Vape Cartridges Explained: 510 Threads, All-in-Ones, Batteries and Labels

Vapes can be one of the more confusing categories to shop for. Cartridges, all-in-ones, 510 threads, batteries with buttons and batteries without: the hardware varies as much as the oil inside it. This guide explains how cannabis vape cartridges work, how the main formats differ, how to look after the hardware, and what Massachusetts rules require on the label, the insert and the lab report. It's for adults 21 and over, and it makes no claims about health effects.

Key takeaways

• A cartridge holds oil and screws onto a separate battery. An all-in-one puts oil, heating hardware and battery in one device.
• 510 is a common thread standard that lets many cartridges fit many batteries. Check compatibility anyway.
• Massachusetts requires ready-to-sell vapes to be screened for heavy metals and vitamin E acetate, on top of standard testing.
• Vape labels must say whether terpenes are cannabis-derived or from other sources, and list additives.
• Every delivered vape comes with inserts on testing and on the hardware's coil material and manufacturers.

How a vape cartridge works

A vape cartridge is a small reservoir of cannabis oil with a heating element (the atomizer) at its base and a mouthpiece at the top. A battery powers the atomizer, which heats the oil until it turns into an inhalable aerosol. Massachusetts regulations define a Marijuana Vaporizer Device in the same terms: a product containing concentrated marijuana oil that's converted into inhalable aerosolized vapor.

The oil itself can be distillate, live resin, live rosin or another concentrate. What's in the cartridge shapes the aroma, the color and the cannabinoid numbers. Our guide to live resin vs. live rosin vs. distillate explains how each is made.

The main formats

510-thread cartridges

The 510 thread is a widely used screw-in connection between cartridge and battery. You buy the cartridge and battery separately. When the cartridge is empty, you replace it and keep the battery. It's the most flexible setup, and the one with the most compatibility questions.

Proprietary pods

Some brands sell pods that only fit their own battery, clicking in rather than screwing on. The pod and the battery are designed together, so fit isn't a question, but you're limited to that brand's pods.

All-in-ones

An all-in-one (sometimes called a disposable) combines the oil, the atomizer and the battery in one sealed device. There's nothing to attach, and some can be recharged until the oil runs out. When it's empty, the whole device is done.

Batteries: the basics

The battery is the part you keep, so it's worth a minute of attention.

• Draw-activated vs. button. Some batteries switch on when you inhale; others need a button press. The directions say which.
• Settings. Some batteries offer more than one heat setting. The label on every Massachusetts vape has to include directions for use, and those directions, plus the battery maker's instructions, are the place to start.
• Charging. Use the charger designed for your battery, and don't leave it charging where it could get damaged or overheat.
• Damage. Stop using a battery that's cracked, swollen or leaking, and dispose of it according to local rules for lithium batteries.

When we stock batteries, you'll find them under accessories.

Hardware care and common-sense handling

These are handling points, not health claims:

• Match the hardware. Use cartridges with a battery they're built for. Forcing a poor fit can damage the threads or the connection.
• Don't overtighten. Screw a 510 cartridge on until it's snug, then stop.
• Keep it out of heat. Don't leave vapes in a hot car or direct sun. Heat can make oil thin out and leak, and it's hard on batteries.
• Store it upright when you can, with any cap on, to reduce leaks.
• Don't open, refill or modify a cartridge or all-in-one. They're sold sealed, tested as finished products and labeled as such.
• Keep it out of reach of children and anyone under 21. Vapes are small and easy to leave out. Our storage guide covers child-resistant storage.

What the Massachusetts vape label must show

Vape cartridges are labeled as concentrates under 935 CMR 500.105(5)(c). Among other things, the label must include:

• Product identity, including the word "concentrate" or "extract".
• Net weight or volume, in U.S. customary and metric units.
• The type of marijuana used and any processing technique or solvents.
• An ingredient list, including the full cannabinoid profile and specific additives, such as thickening agents, thinning agents and terpenes, in absolute terms and as a percentage. For vapes, additives must include any listed on the FDA's Inactive Ingredient Database for inhalation or oral routes.
• One of two terpene statements: "This product was produced using only cannabis-derived terpenes." or "This product was produced using terpenes derived from sources other than cannabis."
• A creation date and a "use by" or expiration date, a batch number, and directions for use.
• A tested-for-contaminants statement and seal, with the date of testing.

Massachusetts also prohibits white labeling of vaporizer devices: a licensee can't put its own branding on a vape that another licensee manufactured, so the brand on the package is the maker's.

The inserts that come with every delivered vape

Delivery Operators have specific duties when they sell vapes (935 CMR 500.145). Every purchased and delivered vaporizer device must come with a physical insert stating, in the required wording:

"Marijuana Vaporizer Devices have been tested for Vitamin E Acetate and other contaminants, with no adverse findings. WARNING: Vaporizer Devices may contain ingredients harmful to health when inhaled."

Disposable and reusable vaporizer pens and devices must also come with an insert that identifies the material of the atomizer coil (for example titanium, quartz or another specified material) and the manufacturers of the hardware, cartridge, battery and other components. Delivery Operators must also show the type of marijuana and any processing technique or solvents in the product description on their website.

How vapes are tested

All cannabis sold to consumers is tested for its cannabinoid profile and for contaminants, including mold, mildew, heavy metals, plant growth regulators and pesticides. On top of that, the regulations require final, ready-to-sell vaporizer products to be screened for heavy metals and vitamin E acetate.

Manufacturers must also keep records of who made each cartridge, battery, atomizer coil and other hardware component, and keep the certificate of analysis for every thickening agent, thinning agent or terpene added to a vape. When a vape is sold wholesale, that COA goes with it.

On our menu, each vape's product page shows its lab summary from the state tracking system when available. Our lab results explainer walks through each field, and how to read a cannabis COA covers the full report. For aroma, see the terpenes guide.

Potency, limits and where you can vape

• Potency. Vape oil is a concentrate, so cannabinoid percentages are far higher than flower. Start low, go slow. THC percentage explained puts the numbers in context.
• Limits. Under the CCC's April 2026 administrative order, two ounces of flower equals 10 grams of active THC in concentrates. The order doesn't name vape products specifically, so we don't guess: checkout applies the purchase limit to every item and flags an order that goes over.
• Where. The CCC's guidance is that you can't use cannabis in any form, vaping included, in public places or on federal land. And it's illegal to have an open container of cannabis in a car's passenger area.

Shop vapes

Browse vapes and concentrates with lab data on every product page, delivered to Brookline, South End, Framingham and the rest of our delivery area. Adults 21+ only.

For use only by adults 21 years of age or older. Keep out of the reach of children. This article is general information, not medical advice.