In 2019, 68 people died and 2,807 were hospitalized with a mysterious lung disease linked to vaping. The culprit wasn’t cannabis. It was Vitamin E Acetate: a cheap, oily additive used to stretch THC oil in the illicit market. One filler, thousands of hospitalizations, and a permanent shift in how serious buyers think about what’s actually in their oil.
🧪 Lab Tested | 👩💼 Woman-Owned | 🏆 Est. 2017
What Clean Vaping Means
Clean vaping starts with what’s not in the oil. A clean vape cartridge contains two things: cannabis extract and terpenes. That’s it. The extract provides the cannabinoids (THCa, Delta-8 THC, CBD, HHC, or whatever the labeled cannabinoid is). The terpenes provide the flavor, aroma, and the strain-specific entourage effect. Nothing else is needed. Nothing else should be there.
The opposite of clean vaping is diluted vaping. Diluted vape oil contains one or more cutting agents: carrier oils, humectants, or industrial solvents used to thin thick extract, extend volume, or reduce production costs. Some of these additives are merely pointless. Others have documented pulmonary consequences. Phillip M.: “Organic and only 2 ingredients, cannabis and terps.”
Knowing the difference matters because the hemp vape market has no federal testing mandate. A label that says “pure cannabis oil” is a claim, not a fact. The COA is the fact. And the specific panels on that COA (residual solvents, pesticides, heavy metals) are what actually tell you whether the oil is clean or not.
The Additives: What They Are and Why Brands Use Them
Vitamin E Acetate (Tocopheryl Acetate)
Also labeled: tocopherol, vitamin E oil, tocophersolan
The most dangerous additive in vape history. Vitamin E Acetate is a thick, viscous oil used as a supplement in food and skincare; completely safe when ingested or applied topically. Inhaled, it’s a different story. The CDC and FDA identified Vitamin E Acetate as a primary culprit in the 2019 EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury) outbreak. Bronchoalveolar lavage samples from 48 of 51 EVALI patients tested by the CDC contained Vitamin E Acetate. It was not found in samples from healthy controls. The working mechanism: Vitamin E Acetate appears to interfere with normal lung surfactant function when inhaled as an aerosol. The product it was found in was predominantly illicit-market THC cartridges, but the lesson extends to the hemp market: oil thinners that are safe elsewhere may not be safe in a vape.
Source: Blount, B.C. et al. (2020). “Vitamin E Acetate in Bronchoalveolar-Lavage Fluid Associated with EVALI.” New England Journal of Medicine, 382, 697-705. PubMed: 31860793.
MCT Oil (Medium Chain Triglycerides)
Also labeled: fractionated coconut oil, caprylic acid, capric acid
MCT oil is a popular food supplement and cooking ingredient derived from coconut or palm oil. Safe to eat. Used as a carrier in some tinctures, where it serves a legitimate purpose: MCT improves the absorption of fat-soluble cannabinoids in the digestive system. In a vape cartridge, it has no legitimate purpose. It thins thick cannabis extract so cartridges are easier to fill and less extract is needed per unit. Research from Portland State University found that MCT oil and similar lipid-based additives produce aldehydes (acrolein, formaldehyde, and acetaldehyde) when heated to vaporization temperatures; these compounds are associated with respiratory inflammation. The oil doing useful work in your coffee is not doing useful work in your lungs.
Vegetable Glycerin (VG)
Also labeled: glycerol, glycerin, E422
VG is the dominant base in most nicotine vape liquids. It produces the visible vapor cloud that makes nicotine vaping distinctive. In nicotine vapes, it has a functional role: it’s a humectant that carries nicotine in an aerosol form. In cannabis vapes, its main function is dilution. Cannabis extract doesn’t need a cloud-producing carrier; it produces vapor directly when heated. VG in a cannabis cartridge thins the oil (improving flow and reducing clogs), extends volume, and creates visible vapor that users may associate with potency. Studies have documented that glycerin, when heated repeatedly to vaporization temperatures, breaks down into acrolein, a lung irritant also found in cigarette smoke.
Propylene Glycol (PG)
Also labeled: propane-1,2-diol, 1,2-propanediol, E1520
PG is thinner than VG and often blended with it in nicotine vape liquids to improve flavor delivery and reduce viscosity. PG is classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA, for food use only. The GRAS designation does not cover inhalation. Studies have found that inhaled PG aerosol can irritate respiratory mucous membranes, and that PG breaks down at high temperatures into propylene oxide, a recognized carcinogen. In a cannabis cartridge, PG serves the same dilutive function as VG: it thins the oil and increases volume per gram of actual extract. It has no benefit to the consumer.
Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
Also labeled: PEG-400, polyethylene oxide, macrogol
PEG is a synthetic polymer used across pharmaceutical and cosmetic manufacturing as a solubilizer and carrier. PEG-400 is the variant most commonly found in cannabis vapes, used to thin highly viscous cannabis concentrates. At vaporization temperatures, PEG-400 produces acetaldehyde and formaldehyde, with formaldehyde generation increasing at higher heat settings. PEG in cannabis vapes was flagged in a 2017 study in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, which found that formaldehyde generation from PEG-containing cannabis oil became detectable above 200°C, temperatures readily achievable in variable-voltage batteries at higher settings.
Source: Troutt, W.D. & DiDonato, M.D. (2017). “Carbonyl Compounds Produced by Vaporizing Cannabis Oil Thinning Agents.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(11), 879-884. PubMed: 28678531.
The Economics of Dilution
Full-gram THCa live resin extract is expensive to produce: cold-chain logistics, fresh-frozen plant material, solvent recovery, lab testing, and a yield rate that’s significantly lower than distillate production. A 1g cartridge of genuine live resin extract contains approximately 800-850mg of usable cannabinoid-plus-terpene content (accounting for the hardware and oil remaining in the cartridge at end of use).
Add 30% MCT oil to that cartridge, and you’ve got a product that’s roughly 560-600mg of cannabis extract padded to a full gram with coconut oil derivatives. The consumer pays the same price. The manufacturer saves roughly 30% on the most expensive input. The consumer receives a product that’s weaker than labeled, harder to detect as diluted (oil is oil; you can’t see the MCT), and potentially irritating to inhale.
Not every brand does it. But enough do that a COA without a residual solvents panel, and without a cutting-agent disclosure, is not a clean bill of health. Gail C.: “Who knew you didn’t need a bunch of crap in your vape!”
How to Verify Your Oil Is Clean
The label can say anything. The COA is the verification. A full-panel COA for a vape product should include five core test categories.
What a Clean Vape COA Must Include
- Cannabinoid potency panel: confirms labeled milligram counts and identifies all cannabinoids present. Verify that the primary cannabinoid is at or above labeled levels.
- Residual solvents: the most critical panel for a vape product. Should show non-detected across all solvents, including butane, propane, ethanol, hexane, and any other extraction solvents. A COA that omits residual solvents is not a complete COA for an inhaled product.
- Pesticide screen: 50+ compounds; all should show non-detected. Cannabis concentrates can concentrate pesticide residues from the source plant, so pesticide testing matters more in extracts than in flower.
- Heavy metals: lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, each below established limits. Metal contamination can come from soil, water, or hardware.
- Terpene panel: for live resin and full-spectrum products, confirms the terpene profile is intact. Sparse or absent terpene panel on a “live resin” label is a red flag.
Beyond the COA, check the label’s ingredient list. A clean vape oil should list “cannabis extract” or “hemp extract” and potentially specific terpenes. If you see MCT oil, fractionated coconut oil, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, or polyethylene glycol on the ingredient list, the oil is diluted. Lori H.: “Probably one of the cleanest carts I have tried. Phenomenal flavor and experience.”
One useful quick test at home: thick oil that barely moves when you flip the cartridge upside down is a good sign. Oil that flows freely and quickly is thinner than cannabis extract should be. Not a definitive test, but thinned oil tends to move faster. Genuine live resin is noticeably viscous at room temperature.
All TribeTokes vape COAs are available at tribetokes.com/certificates-of-analysis.
TribeTokes and Clean Oil
TribeTokes vape oil contains cannabis extract and terpenes. No MCT oil, no vegetable glycerin, no propylene glycol, no polyethylene glycol, no Vitamin E Acetate. Full stop.
Every batch ships with full-panel COAs covering cannabinoid potency, residual solvents, pesticides, heavy metals, and terpene content for live resin products. COAs are batch-specific (matching the lot number on your order) and from ISO 17025-accredited labs.
Desiree D.: “Tribe Tokes Concentrates, feel so CLEAN. At this point they are the only ones I trust to supply me with products that don’t leave me feeling heavy and weighed down.” Carolyn K.: “Cleanest taste and ingredients available. Don’t hesitate, just do it.”
Browse the full vape lineup at tribetokes.com/all-vape-cartridges. Woman-owned since 2017.
Frequently Asked Questions
Clean vaping means inhaling cannabis extract and terpenes. Nothing else. A clean vape cartridge contains no cutting agents, carriers, or diluents: no MCT oil, no vegetable glycerin, no propylene glycol, no polyethylene glycol, and no Vitamin E Acetate. The oil is cannabis extract at its stated concentration, thinned only by the natural terpene content that’s part of the extract. Verification comes from the COA, specifically the residual solvents panel and the ingredient label.
Vitamin E Acetate is safe when eaten or applied to skin, but research strongly links it to EVALI (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury). A 2020 NEJM study found Vitamin E Acetate in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from 48 of 51 EVALI patients tested by the CDC. The proposed mechanism: Vitamin E Acetate interferes with normal lung surfactant function when inhaled as an aerosol. The 2019 EVALI outbreak resulted in 68 deaths and nearly 3,000 hospitalizations, primarily linked to illicit-market THC cartridges containing Vitamin E Acetate as a cutting agent.
MCT oil serves no beneficial purpose in a vape cartridge. It thins thick cannabis extract so cartridges are easier to fill and less extract is needed per unit. From a consumer standpoint, MCT dilution means you’re receiving fewer milligrams of cannabinoid than you’re paying for. From a health standpoint, research has found that MCT and similar lipid-based carriers generate aldehydes (including formaldehyde and acrolein) when heated to vaporization temperatures. MCT oil is useful in tinctures. It has no place in an inhaled product.
Vegetable glycerin is safe to eat and has a long history in nicotine vapes, where it serves as the base carrier. In cannabis vapes, it’s used as a diluent with no benefit to the consumer. Studies have documented that VG heated repeatedly to vaporization temperatures breaks down into acrolein, a lung irritant also found in cigarette smoke. The GRAS designation VG carries from the FDA applies to food use. It does not cover inhalation. A cannabis vape oil that contains VG is diluted oil.
Check the ingredient list first. A clean oil lists cannabis extract (or hemp extract) and terpenes. If you see MCT oil, fractionated coconut oil, vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, or polyethylene glycol, the oil is diluted. Then check the COA: the residual solvents panel should show non-detected across all compounds. For a vape product, a COA that omits residual solvents is not adequate. Physical check: genuine cannabis extract is thick and moves slowly. Oil that flows quickly and freely when you tip the cartridge is likely thinned.
A complete vape COA covers cannabinoid potency, residual solvents, pesticide screen, heavy metals, and (for live resin and full-spectrum products) a terpene panel. Residual solvents is the most critical for an inhaled product: it confirms extraction solvents were fully purged and no cutting agents are present that would show up as solvent contamination. Potency-only COAs are not sufficient for vape products. COAs should be batch-specific (matching your order’s lot number) and from an ISO 17025-accredited lab.
The 2019 EVALI outbreak was primarily linked to illicit-market THC cartridges containing Vitamin E Acetate. CDC data showed that 78% of EVALI patients reported using THC-containing products. The hemp market is not immune to the same economic incentives that produced Vitamin E Acetate-laced products in the illicit market. Any brand that uses cutting agents in hemp vape oil is creating a product with the same risk profile, regardless of where the oil comes from. The protection is the same: a full-panel COA from an accredited lab, with a clean residual solvents panel.
Clean vaping is a standard (no cutting agents, pure extract). Live resin is an extraction method (from fresh-frozen plant material, preserving the full terpene profile). A live resin vape should also be a clean vape, but the two descriptors aren’t interchangeable. A distillate vape can be clean (pure extract, no additives) or dirty (distillate with VG or MCT). A live resin vape can be clean or, in rare cases, adulterated. The COA verifies both: the terpene panel confirms genuine live resin character; the residual solvents panel confirms no cutting agents.
Shop Clean Cannabis Vapes
Cannabis extract and terpenes. No MCT, no VG, no Vitamin E Acetate. Full-panel COAs before every batch ships. THCa, Delta 8, CBD, and HHC. Woman-owned since 2017.
Sources
- Blount, B.C. et al. (2020). “Vitamin E Acetate in Bronchoalveolar-Lavage Fluid Associated with EVALI.” New England Journal of Medicine, 382, 697-705. PubMed: 31860793.
- Troutt, W.D. & DiDonato, M.D. (2017). “Carbonyl Compounds Produced by Vaporizing Cannabis Oil Thinning Agents.” Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 23(11), 879-884. PubMed: 28678531.
- CDC. (2020). “Outbreak of Lung Injury Associated with the Use of E-Cigarette, or Vaping, Products.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. cdc.gov.