I will never forget the first time that I used a cannabis vape pen cartridge. It was over 15 years ago when I was attending a cannabis industry event in Colorado, and it blew my mind because of how convenient it was. Vape pen cartridges were not nearly as common back then as they are today, but I knew after the first time trying one all of those years ago that vape pen cartridges would eventually become a top cannabis product in every legal U.S. market.

Vape pen cartridges are an ideal product for the emerging global cannabis industry because they have a longer shelf life compared to cannabis flower and take up very little space compared to many cannabis products. Their small size and longer shelf life make them much easier to ship, which is a major consideration as the cannabis industry continues to spread internationally and regional legal markets become more connected.

In a recent newsletter, cannabis industry data company Cannamonitor highlighted the increasing global market for cannabis vape products. Below is a summary graphic detailing the vape sector around the world:

Below is additional data from Cannamonitor:

• California vapes finished 2025 ahead of flower (31.4% vs 30.2%), and Washington tipped the same way — 29.8% vs flower 28.5%.
• Nationally, US vape is now a $7.7bn category — roughly 24% of US cannabis sales — despite industry-wide value slide, vapes stay premium.
• US vapes averaged $21.81/g (−11% YoY) — above concentrates at $14.49/g — while Canadian vapes ran richer still at CAD 34.05/g (~US$24.9).
• Australia — Canada leads at 49% of SKUs followed by local product (27%) and South Africa (14%). Local is cheapest (~$55/g), SA priciest (~$77/g).
• United Kingdom is dominated by Canadian 510 cartridges (43% SKUs), ahead of South Africa (24%), and Iberia (16%).
• Germany stays thin and Iberia-fed. The entire range leans on Curaleaf (Spain) and Somaí (Portugal), with magistral pharmacy filling adding friction.
• Depth drives competition: Australia offers 212 SKUs from 67 brands, versus the UK’s 49 SKUs from 10 and Germany’s just 10 from 3 brands.
• Leading in value is Australia at ~$64/g (~$0.099/mg THC), well below the UK (~$77/g, ~$0.109/mg) and Germany (~$88/g)—with similar average potency.
• In Australia, 8% of vapes are formulated with minor cannabinoids: 82% of which with CBG, 41% with CBN, 18% with THCV and 6% CBDV.

As the medical and adult-use cannabis industry continues to spread around the world, the cannabis vape sector will continue to increase in size and scope for the foreseeable future. Many patients and consumers prefer vape products due to convenience and other considerations. According to Grand View Research, “The global cannabis vaporizer market size is estimated at USD 5.9 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 13.06 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 14.5% from 2025 to 2030.”