We won't see a 'universal' vape oil cartridge anytime soon

Pre-loaded cartridges of cannabis concentrate are currently among the most popular means of consumption, and for good reason. They're discreet to use and easy to handle, a far cry from the dark days of 2016 when we had to dribble hash oil or load wax into narrow-mouthed vape pens by hand. But, frustratingly, an ever increasing number of oil cartridge manufacturers employ one-off design standards so that their products won't work with those of their competitors, thereby locking customers into proprietary ecosystems.

We've already seen this with nicotine vaporizers -- which has a seen a massive rise in "pod systems" in the last few years, each outfitted with a unique canister and battery built to be incompatible with those of their competition. Is it too late for the burgeoning cannabis industry to set a universal standard for their product designs?

This unfortunately is not a unique occurence. Companies have long sought to retain customers by ensuring that what they buy only works with what the company sells. Just look at Apple's "walled garden" filled with patented charging and data ports that won't work with other brands' devices. Luckily, the personal computer industry is mature and ubiquitous enough to have already sorted that issue through the implementation of standardization practices. That is, whether you're using a Chromebook or a MacBook, you can rest assured that your USB plug is going to work with both.

What's more, as of August 2016, the Federal Drug Administration has classified e-cigarettes (technically, "electronic nicotine delivery systems" or ENDS) as drug delivery devices, subjecting them to the rules of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDCA regulates aspects like the ingredients that can be used and various product features, as well as health risks associated with their use and how they're marketed. Cannabis vaporizers suffer from few such regulatory impediments since cannabis itself is still a Schedule 1 drug and illegal at the federal level.

That's not to say cannabis vapes are completely lacking in standardized components. Many vape models, especially smaller pen-style vapes like the Bloom Farms Highlighter use 510 thread for connecting the atomizer (the bit with the oil in it) to the battery housing -- the same connection used in non-proprietary e-cigarettes. However, just because two parts fit together, doesn't guarantee that they'll work properly. Bloom Farm's atomizers "will fit with any 510 thread, but we recommend using ours so the voltage is correct for the cartridge," a Bloom Farms rep told Engadget. "This will save you from burning your oil."

Often, those parts won't even fit together to begin with. Take the Pax Era or the Grenco G Pen Gio, for example. These popular cannabis vapes do away with 510 threading altogether in favor of a simple drop-in cartridge. But you're out of luck if you've got a Gio and your local dispensary only has Era pods in stock.

Unsurprisingly, some people in the industry think the move towards more proprietary designs may not be a bad thing, Chris Folkerts, Founder and CEO of Grenco Science, tells Engadget. When the original GPen was released, it used a cylindrical atomizer because "everything was really being borrowed from the e-cig industry," he said. "So really, people were just using what was available."

"One of the branding pinnacles that I think we were able to achieve was that everyone was calling it a GPen in the early stages -- like a Q-tip -- everything that people were smoking cannabis out of were calling it a GPen," he continued.

However, that strong brand association had its pitfalls as well. "We saw a lot of people were kind of disappointed with what was coming out [of China and being associated with GPen]," Folkerts explained. By designing a vape not based on the 510 standard, the company was able to generate a unique product that looked nothing like the rest of the cylindrical vapes available in the market at that time. What's more, the novel design enabled Grenco to then focus on the atomizer and battery technologies inside the pens themselves.

"510 has been the industry standard and what you're starting to see is that people are seeking other shapes and designs because they're either tired or looking for something new," he said. "Most people will, if they have a product that they like -- whether it be a pair of headphones or anything that is technology-based -- once it becomes something of a daily driver, the natural thing is to go and purchase another one" if their current unit gets lost or breaks.

So not only does using a proprietary design help manufacturers differentiate themselves in an increasingly crowded market, the right design can help lock in users to the brand's ecosystem. Similarly, through the use of partnerships with oil manufacturers, vape companies can offer strains and 3rd party brands exclusively on their device. Think of PS4 exclusives like God of War, but for weed. "Going away from standardization is another way to protect your IP," Folkerts said.

Now, that's not to say that the 510 standard is going the way of the Dodo anytime soon, even though devices relying on it have historically suffered from a number of design issues -- from leaky canisters to connection problems between the atomizer and the battery unit. Like the original USB standard, 510-style vapes were revolutionary when they first hit the market but times have changed and it's now necessary for the technology to do the same.

The trend towards Era-style pods rather than cylindrical canisters could eventually face the same challenges that the 510 standard currently faces. "At some point there is a point where there's an oversaturation," Folkets said. "And, just like the 510, the reason that people are trying to go and make other things is an oversaturation."

"I just came back from China last night," he continued. "I sat with my factory reps and they said 'We want to make a CBD cartridge.' They don't know why they want to make it, they just want to make it because everyone else is making it. And so unfortunately in China, now when people start to see that there's traction on a product, that's where they start to knock everything off or they start to create their own version of it."

This results in an arms race between companies looking to stand out from the rest of the market and off-brand manufacturers trying to piggyback off of the latest and most popular designs. "I think that you're going to start seeing pockets of producers taking on proprietary systems of their own," Folkerts concluded. "And I think you're going to continue to see fragmentation of the market in that regard."



via Engadget RSS Feed https://ift.tt/2NX48yg
RSS Feed

If New feed item from http://www.engadget.com/rss-full.xml, then send me

IFTTT

Comments

  1. Thanks for your article :) SkyBlue Vapor make best oil pen with all features which you descrebed in your post! Just check it and you will be sold!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I read your post and got it quite informative. I couldn't find any knowledge on this matter prior to. I would like to thanks for sharing this article here. Buy CBD Oil Capsules in Australia

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for publishing such great information. You are doing such a great job. This information is very helpful for everyone. Keep it up. Thanks. Buy Unique CBD oil for pets online in SA

    ReplyDelete
  4. Extremely useful information which you have shared here about vape oil cartridge. This is a great way to enhance knowledge for us, and also beneficial for us. Thank you for sharing an article like this. what is cbd vape oil?

    ReplyDelete
  5. You have provided a richly informative article about vape oil cartridge. It is a beneficial article for me and also helpful for those who are searching for this type of blog. Thanks for sharing this information here. cbd vape pen

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thank you for sharing such an explanatory post about cbd oil as it contains some best knowledge. pet cbd oil.Keep Posting.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am very thankful to you that you have shared this info with us. Here I find some special kind of info, and it is really helpful for everyone. Thanks for sharing it once again. best italian olive oil

    ReplyDelete
  8. I read the above article and got some knowledge from your article which is about pure essential oils canada It's actually great and useful data for us. Thanks for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You have done a good job by publishing this article aboutfull spectrum cbd products online uk I appreciate your efforts which you have put into this article, It is a beneficial article for us. Thanks for sharing such informative thoughts.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Nice info, I am very thankful to you that you have shared this special information with us. I got some different kind of knowledge from your web page, and it is really helpful for everyone. Thanks for share it. Read more info about buy cbd oil nyc

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think this is one of the most significant pieces of information for me. And I'm glad to read your article. Thank you for sharing! Refined Olive Oil

    ReplyDelete
  12. The content you've posted here is fantastic because it provides some excellent information that will be quite beneficial to me. Thank you for sharing about cbd thc. Keep up the good work.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'd like to express my gratitude for writing such an informative piece on this blog. This article provided me with a variety of data about buy kratom. Continue to post.

    ReplyDelete
  14. You've shared some excellent material about nepalese temple ball hash. I'm grateful for this post because it contains a lot of useful information. Thank you for sharing this piece of writing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. This information is meaningful and magnificent which you have shared here about health care I am impressed by the details that you have shared in this post and It reveals how nicely you understand this subject. I would like to thanks for sharing this article here.Medical Spa Raleigh Nc

    ReplyDelete
  16. You've composed an exceptionally valuable article. This article furnished me with some valuable information. Much thanks to you for giving this data . Keep up the great work.glass steamroller pipe

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Evernote cuts staff as user growth stalls

The best air conditioner