Three vape formats and what each one needs from you
Disposables are replaced whole, battery included. CDC's visual dictionary of vaping products defines the hardware terms, and it says disposable e-cigarettes are designed to be used one time only and are not rechargeable or refillable.
Cartridges need a battery pen. CDC says the cartridge attaches to a battery pen that contains the battery, and that the cartridge and battery pen are typically purchased separately. Cartridge devices are the reusable kind: CDC says e-cigarettes with a prefilled or refillable cartridge are rechargeable and designed to be used multiple times.
Pods usually need their own brand's battery. A 2025 paper in Chemical Research in Toxicology compares all three hardware types, and it says pods are typically proprietary to specific brands and work only with their corresponding batteries.
| Format | What else you need | When it runs out |
|---|---|---|
| Disposable | Nothing | Replace the whole device |
| Cartridge | A 510-thread battery pen | Replace the cartridge, keep the battery |
| Pod | The battery made by the pod's own brand | Replace the pod, keep the battery |
Our guide to vape cartridges versus disposables puts two of these formats side by side.
How to read a vape listing on the live menu
Start with the store. On our aisle pages, the product list shows live items from the menu of the store you have selected, with a switch to the other store, so set Derby or Hartford first.
Before you add a vape to your order, be sure of three things:
- Is it a disposable, a cartridge or a pod?
- If it is a cartridge or a pod, do you own the battery it needs?
- What oil is inside? The next section explains the common terms.
If you are not sure of any of the three, call us at 860-420-BUDS (2837) and ask before you order. We keep prices, potency and stock off this page because they change through the day, and the live menu is where they are current. Once a vape box is in your hand, our guide to reading a cannabis label covers the label in more detail.
Distillate, live resin and rosin: what the oil type tells you
Distillate. A 2024 paper describes distillate as a highly concentrated Δ9-THC extract with most terpenes and other constituents removed.
Live resin. The same 2024 paper describes live resin as a full-spectrum extraction preserving the source plant's cannabinoid and terpene profile. A separate 2024 content analysis adds a caution: it says there is little scientific evidence that live resin preserves the terpenes and flavors of the fresh cannabis plant.
Rosin. A 2025 paper says rosin refers to a solventless extract obtained through mechanical compression using heat and pressure.
Where the terpenes come from. A 2025 paper says some concentrates preserve naturally occurring cannabinoids and terpenes while others consist mainly of purified Δ9-THC reconstituted with commercial terpene blends. When a distillate cartridge carries a flavor or strain name, ask us where its terpenes come from before you buy. Our guide to cannabis terpenes explains what those compounds are, and extracts you dab rather than vape sit in our concentrates aisle.
CDC's archived guidance from the EVALI outbreak says vitamin E acetate is strongly linked to the EVALI outbreak and should not be added to any e-cigarette or vaping products.
What Connecticut law says about vape labels and packaging
Connecticut's adult-use cannabis rules apply to adults 21 and older. Connecticut law defines cannabis concentrate as any form of concentration, including extracts, oils, tinctures, shatter and waxes, that is extracted from cannabis.
Labels. Connecticut's cannabis labeling regulations say labels must carry a DCP-issued symbol that the package contains THC and a symbol that it is not safe or legal for people under 21. Each label symbol must be unobscured and no smaller than one-half inch by one-half inch. Per the same regulations, a concentrate above 30% total THC must carry the warning: "This is a high-potency cannabis product and may increase the risk of psychosis."
Packaging. DCP says cannabis packaging must be child-safe, tamper-resistant and light-resistant.
Our overview of this year's cannabis laws covers the rest of the year's rules, and our guide to driving and cannabis covers cannabis and the road.
Questions shoppers ask about vapes
How do vapes count toward possession limits?
For adults 21 and older, the state counts them by equivalence: for possession limits, one ounce of cannabis plant material equals five grams of concentrate or other cannabis products with up to five hundred milligrams of THC. Our possession limits page has the full totals.
Can I order vapes online and pay by card?
You can order online at any hour and pay with cash or debit, not credit. Both stores take cash and debit cards. Credit cards are not accepted. The Derby store has an on-site ATM.
Pick a store, open its menu, order ahead
Once you know the format, the battery and the oil type you want, the order takes three steps:
- Pick your store. Use the store switch on this page's product list, or open the Derby live menu or the Hartford live menu directly.
- Add each vape to your order, and check that any cartridge or pod you add matches a battery you own.
- Choose pickup, or delivery where checkout offers it for your address, and finish checkout on the live menu.
Store details sit on our Derby store page and Hartford store page, and current promotions are on our deals page rather than here. The flower aisle and the edibles aisle carry the same live product list with the store switch, and every aisle starts from the shop page.