America’s tastiest THC vapes of Labor Day 2023 and beyond
You’re doing too much, America.
Labor Day is coming up—it’s time to lengthen that weekend, pack the cooler, and honor American Labor’s achievements by chilling out.
THC vape carts and pods require the least work to get lifted. If you can use a straw, you can sip and rip on the purified essence of the cannabis plant.
In 2023, at the top end of vapes: farmers grow designer strains lovingly in living soil, and hand-harvest the buds into freezers. The frozen nugs get ice water agitated—their glistening glands are then sieved and heat-pressed into clean ceramic cartridges and all-in-one vapes.
Solventless vapes continue to take over, while delicious live resin sits within reach of anyone 21 and up in a legal state. Carts fly off shelves in newly legal Maryland and Missouri this year.
America’s tastiest THC vapes of fall 2023 comes from Leafly’s network of national correspondents. These terp sherpas rounded up the nation’s biggest winners, best sellers, and the most painstaking flavor purveyors of the vaping kind. A distillation of our findings from eight legalization states follows below. Sip it and rip it.
California
Kalya Disposable “Blue Zushi” Rosin Pen
The new rosin rechargeables from Santa Rosa’s Kalya Extracts are an outstanding achievement in solventless on-the-go. Using the latest Omega XL hardware from Kung-Fu Vapes, along with extracts from some of the best farms in California, these are some of the best disposables, and rechargeables I’ve come across. This new hardware has a preheating function when you flip the on/off switch…try as I might, it didn’t give me a burned taste when I tried hitting it eight times in a row. In the latest batch of flavors is some of that Blue Zushi which they got from Dancing Dog Farms. We asked Kalya what was on the horizon and told us to look out for Honey Banana, Zkittlez, and some Starburst OG phenos. Co-founder Marc Hammond also said they’ve launched the same hardware for the Community line and their Oregon series of products. —Matt Jackson
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Super Dope Liquid Diamond Vapes
The weirdest and most interesting new type of cartridge out there right now is undeniably the Live Diamond Disposable Vaporizer by Super Dope. Rechargeable, disposable, and square-shaped, they look like something you’d pull out of a claw machine in Akihabara and are filled with cured resin sauce and diamonds from flower grown at their facility. Flavors for this first drop include Cherry Popperz, Mega Z Blue, Lemon Popperz, and Bubblegum Popperz. These come with a pretty high price tag, but two factors—the brand-new hardware and the exclusivity of the brand’s flower—has made this a desirable product to try in the California market. Pro tip: if you’re having trouble getting a good hit, remember there’s an airflow hole at the bottom of the unit that you can cover for more vapor production. —Matt Jackson
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America’s coolest carts and pods of 420 2023
This next pick from Southern California’s Rosin Tech Labs is a disposable, rechargeable, strain-specific Advanced Vapor Devices (AVD) vape showcasing some of the loudest terpene profiles from its Green and Black boxes. The difference lies in the yield: If a run generates less than a thousand grams of product, then it goes from the Green to the Black. Each 1-gram takes its flavor from the Rosin Tech Black line, while the newly released 0.5-grams get sourced from Rosin Tech Green. These perform super well, too: Given that the brand also sells rosin and hash holes, it should be no surprise that they perfected a 1.0-gram that has an even burn with no spillover while you’re inhaling. The Rosin Bars they’ve put out with Santa Rosa’s Luma Farm have been first class, and while I’m a sucker for the straight Papaya, look for the Funky Poohie, which blends that fruity Papaya with some First Class Funk. —Matt Jackson
Family-owned and operated in Los Angeles, Cold Fire Extracts has been cartridge fans’ secret hitter for several years. These live resin, butane-extracted 510 thread cartridges produce super solid hits like Meduzaa, Sour Diesel, and Lime Slurps (all in stores now.) Working with only the most talented and longstanding operators in the state, they’ve released vape carts in collaboration with brands like CAM, Green Dawg, Blueprint, and Lumpy’s. Look up your local store on Leafly now to catch their work with Elite Genetics, Turtle Pie, and Seven Leaves. With so many quality farm partners, you’ll always want to check out the Cold Fire section and see what’s on the menu. —Matt Jackson
Whether you choose to grab a Sweet Pineapple, Ripe Guava, or Iced Mango, your tongue is going to experience a wave of ripe fruit bursting from each of these Dee Thai options. I particularly liked how this brand of disposables doesn’t look like a cannabis product—making it a great option to take with you into places that might be upset at finding a pen with a giant weed leaf printed on it. Dee Thai vapes are a mix of live resin and distillate. Though they may be primarily known for their edibles, Dee Thai has created a welcome addition to their product line with these disposables. Each one tastes like taking a bite out of a piece of fruit and is sneaky enough to make it into Downtown Disney. —Matt Jackson
Raw Garden’s Refined Live Resin
Raw Garden’s trademarked Refined Live Resin boasts a smooth, flavorful hit—a testament to the company overseeing every step of the process, seed to oil. With its own farmers and researchers, Raw Garden produces a carefully crafted line of cannabis extracts that are all pesticide-free and Clean Green certified; just about the closest thing to being USDA certified organic in the cannabis world. No additives, no artificial flavors—just pure, potent weed.
On its farm in Santa Barbara’s wine country, Raw Garden takes things a step further with a specialized freezing process. Rather than hang drying newly harvested plants, the company freezes them while they’re still fresh. This locks in the whole essence of the cannabis “before it can dry out and lose any of its natural flavors and aromas,” the company says.
The Refined Live Resin undergoes a refinement process that removes fats, waxes and tannins. That helps the oil flow more easily through a vape pen—without chunking up—for a smoother hit.
Given the high quality, Raw Garden products are actually pretty affordable, something the beloved California brand prides itself on. “Weed is life to people… the pricing sensitivity is very real,” Co-Founder Khalid Al-Naser told Leafly in 2020. —Marissa Wenzke
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CBX live resin carts
Cannabiotix is all about consistency.
With more than 20 High Times Cannabis Cup awards to its name, CBX cultivates an elite line of one-of-a-kind strains. Two expert cultivators founded the California-Nevada based company, armed with “rare heirloom genetics” they collected in California’s medical marijuana days.
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Whether flower or concentrates, CBX strains are consistently potent and consistently deliver what they promise. There’s descriptions on the labels that are helpful and surprisingly accurate. The company says its strains carry “one-of-a-kind cannabinoid and terpene profiles found nowhere else in the game.”
CBX’s live resin carts are strain-specific and contain “100% sauce”—no cutting agents, no artificial terpenes, no distillates. None of the icky stuff.
CBX makes its carts through a 6-week process in which it isolates a strain’s terpene fraction from its cannabinoids. “We then combine and homogenize the two fractions together with the goal of creating an artisan vaping experience that delivers a full flower flavor, true to the strain,” the company says.
Carts are available in six strains: Cereal Milk, GM-Uhoh, Tropicanna L’Orange, RPG, and Kush Mountains, which won 1st place at the High Times World Cup for Best Hybrid Flower in 2017. —Marissa Wenzke
Bloom disposables
Bloom’s disposable all-in-one vape pens are top tier. For one, you can rip them until they’re done and then just throw them away. I love not carrying a battery that I have to continuously recharge and worry about not losing. For two, they look very unsuspecting, so traveling around with them or public use is a stress-free activity. For three, the all-around consumption experience is great. The vapor hits smoothly with no cough on the back end and the effects actually get you high, unlike a lot of other vape pens that leave you with a super light buzz that just makes you crave a joint after. Plus, the flavors come through vibrantly and low-key, making it hard to put the vape down. The brand carries three different types of vape pens in 0.5-gram quantities: Classic, Live, and Rosin. I prefer that rosin for that full-spectrum, terpene-rich, deliciously-satisfying flavor experience. —Dante Jordan
Disposable CUREpen by West Coast Cure
West Coast Cure’s Disposable CUREpen is an all-in-one vape with a ceramic core atomizer and a rechargeable 2.4-volt auto-draw battery. It’s convenient, potent, and ready to rip.
The Orange County, CA-based company produces vapes that come in over 30 different strains, with the disposable CUREpen available in classics like Jack Herer and Birthday Cake as well as some newer strains as well.
This pen delivers a strong, smooth, tasty, terpy hit. It comes pre-filled with premium distillate oil, with THC levels usually testing above 90%. And even while being such solid quality, these pens are typically priced a little cheaper than other premium vapes.
They’re a great option if you want something budget-friendly that still packs a punch. And you can rest easy knowing they come from a reliable, trusted brand. —Marissa Wenzke
Oregon
Echo Electuary “Greasy Runtz” Live Nectar Cartridge
Echo Electuary is a respected name in Oregon’s extraction scene. Renowned for their extensive series of award-winning live resins, their hard work and dedication extends to their cartridge series as well. Echo’s single-source “live nectar” is unheated raw THCa in glass 510 thread, C-Cell cartridges. You can also grab these in a 50/50 mix of live nectar and distillate. Echo also keeps its game up through partnerships with Oregon farms like Evans Creek Farms, Ananda Farms, and Benson Arbor. Also aware of the up-and-coming cultivars from other states, they offer things like Compound Genetics’ Apples and Bananas. If you can find some in the stores of Portland, catch the Greasy Runtz (Grease Monkey x Runtz) they put out with Eastwood Gardens. One thing to appreciate about Echo is that they make sure the front of their packaging lists the terpene percentage instead of just putting a giant box around the THC percentage. —Matt Jackson
Happy Cabbage upholds a high standard of quality but also runs an extensive distribution network throughout the state, should you find yourself in the beautiful Oregon countryside. Right near the Willamette River, this brand has established itself as a major name in Oregon’s solventless market; the battery alone should make their rosin cartridge a consideration. Unlike a lot of other brands, a Happy Cabbage battery has a preheat function and two settings that have been dialed in by their hashmakers to ensure the perfect experience with their carts. A killer selection of 510 thread, 0.5-gram options are in stores now, including Tropicana Cookies, Dog$#it Cherry Pie, and my current favorite, the Iced Zubes. —Matt Jackson
Grape God Disposable Rosin Pods
Oregon may be the Beaver State, but rosin fans up there have been worshiping the Grape since around 2014 when they shifted to focusing on solventless hash production. Purveyors of the kind of stuff you see people asking each other about on message boards, Grape God entered Oregon’s recreational market in 2022. Inspired by the strain Grape God (Godbud x Grapefruit), the brand makes a 0.5-gram disposable hash rosin pod that boasts a lot of—you guessed it—grape flavors. You can pick up Grape Rambutan, Straw-Grape, and Grape Cream Cake Along with Superboof and Puro Loco. —Matt Jackson
Washington
Constellation “Georgia Pie” ceramic rosin pod
If you ask Seattle’s discerning terpene fans what cartridge to buy, you can bet they’re going to say Constellation—a crew that came together thanks to a chance meeting at the 2016 Emerald Cup. If you want a universal 510 variety, you have 0.5-gram options in strains like Flaming Cherries, Moonshot Grape, Brunch Runtz, and Tallymon. Continuous improvement remains a guiding principle for Constellation, so when you feel ready to level up to a 1-gram, they have a ceramic, “snake oil” pod system that’s one of the first of its kind on the Washington market and bakes up a delicious Georgia Pie that manages to bring in the fruit, the spice, and that good pie crust, too. —Matt Jackson
Colorado
Dablogic Hash Rosin Cartridges
When it comes to legendary names in Colorado cannabis, Dablogic rings out all through the Rockies and even out west in California, where its products are also sold. In 2017, Dablogic partnered with Verde Natural to create some of the first solventless vape pens. They have impeccable solventless cartridges that are 510 thread and come in three versions, divided by the micron range—the size of the holes in the bag—which are used to collect the heads of the plant’s trichomes. You can choose a 73u like the Sour 2018, which pops together the flavors of Diesel and Chem, or for a little more money go with the 90-120u and try the Strawnana, which this brand is well known for producing. Smokers on slightly more of a budget can enjoy the mixed micron series that launched, knowing it all came from the same living soil flower grown by their partnership with Verde Natural. —Matt Jackson
New Jersey
Just last week, Edie Parker announced that the company was about to drop these new disposal BOMA vape pens as part of the Flower by Edie Parker line in New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois, and Massachusetts. This East Coast release from the fashion and cannabis brand comes in three flavors that accent certain moods. Lemon Watermelon is a hybrid blend that also mixes effects along with fruit flavors for a nice, center-lane experience. The Maui Mango has a tropical flavor that sparks the feelings of their sativa blend. Lavender Vanilla tastes like a creamy, floral dessert that’s meant for the latter part of the day. Just like most of the Edie Parker cannabis line, they have a pleasing color range and visually satisfying aesthetic. Alongside this, plans are in motion to also bring out the 0.8-gram 510 thread cartridges starting with the Missouri market as early as this year. —Matt Jackson
Florida
710 Labs Persy Pods Gak Smoovie #5
Colorado, California, Michigan, and Florida know these pods ooze with flavor. You can pick up super fun strains in all four numbered tiers of 710 Labs pods, but a Persy Pod is the definition of self-care. Casual consumers and fans of the brand will admit that it’s not unusual to go through a pod faster than you think, so a lot of people reserve these for a special treat. With a ton of different strains and sub-varieties on their menu, it can be difficult to recommend something that your friends can find. For me, I would say the Gak Smoovie #5 packs a punch and has that fruit salad flavor that always seems to go over well with the cartridge community. We know it’s a struggle to keep up with all these proprietary batteries and pod systems out there, but this one is worth hanging onto. —Matt Jackson
New York
Evolvd Gush Mints rosin cart
I’m the first to admit I’m a vape snob. It sounds pretentious, I know, but distillate, botanical terpenes, and formulas calibrated to work in rudimentary disposables leave a lot to be desired in both flavor and effect. So when I see a solventless option, price be damned, I’m going to hop on it. Evolvd started in Eugene, OR, but has found a place in New York’s market by providing one of the only solventless cartridges across multiple NYC dispensary menus that I’ve reviewed. The packaging not only declares its THC potency (67%, just fine for me), but also the percentages of the minor cannabinoids CBG, CBC, and THCV; it also packs a whopping 5.9% terpenes. I appreciate that they include an expiration date for the cart, as a recommendation to use within 90 days of opening. Evolvd definitely offers a faithful Gush Mints—that menthol feeling hit me immediately, followed by a strong earthiness and a touch of sweetness. It’s stonier than what I usually go for, but has none of the brain jitters that can arise from lower-quality oils. —Amelia Williams
Florist Farms was one of the first cannabis brands in the first adult-use cannabis dispensary in New York state, and their concentrates-focused brand, Blotter, also brought the first dabbables to dispensary shelves. Blotter, at least for now, does use BHO extraction for their “liquid live resin” carts, live resin sugars, and diamond sauces. I chose Pop Tarts, which rocks 62.7% THC, and comes with an expiration date on the packaging, which I appreciate. In true live resin fashion, Pop Tarts makes itself known, blowing big clouds even as I used the lowest battery setting. You’d think a strain like Pop Tarts would be creamy and sweet, but it veers more sour and herbal in this form, with a lemongrass pop at the end of the pull. It offers a cerebral overall effect that inspires movement and conversation, but not as acute as a straight sativa—great for daytime, social gatherings, and jam sessions. Florist Farms also produces live resin sauce disposable pens at a more affordable price point, though they are a mix of live resin and distillate. —Amelia Williams
See also: MFNY’S divine disposable rosin pens like Poddy Mouth, or Blueberry Muffin (winner of Hitman’s “Best of New York” competition in July). Available at Housing Works and Union Square Travel Agency in Manhattan, NY.
If you prefer potency over palate and have no qualms about distillate or extraction method, NYC’s dispensaries have plenty of more affordable options. Jetty and their multiple lines of vapes are all over the state, and local NY brand Jaunty has 1-gram carts with high, high potency numbers and cannabis-derived terpenes at competitive prices.
Nevada
CAMP + The Real McCoy solventless Weekend at Gary’s
Nevada’s first solventless weed brand CAMP teamed up with indoor hydro growers The Real McCoy for a fresh drop of CAMP’s Disposable 3.0 solventless vapes in the popular indica strain Weekend at Gary’s. Ice water hash rosin powers this tasty, potent pen, which uses a wickless ceramic bucket to heat the rosin and avoid any burning taste. You can set your own variable voltage to better hit that thick rosin oil. CAMP Disposable 3.0s also come in Live Rosin, Ice Water Hash, and Flower Rosin. They launched in July and sell at The Source’s five Nevada stores. —David Downs
CBD pick
MFUSED’s 20:1 Lifter
Who says that only THC fans can enjoy vape carts? The 20:1 Lifter disposable cart from MFUSED (available in Arizona, California, Nevada and Washington) provides CBD lovers an opportunity to savor a delicious, terp-rich product that relaxes and energizes while (most likely) steering you clear of anxiety and paranoia.
This MFUSED cart hits smoother than Carlos Santana, and their Lifter strain—a cross of Suver Haze and Early Resin Bud—delivers a robust bouquet of sweet berry, pepper and diesel notes.
The Lifter cart quickly sparked a mild but thoroughly enjoyable head high that relieved some body tension and left me feeling uplifted for hours afterwards. True to its name, the Lifter is a great fit for daytime use; sensitive consumers may want to find another option for evening time. Bonus points: the disposable cart includes a micro-USB charging port to keep it fully operational.
Note: Even though this product is CBD-dominant, it contains more than 0.3% THC and thus cannot be shipped online like many popular CBD products. —Max Savage Levenson
And thus concludes out massive, 3,000-plus-word, 8-state, 21-cart vapes package for Labor Day and fall 2023. Have a great break—you’ve earned it.
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