Although I’ll eat the strawberry when frozen

It’s not the very berry I’d have chosen.

The naughty admen claim with gall divine

That it is better than the genu-ine

New language they devise to sing its praise

But only le bon dieu can coin a fraise

• Taste Buds, En Garde! – Ogden Nash

Our ignorance of what goes into pale yellow distillate vape carts has led to a growing backlash against these products, often dismissed as nothing more than a cocktail of chemicals, sometimes unflatteringly referred to as hotdog water. Many consumers now refuse to ingest such highly processed, artificially flavored materials unless manufacturers fully disclose ingredients or ensure the product is made from fresh plant material—or at least tastes fresh.

But who can really explain how taste develops? Where preferences begin? Perhaps their existence alone is enough to give them significance. The deliciousness of vapes is a historically specific invention of this century, an engineered experience designed to captivate rather than reflect the plant’s true nature.

The term freshness has taken on new meaning in cannabis, shaped by an industry that relies on refrigeration, massive Tupperware bins, chemical preservatives, irradiation, and—most recently—distillation and artificial flavorants. These technologies prolong shelf life and ensure consistency, but freshness is about preserving the plant’s chemical profile – not creating a ‘fresh’ sensation.

At a time when cannabis products can sit on shelves for months, if not years, freshness has become a manufactured concept—a selling point rather than a guarantee. Some cannabis flavors are coveted as liquid gold, while others are dismissed as abominations, manipulated beyond recognition.

On one hand, there’s a rising demand for cleaner, full-spectrum products that preserve the plant’s original chemical profile. On the other, the mass-market vape industry continues to flood the market with artificial flavors and ultra-high THC concentrations aimed at enticing new users.

At Jersey Clouds, Paige and Joseph Payack—independent cannabis entrepreneurs in New Jersey—are challenging this model by catering to a more mature, discerning audience. Their vapes prioritize natural formulations, using fresh cannabis material rather than relying on flashy branding and exaggerated THC percentages.

As a woman-owned, independent business, their story offers a rare perspective on the intersection of science, business, and consumer education in the rapidly evolving vape industry.

Starting a Business in a Market Built for Giants

Launching a cannabis business isn’t for the faint of heart. Paige Payack, the majority owner of the company, has had a front-row seat to the challenges of getting a product to market in a landscape where MSOs (multi-state operators) dominate shelf space.

“You wait three years, pay rent for three years, you finally get your license, and then you have to figure out how to stand out in stores that carry hundreds of vape pens,” she explains.

For smaller brands, the fight for shelf space is one of the biggest hurdles. Unlike major cannabis corporations that can afford to pay dispensaries for premium display placements, independent operators rely heavily on budtenders—the retail workers who guide consumers through their purchases.

“You kind of rely on the budtenders to promote it, to point it out to somebody who’s looking for a natural vape,” Paige says. “But then you have the consumer that walks in and just wants the cheapest thing they can buy, so there’s that challenge too.”

The Science Behind Vape Cartridges

A vape cartridge may seem like a simple product, but the science behind it is anything but. According to Joseph Payack, the key challenge is maintaining a full-spectrum cannabis experience in a cartridge format. Unlike distillate-based products that focus on high THC content, full-spectrum cartridges aim to retain a broader range of cannabinoids and terpenes.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much goes into preserving the plant’s chemical complexity in a cartridge,” Joseph explained. “You’re dealing with temperature sensitivity, viscosity, and even how the oil interacts with the cartridge hardware itself. We put a lot of effort into making a high-quality, full-spectrum oil, but if the hardware isn’t treated right, it won’t deliver the experience we intended.” 

Improper storage, otherwise known as disrespecting your vape pen involves behaviors such as storing vapes upside down, or in hot cars, direct sunlight, or extreme cold, which can alter the oil’s consistency. Full-spectrum oil is particularly sensitive to temperature swings, which can lead to thicker oil, separation, or clogging. You wouldn’t leave ice cream in a hot car and expect it to refreeze perfectly. You wouldn’t throw a soda in the freezer and expect it not to explode. So why leave your vape cart in the sun or in the car overnight and expect it to work the same way?

“Respecting the hardware is part of the experience,” Paige notes. “If people treat their vape properly, they’re going to enjoy a smoother experience.”

Joseph also pointed out that many consumers misunderstand what makes a high-quality vape product. Lab testing results—often used as a selling point—don’t tell the full story.

“People see a COA (certificate of analysis) showing 90% THC and assume that’s better,” he said. “But a lower THC percentage with a fuller range of cannabinoids and terpenes will often deliver a better experience.”

Educating consumers about these nuances is an ongoing struggle, particularly in dispensary environments where budtenders may not always have the scientific background to explain the differences.

The “Day-Old Bagel” Era of Vapes

Paige notes a recent trend in vape cartridge pricing that reminds her of something unexpected—day-old bagels at a bakery.

“I’m always checking websites and pricing, and I see brands drastically reducing their prices. And I have to wonder—is it because they’re approaching expiration dates?”

Unlike other consumer goods, certain cannabis products aren’t typically marketed with expiration date transparency. In some cases, dispensaries aren’t even informed by manufactures if the product is made from trim, retted hemp, or leftover extracts.

“If you go into a dispensary and buy a product that has an expiration date, they’re obviously not going to say, ‘Oh, by the way, this expires in three weeks.’”

The race to the bottom trend creates an uneven playing field for small businesses like the family run Jersey Clouds, who focus on high-quality, minimally processed cannabis oil. Rather than compete in a race to the bottom, they’re betting on consumer education and long-term brand loyalty.

The Alchemy of Cheap Cannabis Products

One of the most overlooked concerns in the vape industry is how lower-quality cannabis is transformed into inexpensive vape carts.

“It’s a little bit like alchemy,” Paige says. “You take something that isn’t worth much—like old flower or trim that’s been sitting for a long time—and process it into oil that suddenly seems valuable.”

But what’s lost in that process? Full-spectrum oil retains more of the plant’s original characteristics, while heavily processed distillate can strip out key cannabinoids and terpenes.

Jospeh Payak has developed his protocols and methods over the years. Joseph’s approach is more like a sushi chef selecting only the highest-grade fish. He personally inspects and hand-picks fresh cannabis flower, ensuring that only top-quality material goes into their vapes.

For example, they recently worked with Garden Greens – Jersey Clouds does not buy anything until Jospeh’s comes and examines it. Jersey Clouds extensively collaborates with newer independent cannabis operators to source small batch, high quality flower tops for their product.

“We try to keep our oil as close to the original flower as possible,” he adds, “If you smoked a lemony strain, our vape should taste like that—not like artificial blueberry or candy.”

The industry, however, is filled with companies chasing novelty flavors, to create blast-y and punch-y vapes. Paige is skeptical.

“Flavors can mask quality issues,” says Paige, “It’s like spraying potpourri in a heavily used bathroom—it doesn’t remove the problem, it just covers it up.”

But uniqueness can also be a challenge. Their full-spectrum vape oil has a darker color, which can stand out against the more common pale-yellow distillate-based vapes.

“Everybody looks at it and thinks they want something clear, not realizing that the amber color is a sign of the plant’s full chemical profile. But I’ll tell you, people are starting to come around. I’m hearing more and more that they’ve been buying other brands, but they’re not sure it’s really good for them—they’re getting a burning sensation in their throat and chest. They’re starting to understand that cannabis isn’t just about getting high—there is their health to consider.”

The Future is Simplicity and Consumer Awareness

One of the biggest emerging trends Paige has noticed is that older consumers are moving away from vapes and toward pure oil. A lot of older clienteles don’t want their olfactory senses blown out with bursting gelato flavors—they just want the purest medicine in the simplest format.

“My vision for the product is geared toward people over 40 or in their 60s. Not geared toward people who just want to get high and drunk”, Jospeh added.

Looking ahead, Paige sees the market evolving in two directions—one that caters to the high-THC, mass-produced flavored vape segment, and another that focuses on minimally processed, full-spectrum cannabis extracts.

“It’s going to be interesting to see who survives. The big players are trying to lower prices to push out the little guys, but I think consumers are getting smarter. People want something natural, something minimally processed. The challenge is helping them find it.”

For Jersey Clouds, the future is clear: quality over shortcuts, education over gimmicks, and full-spectrum cannabis over artificial flavors. As consumers become more discerning, the brands that respect both the science and the plant itself will be the ones that endure.