Know your equipment
Cannabis inhalables include flower that is smoked, oils used in vape cartridges, and concentrates used in dab rigs or compatible pens. The California Department of Cannabis Control groups smoking, vaping and dabbing under inhalables. The word tells you how a product is used; the label and device instructions tell you which particular product and equipment you have.
A small pen, a cartridge and a jar of wax can look like variations on the same idea. Their contents and hardware can be quite different. Understanding those differences helps you ask a specific store question, and it also makes sweeping wellness claims easier to assess.
Flower
Plant material belongs with equipment designed for flower. Burning and dry-herb heating are different functions.
Cartridge oil
A prefilled cartridge needs compatible hardware. Its oil is a prepared product with its own package information.
Wax or rosin
A solid or semisolid concentrate needs equipment designed for that material.
Last reviewed: November 2026.
Which cannabis inhalables belong to which format?
Smoking burns plant material. A pre-roll contains flower wrapped for smoking, while a pipe or water pipe holds the material separately. The CDC lung-health overview says cannabis smoke contains many of the same harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke. Passing smoke through water does not establish that it is safe.
Vaping heats material to produce an aerosol. A prefilled oil cartridge belongs with a compatible battery or device. A device designed for dry herb has a different loading system. A package that says vape does not make those formats interchangeable. Confirm the material the hardware was designed to hold before making a purchase.
Dabbing uses concentrated extracts. A dab pen built to melt solid or semisolid extracts is a different device from one made for liquid oils. Wax, rosin and live resin also describe different product characteristics. For the extraction terms, see Vibe’s resin, rosin and distillate comparison.
Match the material to the equipment
Choose a product format to see the compatibility question to ask.
Plant
Flower
Is this equipment intended for burning flower or for heating dry herb? Those are different device functions.
Oil
Oil cartridge
Is this exact cartridge compatible with the battery or device? Follow the product instructions.
Extract
Wax or rosin
Is the chamber designed for this solid or semisolid concentrate? A prefilled oil cartridge is a different format.
Device
Integrated vape
Which material does the sealed device contain, and what do its charging and disposal instructions require?
Reading percentages without guessing the amount inhaled
A percentage describes concentration by mass. As a math example, 20 percent represents 200 milligrams per gram, while 70 percent represents 700 milligrams per gram. Neither number tells you how much reaches a person from a puff. That would require information about the device, material, use and absorption that a percentage alone cannot provide.
The DCC rules at section 17407 use different cannabinoid declarations for different products: nonmanufactured flower uses Total THC percentage, and concentrates without designated servings use milligrams per package. A menu may display a percentage as additional information. Read the package field and its units before comparing it with a different format. This is general information, not legal advice.
The slider shows only concentration arithmetic. Its examples do not represent a current product test or an amount to consume. A high percentage can mean concentrated material without making the device more predictable. You can ask a budtender to help locate the cannabinoid statement and the instructions for the exact package.
Label math
Explore example concentration labels
Drag an example percentage to see its mass-per-gram equivalent. This does not measure a puff.
20%
200 mg per gram
Example arithmetic only. Percentage by mass times 10 gives milligrams per gram. These are not measured products, servings or inhaled doses.
What wellness language leaves out
The CDC cannabis FAQ says THC-containing products have risks regardless of the method used and that evidence is insufficient to rank every method as safer than another. Vaping has also been linked to lung injury. A claim that an aerosol is clean or that a pen provides wellness needs evidence beyond the appearance of the device.
CDC describes the 2019 outbreak of vaping-associated lung injury and the link between many cases and THC products containing vitamin E acetate. That historical finding does not show that every cartridge contains the additive. It does explain why a cartridge’s source and ingredients matter, and why adding unknown liquids to a product is a poor substitute for manufacturer instructions.
Three ways in
Burn, heat or melt: three different products
Burn
Flower: pre-rolls, pipes, water pipes
- Goes in
- Plant material, lit.
- The label counts
- Total THC as a percentage of the flower.
- Keep in mind
- CDC: cannabis smoke has many of the same harmful chemicals as tobacco smoke. Water does not make it safe.
Heat
Vapes: oil cartridges and dry-herb devices
- Goes in
- An oil cartridge on a battery it fits, or flower in a device built for dry herb. They do not swap.
- The label counts
- For a cartridge, THC in milligrams for the package.
- Keep in mind
- CDC tied many 2019 lung-injury cases to THC vapes containing vitamin E acetate. Never add liquids.
Melt
Dabs: wax, rosin, live resin
- Goes in
- Solid or semisolid concentrate, in a pen or rig made for it, not in an oil device.
- The label counts
- THC in milligrams for the package when there are no set servings.
- Keep in mind
- Each extract behaves differently. Follow the device instructions.
When it is used up: DCC lists single-use vapes and products with batteries as hazardous waste. Take them to a local collection point, not the trash or recycling.
Label rules: DCC regulations section 17407. Health: CDC lung-health page and cannabis FAQ. No method is shown to be safe.
A recognizable medical-device shape can create another misleading impression. A cannabis product described as an inhaler is not automatically an approved prescription treatment. The retail description, ingredient list and regulatory status each answer a different question. Take treatment questions to a qualified clinician rather than relying on the word inhaler or a wellness claim.
A useful check before buying a vape or dab pen
First identify the product itself: flower, an oil cartridge, an integrated device or a concentrate intended for separate equipment. Then ask which exact device it fits. A connector that seems familiar does not replace instructions about the material or operating requirements. Bring the model name if you are shopping for something to use with equipment you already own.
California’s manufactured-product labeling checklist identifies product identity, ingredients, warnings, batch information and manufacturer contact details. A labeled product gives you a record to refer to if a problem develops. Keep that packaging with the device rather than saving only a photo of the front logo.
Explore the sequence
Check a product before pairing it
Tap through the questions in the order you can answer them from the package and instructions.
Identity
What is inside?
Read the product identity and ingredient statement: flower, oil or another concentrate.
Hardware
What equipment is specified?
Confirm that the material and cartridge are intended for the exact device you own.
Record
Can you identify the product?
Keep the manufacturer, batch and package information available.
Care
What happens after use?
Follow charging and cleaning instructions and arrange appropriate battery or device disposal.
Product fields: DCC. Accessory care: follow the manufacturer's instructions. This sequence does not provide operating temperatures or use instructions.
Follow the manufacturer’s cleaning and charging instructions, and don’t overcharge rechargeable devices. Do not improvise repairs or add ingredients to make a cartridge work with the wrong equipment. For more cartridge-specific questions, read Vibe’s California cartridge guide and ask your store about the exact product.
Storage and disposal are part of the choice
Cannabis and its equipment should remain out of reach of children and pets. Store the product sealed in its labeled, child-resistant package where applicable. A drawer full of loose cartridges, batteries and unmarked containers makes it harder to identify what is present and who could access it. DCC’s responsible-use guidance covers secure storage.
DCC also identifies single-use cannabis vapes and products containing batteries as hazardous waste. Follow your local collection instructions; these devices do not belong in ordinary household trash or recycling. Consider that disposal requirement when comparing an integrated device with equipment intended for repeated use.
Use the Vibe locations page to check the menu at your own store. Product names here explain formats and do not assert current availability. Effects vary; start low and go slow. Do not drive or operate machinery after use.
Frequently asked questions
Only use a concentrate in equipment designed for that material, following its instructions. A dab pen with a compatible concentrate chamber differs from a prefilled oil-cartridge system. Do not put wax into an ordinary sealed cartridge.
The term may describe a device designed to deliver a cannabis formulation by inhalation. A medical-looking shape or retail product name does not establish prescription-drug approval. Check the specific product record and ask a clinician about medical use.
Concentrates contain extracted cannabis material and require equipment designed for that format. Flower is plant material. Product concentration, hardware and labeling can differ, so a remembered puff count is not a reliable comparison.
Sources
- DCC: responsible cannabis use
- DCC: cannabinoid labeling, section 17407
- DCC: manufactured-product checklist
- CDC: cannabis and lung health
- CDC: cannabis FAQ
For adults 21+ (18+ with a physician’s recommendation in California). Keep cannabis and equipment out of reach of children and pets.
Bring your device questions to Vibe
Check your store's menu and ask about the product label and compatible equipment.