What Are Carts?

September 05, 2026 By Sy. O

"Cart" is short for cartridge — a small pre-filled tank of cannabis or hemp extract that screws onto or clicks into a battery. You inhale, the battery heats a coil, the extract turns to vapour. That is the whole idea.

The word gets used loosely, so it is worth separating what people actually mean by it, what is inside one, and the single check that matters most before you buy.

The three kinds of cart

510-thread cartridges

The most common format. "510" refers to the threading — ten threads, 0.5 mm apart — which became a de facto industry standard. That standardisation is the point: a 510 cart from one brand fits a 510 battery from another. Capacity is usually 0.5 g or 1 g.

Pod systems

Proprietary. The pod only fits that manufacturer's device. You give up interchangeability and get, in most cases, a tighter seal, more consistent airflow and better protection against leaking.

Disposables

Battery and cartridge fused into a single sealed unit. Nothing to assemble, nothing to reuse. Convenient, considerably more wasteful, and you cannot move the extract to better hardware if the device underperforms.

What is actually inside

A cart contains concentrated extract, often a terpene blend for flavour and viscosity, and occasionally a thinning agent. The extract type shapes the experience far more than the hardware does.

Extract	How it is made	Character
Distillate	Refined to isolate mostly one cannabinoid	Very potent, near-flavourless; terpenes usually added back
Live resin	From fresh-frozen plant material	Retains far more of the original terpene profile
Rosin	Heat and pressure, no solvents	Solventless; typically the most expensive
Full-spectrum	Retains the broader cannabinoid mix	Less isolated, more variable batch to batch

"Cutting agents" are a separate category and a legitimate concern. Historically propylene glycol, vegetable glycerin, MCT oil and vitamin E acetate have all been used to thin extract. The last of those is the reason this category has a safety reputation at all.

How to read the lab report before you buy

This is the part most guides skip, and it is the only part that tells you what you are inhaling. A certificate of analysis (COA) from an independent laboratory should show:

Cannabinoid potency — the percentage or milligrams of each cannabinoid identified.
A batch number that matches the package in your hand. A COA for a different batch tells you nothing about your unit. This is the most common gap by far.
Residual solvents — leftovers from extraction. Relevant for distillate and live resin; not applicable to rosin.
Pesticides and heavy metals — concentrating a plant concentrates whatever else was in it, and heavy metals can also leach from poor-quality cartridge hardware.
The laboratory's name and test date, so the result is traceable to someone accountable.

One piece of vocabulary worth knowing: a result below the laboratory's limit of quantitation is reported as "non-detect" or "<LOQ". That means "not measurable by this method at this threshold", which is a weaker claim than "definitively zero".

Across the Chow420 catalogue as of September 2026 we hold 4,395 individual cannabinoid readings drawn from 312 tested batches analysed by 39 independent laboratories, and 383 products carry a certificate. You can check any batch number through our batch lookup.

Choosing a battery

Hardware is where most disappointing sessions actually come from.

Voltage. Lower settings preserve terpenes and flavour; higher settings produce bigger clouds and scorch the extract sooner. Start at the lowest setting that produces visible vapour.
Variable vs fixed. A variable-voltage battery is worth the small premium, because different extracts prefer different heat.
Preheat. A short low-power burst that loosens thick extract in cold weather. Useful, but not a substitute for warming the cart in your hand.
Capacity. Measured in mAh. Larger batteries hold voltage more consistently across a charge cycle.

Common problems, and what they actually mean

Clogging — thick extract in a cold cartridge. Warm it in your hand and draw slowly with the battery off to clear the airway. Never apply a flame.
Burnt taste — voltage too high for that coil, or the cart is nearly empty. Drop the voltage first.
Leaking — usually over-tightening, which cracks the seal. Snug, not forced. Storing upright helps.
Weak or no draw — most often a flat battery or a dirty connection plate rather than a faulty cartridge.
Darkening extract — oxidation over time. Gradual darkening is normal; a sudden change is not.

Storage

Upright, cool, out of direct sunlight and away from heat. Cannabinoids and terpenes both degrade with heat, light and oxygen exposure — a cart left on a car dashboard loses flavour and potency measurably faster than one kept in a drawer.

The safety issue you should know about

In 2019 the United States saw an outbreak of severe lung injury known as EVALI. The CDC's investigation identified vitamin E acetate — used as a cutting agent, predominantly in illicit-market THC cartridges — as strongly linked to the cases. Vitamin E acetate is harmless when swallowed or applied to skin, and harmful when inhaled.

The practical lesson is not that carts are inherently dangerous, but that untested carts are. Tested products are screened for exactly this class of additive; unregulated ones are screened for nothing.

Sensible checks: buy from a seller who publishes the COA, confirm the batch number matches, be sceptical of packaging that imitates a famous snack or candy brand, and treat an unusually low price as information rather than a bargain.

Legality and testing

Hemp-derived cannabinoid rules differ from state cannabis rules, vary by state, and are changing quickly. Check your own state's current position before ordering. Separately, if you are subject to workplace testing, a standard screening panel targets THC metabolites and does not care which format delivered them — our guide to hemp and drug testing covers what a lab report can and cannot tell you.

Frequently asked questions

What does "cart" mean?

It is short for cartridge — a pre-filled tank of cannabis or hemp extract that attaches to a vape battery.

How long does a cart last?

It depends on capacity and use. A 1 g cartridge holds roughly 200 to 300 short draws, so light use can stretch it over several weeks while heavy use may finish it in days.

Are all carts 510-thread?

No. 510 is the most common standard and is cross-compatible between brands, but pod systems and disposables use proprietary fittings that only work with their own device.

Why is my cart not producing vapour?

Most often a flat battery or a dirty connection plate. Check the charge first, then clean the contact point with a dry cotton bud. A clogged airway is the next most likely cause.

How can I tell if a cart is safe?

Look for a current certificate of analysis from a third-party laboratory whose batch number matches your package, covering potency, residual solvents, pesticides and heavy metals. No COA means no information.

Do carts show up on a drug test?

If the product contains THC, yes — standard screening panels detect THC metabolites regardless of how the THC was consumed.

Browse lab-tested products

Chow420 lists products from independent sellers. Nothing here is medical advice, and cannabinoid figures describe the specific batch a laboratory tested rather than every unit ever made. Always read the certificate of analysis on the listing you are buying. Products containing THC are for adults only.