friend got some so I’ve been curious.
Anyone heard about Pulse carts?
Yes. Totally real. I have all their boxes, carts and pods right now. You can check out their lab results here. Super clean.
https://pulse-brand.com/lab-results/
And it says right on top of that test, not for California Compliance (they’re showing R&D tests)
May well be clean and may well be good carts, but they are not doing the same testing that would be acceptable for a shop to put out.
What about the secret sauce is it fake?
Anyone hear of esco cartridges
Could it possibly be Cresco?
https://dabconnection.com/reviews/cartridges/cresco/
im really worried about getting a fake cart especially with everything going on. I used to buy Dank and 710 when I was young and dumb. Ive stopped smoking carts for a while but want to start again, what are some brands of real/nom tainted carts? Thanks!!
canna clear!
im really worried about getting a fake cart especially with everything going on. I used to buy Dank and 710 when I was young and dumb. Ive stopped smoking carts for a while but want to start again, what are some brands of real/nom tainted carts? Thanks!!
Anyone know anything about Ruby carts? I feel like these are a knock off of the Rubi carts. But just asking if anyone knows ?
Where did you see these?
y’all should all try the krt. those are the best. i sell em. you can taste the flavor very good & can you get high w one-two hits
So you admit to selling fakes. KRT just makes empty carts and packages. They are a Chinese company.
Is iKonic labs a real cart distributor?
Anyone heard anything about fyer carts
Are Clean Carts real or fake?
Unregistered brand it seems for most
What about live carts?
The brand “Live” are their carts legit or fake?
Can you post a link to where you found them?
Are empress carts legit
Can you post a link to where you found it? thanks
I also am trying to find out if the reaper extracts brand exists bc I haven’t found anything about it either. The logo isn’t exactly like what was on that link.
Street brand at best
Calyx Botanicals Carts? Legit/Fake
What about Clean Carts?
What about Cannaaid?
Can you post a link to these? Thanks for commenting!
spitfire carts?
Do u know if PUSH brand carts and Big Bang carts are official
What about Colossal carts ?
Hello. My plug is selling “WiserBud” carts, I was interested in buying the Killer Queen hybrid strain he has but I’ve never seen the brand name anywhere except instagram..
What about AP carts? Anyone tried or know anything on this brand?
Anyone ever tried BLVCK Market 710 premium concentrate?
That one seemed to be more a street brand rather than a faked brand
Have you ever heard of Groovy? Or Herbal Selections?
Haven’t seen either of those – where did you see them?
Medi-Cal organics RX
Black box with gold lettering
Is this fake? I can’t find anything on it
It has a bar code and government warning
Can’t find anything on that one – where did you find it?
Can you give names of a couple legit places?
What about smart carts
As far as we can tell it’s a fake brand
How about west coast vapes? http://westcoastvape.co/
Just got one supposedly from California in a sealed plastic pack that says Reaper Extracts orange cookies hybrid 1 gram cartridge 95% thc certified organic and literally can find nothing anywhere about this brand or anything. Anyone heard of this?
Does the packaging look anything like this?
https://www.rakuten.com/shop/vanderbilt-wholesalers-corporation/product/g39cbm89n/
Probably a fake brand altogether, see here:
https://www.rakuten.com/shop/vanderbilt-wholesalers-corporation/product/g39cbm89n/
My nephew just got some carts with “710 Monster” on the box. I told him I think they are bunk. Any info?
Researched this a bit and all I could find was it sold on what looks like not-legit websites. Not in any legit shops anywhere, so it’s likely an unregistered street brand more than a fake cart.
What about Martian Meds? Has anyone tried them?
Damn what about Drip Live Resin ?
Muha Meds are no good. got one, worst taste i’ve ever had and doesnt seem safe. it’s rough, we need legalization.
Muha is heavily faked too. Their real ones are not registered with any state yet either, but still heavily faked.
What about Big chief???
At the time we posted this, Big Chief wasn’t as big on the radar. As we explained, our criterion was just sorting the most popular brands sold on counterfeit packaging sites, regardless of any other metric.
But you make a very good point! Over time maybe we have to update or add new brand lists. Another one is Muha Meds, they’ve exploded since this list was done too.
But the market’s always going to be churning out there, brands coming and going.
Heavily faked
Are Breaking Dabs by High Zen Berg, real? And Fiyamans?
We covered Fiyaman here, they’re unlicensed:
https://dabconnection.com/reviews/cartridges/fiyaman-extracts/
Never heard of the other one yet. Brands pop up all the time.
Vape Pink carts, and Clean carts??
I am from Pennsylvania where marijuana isn’t legalized yet. I am trying to find a trustworthy site on where to look up carts to see if they are safe. I have been buying chronic and dank carts most of the time. I notice the ones I buy have a thick oil and an expiration date on the box. The box is also labeled with @chroniccartsoffical “solvent free.all organic.” There is barcode, ingredient list, THC level, and a government/product warning. But there are misspellings and typos in the government warning. Let me know if you think this is a fake brand of chronic carts. Thank you.
Chronic Carts seems to be an unregistered street brand. Not licensed anywhere but does not seem to be faked.
It’s a black market brand for sure, at least right now
So might be good or bad but can’t tell for sure
Dr butter ??????
Are the shatter gold carts legit?
Can you post a link to where you found them?