How to Use a Delta 8 Vape Pen

Vaping delta 8 has quickly become one of the most popular ways to use this hemp-derived alternative to delta 9 THC. Commonly featuring delta 8 distillate combined with live resin cannabis terpenes, delta 8 vapes have the potential to both be highly effective and incredibly delicious.

Learn what a delta 8 vape pen is and how to use it in this guide. Stick around to the end to find answers to common issues that come up as you use a delta 8 vape pen. And, don’t forget to explore just how convenient D8 can be with the new Secret Nature Delta 8 Disposable.  

What is a delta 8 vape pen?

A delta 8 vape pen consists of a battery and a tank containing the cannabinoid delta 8, a naturally occurring yet chemically distinct form of THC. Delta 8 provides effects that will be familiar to many cannabis users, but the delta 8 high is considerably mellower, and delta 8 is not usually considered to be marijuana at the federal level.

There are quite a few different types of delta 8 vape pens, but they can largely be separated into disposable and rechargeable vapes. It’s rare, but some users also load delta 8 distillate or “D8 dabs” into portable dab pens.

How to use a delta 8 vape pen: step-by-step

You have a delta 8 vape pen. Now, what steps do you need to take to activate it and start inhaling delta 8 THC? Learn everything you need to know to use a delta 8 vape below, starting with analyzing your hardware with and ending with blowing incredible clouds:

#1) Assess your hardware

First, it’s important to understand what you’re working with. Take a close look at your hardware, and find what you need to do to start up your vape and take your first puffs. Usually, an instruction manual is provided that tells you everything you need to know.

With disposable delta 8 vapes, all you generally need to do to get your vape going is put the mouthpiece between your lips and inhale. Rechargeable D8 vapes, which consist of a battery combined with a replaceable cartridge, can be a bit trickier to set up, but most vape batteries and cartridges are universal 510-threaded for convenience.

#2) Make sure it’s charged and connected

Delta 8 vapes work best when they’re charged to full voltage. If your vape is rechargeable, plug it into the wall until it’s fully charged before you take your first puff. Even many disposable delta 8 vapes are rechargeable — look on the bottom of the vape for a charging port. To work properly, vape cartridges need to be fully screwed into their batteries.

#3) Activate the battery

Most vapes have batteries that must be activated before use. While this setup is far from standard in the industry, many vapes have buttons that simply must be pressed five times to start up. Other vape batteries might activate on inhalation or require a different series of button-presses.

#4) Activate the coil

Vape pens transform liquid hemp concentrate into vapor by sending electricity from the battery to a coil in the tank. Some vape batteries activate automatically upon inhalation (including the Secret Nature Vape Battery), but with others, you’ll need to press a button to activate the coil.

#5) Inhale

Put your mouth on the end of the vape pen, and inhale. Most vapes will turn off automatically once you’ve taken a standard hit — otherwise, keep inhaling for around 3-5 seconds. Hold the vapor in your lungs for a moment, and then expel it fully.

#6) Store upright

When not in use, store your hemp vape pen with the cartridge upright. This will prevent leaks and clogs. If your vape does clog, simply heating it slightly is usually enough to allow proper airflow once more.

#7) Recharge or replace

With rechargeable vape batteries, it’s good practice to plug them in once every 24 hours — just like your phone. Disposable vape pens sometimes can’t be recharged, in which case they will gradually weaken in intensity until they no longer operate. That’s why rechargeable disposables are more desirable and useful.

Why isn’t my D8 pen working? Delta 8 vape pen troubleshooting

Sometimes delta 8 vapes don’t work despite our best efforts. If you’re having trouble getting your delta 8 vape working properly, start with the first step we describe below, and keep working your way down until you’re blowing clouds properly again:

Solution 1: Clear obstructions

The most common reason for a delta 8 vape pen not working is a clog in the air passage. Clogs are especially common with high-potency (80%+ D8) delta 8 vapes since cannabinoids have an inherent tendency to recrystallize.

Thankfully, clearing the air passage of your vape is quite easy. You just need to heat the vape enough so that the obstruction becomes fluid without making the vape so hot that all the extract runs out.

Some users run hair dryers set to low on the outside of the vape for around 1-2 minutes. You can also simply use body heat to clear the vape by putting it in a crook like cleavage or your armpit.

Solution 2: Check the battery voltage

If you’re sure your delta 8 vape isn’t clogged, then the next step is to check the voltage of your battery. Even though some batteries have indicators that can tell you their general charge level, it’s best to make absolutely sure your battery has a full charge by plugging it in prior to your D8 vaping session. Once you’re sure your battery is 100% charged, try hitting your vape again.

Solution 3: Check the battery connection

If your battery is fully charged and there’s no clog in the vape’s air passage, you now need to make sure the battery is connecting properly to the bottom of the cartridge (skip this step for disposable D8 vapes). Over time, the connection points on both vape batteries and vape cartridges can become covered with extract or other residue, preventing an electrical current from passing between the two.

Usually, all you’ll need is a damp washcloth to clean the contact points. You can also use a small amount of isopropyl alcohol.

Solution 4: Check the coil

The part of a vape that electrically “excites” liquid delta 8 extract into gaseous vapor is called the coil. While coils have improved a lot over the years, they still aren’t impervious to failure, and if you’ve gone through all the prior steps in this troubleshooting guide to no avail, it’s possible your coil has failed.

Unfortunately, there’s not much you can do if the coil in your vape has failed. It is not reasonable to attempt to remove and replace the coil, and attempting to do so would likely just waste whatever amount of delta 8 extract is left inside the cartridge.

You can check if your coil is the issue, though, by attempting to hit your D8 vape directly without a battery. We provide a detailed guide to doing so here.

Solution 5: Remove the oil

You’ve reached the last step in this troubleshooting mini-guide, and your D8 pen still isn’t working. There’s one more solution you can use, but it will involve abandoning the vape itself to salvage the oil inside.

Doing so is actually quite easy. Go back to Solution 1 in which you heated the outside of the vape cartridge to make sure the mouthpiece was free of obstructions, but just keep heating the vape until all the extract inside has become liquid and runs out the bottom. Place a silicone mat or a similar surface below the cartridge to catch the oil, and add it to your next joint or bowl of flower for extra potency.

Using a delta 8 vape pen FAQ

1. How many times should you hit a delta 8 vape pen?

There aren’t any officially established dosage guidelines for delta 8 THC. As a result, you should vaporize as much of this substance as you feel comfortable consuming per session. 

Most delta 8 users take one to two hits every hour or two. So far, no scientific evidence has been presented indicating there is any danger of delta 8 overdose.

2. How do you change the cartridge in a delta 8 vape pen?

With most delta 8 vape pens, replacing an old cartridge with a new one is as simple as screwing in a lightbulb. The vast majority of delta 8 vape pens and vape batteries on the market are 510-threaded. This universal design makes it very easy to unscrew one cartridge and replace it with another.

3. Can you put delta 8 distillate in a vape?

Yes it might be possible to put delta 8 distillate in your vape cartridge if you have a refillable vape pen. Keep in mind, though, that hemp extract is sticky like honey and not fluid like nicotine salts. As a result, you’ll need to very carefully assess if your vape pen and distillate are compatible before continuing with your plan.

4. What happens if you vape too much delta 8?

Based on the evidence we’ve acquired so far, it appears that delta 8 THC is very much like delta 9 THC in that the potential for overdose is practically nonexistent. Both delta 8 and delta 9 THC appear to have a few potential side effects that you may want to apprise yourself of before responsibly using either substance. Cannabinoids have remarkably high safety profiles, though, so there isn’t much need to worry about using too much THC of any variety.

5. How long does it take to charge a delta 8 pen?

The amount of time it takes a vape battery to charge depends on the capacity of the battery and the amperage of the charger. On average, though, a vape pen battery will be fully charged around 2-3 hours after you first plug it in.

6. Why is my delta 8 disposable not hitting?

If your delta 8 disposable vape pen has stopped working even though there is still distillate in the cartridge, you have discovered one of the inherent problems with disposable vape pens. Disposable vape pens are inferior to rechargeable vape pens because they gradually lose voltage over time and you can’t recharge them back to full capacity.

With a delta 8 vape cartridge and battery that are separate, you gain the power to not only bring your battery back up to full voltage any time you wish but also switch between different cartridges of distillate at your pleasure. 

7. How do I get my delta 8 pen to work?

If your delta 8 vape pen isn’t producing big, puffy clouds as intended, a few different things could be wrong. To start, your battery might be depleted, or your tank could be empty. In either case, it’s natural for your delta 8 vape pen to be incapable of producing vapor.

After you’ve troubleshooted past those obvious solutions, it’s possible that the coil in your vape cartridge or disposable vape is shot. In the case of cartridges, one way to test this theory is to try hitting your cart manually with a stripped-down USB cord. If your cart is completely kaput, you can gently remove the top to at least salvage the valuable cannabis concentrate inside.

8. How do you use a disposable vape?

Disposable vapes are usually among the easiest vape products to use. Most disposable vapes are designed to simply be removed from their packages, placed in your mouth, and puffed upon. They automatically produce vapor when exposed to the air pressure of your inhalation, and no connecting of batteries is necessary. Check the use instructions for your particular disposable vape pen product for details.

9. How many hits does a delta 8 disposable have?

One-gram disposable vape pens generally contain between 50 and 100 hits. If you take 10 hits per day, for instance, an average disposable vape will last 5-10 days. Most disposable vapes feature viewing windows you can use to visually assess the amount of cannabis concentrate remaining in the pen’s tank.

10. How long does it take a delta 8 vape to kick in?

One of the primary benefits of delta 8 vape pens is that they kick in almost instantly. While it takes a while for cannabinoids to be processed through your digestive tract, these lipid-based compounds pass through the lining of your lungs within seconds and with limited filtration, entering your bloodstream in a massive rush.

It physically only takes around 3-5 seconds for substances absorbed by your lungs to reach your brain. When you vape, therefore, you should feel the effects of delta 8 almost before you take your pen away from your mouth.

11. How long does the delta 8 vape high last?

As is the case with all natural cannabinoids, the primary effects of inhaling delta 8 THC last for around 30-60 minutes — shorter depending on your tolerance. Past that point, a general sense of peace and euphoria might persist for as long as 2-3 hours.

Compared to the effects of oral ingestion, though, the effects of inhaling delta 8 are considerably shorter-lived. As a result, many delta 8 users choose to both vape and orally ingest this cannabinoid for a combination of quick-acting and long-term effects.

12. Does delta 8 show up on drug tests?

Yes, delta 8 will show up on drug tests that screen for THC. As a result, this is not a good cannabinoid to use if you are regularly drug tested or if THC use is a problem due to your circumstances in life.

From a regulatory perspective, delta 8 is different enough from THC to be considered a separate chemical. The human body doesn’t abide by the FDA’s regulations, however, and treats delta 8 and delta 9 largely the same. As a result, these two compounds register as the same chemical in urinalysis and other forms of drug testing.

13. How much does a delta 8 vape pen cost?

Delta 8 vape pens generally cost between $20 and $40 per 1-gram unit. If you are able to find a sale or another form of discount, you may be able to find D8 vape pens at even cheaper prices.

Keep in mind that most delta 8 vape cartridges do not automatically come with batteries. The battery is a separate purchase that ranges between $5 and $15. Vape batteries last around 3-6 months, which is why some users consider it to be more economical to buy all-in-one disposable vapes instead.

14. Are delta 8 vapes good?

Some delta 8 vapes are good, but others are bad. The best delta 8 vapes contain full-spectrum or broad-spectrum hemp distillate, added delta 8, cannabis terpenes, and no other ingredients. High-quality delta 8 vape products come with batch-specific, third-party lab reports you can use to verify their safety and quality for yourself.

One of the best tools at your disposal as you search for a high-quality delta 8 vapes are customer reviews. You can use reviews to find out if delta 8 products actually helped people in the ways they are advertised to be beneficial.

15. What are the best delta 8 vape brands?

Since delta 8 is relatively easy to produce and formulate into vape products, there are now quite a few different delta 8 vape brands on the internet. The best delta 8 vape brands, however, have been around since before the D8 craze and have offered hemp as a healing tool from the very beginning.

If a delta 8 brand didn’t start off as a CBD company, you have greater reason to fully inspect their credentials and product quality. Regardless, you should always be thorough when vetting hemp products for their cannabinoid concentrations, purity, and value. 

16. Where can I find delta 8 vape pens for sale?

Delta 8 vape pens are now sold widely online. In almost every case, the selection and quality you can find online far outstrips the delta 8 section at your local gas station or smoke shop.

Online D8 sellers generally ship quickly and send their products in discreet packages. Delta 8 products are sent to all 50 states every day, and people love delta 8 vapes for their simplicity, potency, and flavorful intensity.

17. How long should you hold in a delta 8 vape?

Most users hold in the vapor produced by a delta 8 vape for around 3-5 seconds before exhaling. You can hold D8 vapor in your lungs longer if you want to, though, and doing so may allow this cannabinoid to absorb into your bloodstream with higher bioavailability.

18. How long does it take a delta 8 pen to hit?

Usually, a delta 8 pen will start to “hit” or produce vapor through the mouthpiece within 1-2 seconds after the coil is activated. From that point, pens usually continue to hit for around 5-10 seconds before an auto-shutoff sequence begins. This switch turns off the pen to make sure that it doesn’t overheat. This feature is necessary to keep vape pens from burning their users or causing other types of injuries.

19. How do I know when my delta 8 pen is charged?

Delta 8 vape pens are usually equipped with lights that indicate their charge level. The color of these lights varies depending on the pen in question, but usually, a green or blue color indicates that the pen is fully charged while a red color indicates that it is still charging. Check the instructions that came with your particular delta 8 vape pen to find out which indicators to look for when the pen is fully charged.

20. What are the benefits of delta 8 vapes?

Delta 8 vape pens are small and convenient while packing more potency than flower, gummies, and many other product options. Vapor is usually easier on the throat than smoke, and delta 8 concentrate can contain more than 80% pure delta 8, considerably higher than the maximum cannabinoid concentration in flower. What’s more, you can use delta 8 vape pens discreetly in most situations without anyone becoming the wiser.

21. What is the button on my delta 8 vape pen?

If your delta 8 vape pen features a button on the side, its most likely purpose is activating the pen. Some delta 8 vape pens do not have buttons at all, but some do, providing more control over voltage and activation. The standard design is to activate the pen with 5 consecutive button pushes, at which point you can hold the button to turn on the coil and produce vapor.