Recent news has had ongoing coverage of the vaping epidemic. As a result, the general public has viewed both THC-infused and e-cigarette products with skepticism. The two have their own separate issues attributing to the outbreak; but, it hasn’t stopped them from being grouped together. A recent investigation from the CDC in this vaping epidemic, however, puts the blame elsewhere. For national headlines, the culprit has been fairly elusive; for regular cannabis-consumers however, the guilty party stood out pretty early on.
According to KTNV, the CDC has discovered extremely high levels of the vitamin E acetate in those affected by the vaping epidemic.
Vitamin E acetate is not uncommon to the general public. Most have seen the ingredient in a variety of products, safe to apply to the skin or even to eat. Inhaling the thinner though is deadly.
The Vaping Epidemic and the Black-Market
Licensed shops that require stringent testing weed out the harmful additive; but, sellers that fall out of that scope aren’t held up to the same standard! Despite how dangerous, some illicit sellers use the chemical as a thickening agent in vape products to gain more profit. Vitamin E acetate is known to be”enormously sticky” when inhaled, causing it to “stick around” in the lungs. The result has been over 2,051 cases of vaping related illnesses between various types of products. The large majority of which consumed THC-vapes obtained them through unlicensed online retailers or received them from friends or family.
State-legal cannabis, with its current federal standing, holds the bulk of the blame regardless.
“These new findings are significant.” Dr. Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the CDC, said during a press briefing on Friday. “We have a strong culprit.”
The CDC is investigating the situation while mainstream media speculates how the recreational-cannabis market is responsible. The industry’s complaint-market is doing its best to educate consumers. All the while, they’re reassuring consumers that such substances aren’t being added to legal products.
With more than half of the country still tip-toeing around the idea of legal cannabis and some others struggling to get a hold of their black market, the issue has become a double-edged sword.
For Las Vegas Cannabis…
Only time will tell in the case of cannabis in the vaping epidemic. Luckily, most see the legalization on a federal level as a way to remedy the problem. In the state of Nevada, there are a handful of cases with all the products coming from illicit sellers. Production companies that specialize in vaping products and concentrates have continued to educate their followers on the issue.
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