The #1 Reason to Avoid Untested THC Vaping Products
Vaping is one way to take advantage of the medical utility of cannabis. A number of states that allow medical cannabis also allow users to vape both dry leaf and oils, liquids, and waxes. Unfortunately, an entire black market of untested THC vaping products has sprung up as a result of so many states legalizing medical marijuana.
Experts warn against the use of such untested products. Their reasoning is based on a substance known as vitamin E acetate. The substance has been linked to an outbreak of a vaping-related illness known formally as an e-cigarette or vaping product use associated lung injury (EVALI). The disease is sometimes confused with ‘popcorn lung’.
The Vitamin E Link
Popcorn lung, known scientifically as bronchiolitis obliterans, was given its nonscientific name based on the belief that the disease was caused by diacetyl, a chemical that was once used in the production of microwave popcorn. Workers at popcorn plants were found to have higher rates of the disease compared to the rest of the population.
When the first vaping patient was diagnosed with popcorn lung, it was assumed that e-cigarette makers were using diacetyl in their liquids. American manufacturers insisted that they were not. European manufacturers couldn’t because the substance had been banned by that time. This forced researchers to look for something else. This is when they discovered the vitamin E link.
According to the CDC, numerous outbreaks of lung disease among vapers have resulted in thousands of injuries and deaths across all 50 states. The agency’s research has revealed that the majority of the cases they looked at were linked to the use of THC vaping products containing vitamin E acetate.
Tested vs. Untested Products
The CDC’s data brings us to the main point of this post: tested vs. untested THC products. If users were to go to an organization like Utahmarijuana.org to obtain a medical marijuana card, the doctors they consult with would encourage them to buy their THC products only at licensed dispensaries. They would do so for both legal and safety reasons.
From a safety standpoint, a licensed dispensary will only sell tested products proven to contain no vitamin E acetate. Most dispensaries can even supply documentation proving the purity of their THC vaping liquids and oils. Users get no such assurances when they buy untested products from unlicensed providers.
The Appeal of Untested Products
Unfortunately, the black market exists because people are willing to buy untested THC liquids and oils. For instance, why go to the trouble of procuring a medical cannabis card when you can buy THC vaping liquids from online suppliers? Moreover, why pay higher dispensary prices when you do not have to?
To this point, states have been reluctant to crack down on unlicensed sellers. But the time to start may be here. Now that we know the dangers of vitamin E acetate, manufacturers should stop putting it in their THC products. Some will because it is the right thing to do. Others will not until they are forced to do so.
As for medical marijuana users, you now know the number one reason to avoid untested THC vaping products. If vaping is your preferred delivery method, protect yourself by purchasing your products only from a licensed dispensary. And if you question the integrity of a dispensary’s products, ask to see documentation proving their liquids and oils do not contain vitamin E acetate.
Medical marijuana is supposed to help you cope with a qualified medical condition. It is not supposed to harm you. But that is exactly what could happen if you purchase untested THC vaping products.
