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News about the potential dangers of vaping just keeps getting worse and worse.
The death toll from lung illnesses linked to vape pens has now reached 12. Over 800 more have been hospitalized. A recent CDC report says a rare form of pneumonia is among the almost 500 vaping-related lung illnesses in the U.S. The Trump Administration is officially moving forward with a proposed ban on flavored vaping products. And now, a new report by NBC News says “laboratory tests of knock-off marijuana vapes that found a pesticide linked to hydrogen cyanide in 10 out 10 products.”
Not cool.
Seeking answers, NBC News commissioned one of the nation’s leading cannabis testing facilities to test a sampling of THC cartridges — 18 in all — obtained from legal dispensaries and unlicensed dealers.
The findings were deeply troubling.
Of the three purchased from legal dispensaries in California, the CannaSafe testing company found no heavy metals, pesticides or residual solvents like vitamin E.
But 13 out of the other 15 samples from black market THC cartridges were found to contain vitamin E.
CannaSafe also tested 10 of the unregulated cartridges for pesticides. All 10 tested positive.
The products all contained myclobutanil, a fungicide that can transform into hydrogen cyanide when burned.
As vice president of operations at CannaSafe Antonio Frazier said after the tests, “You certainly don’t want to be smoking cyanide. I don’t think anyone would buy a cart that was labeled hydrogen cyanide on it.”
And why would that be, NYU Winthrop Hospital pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Melodi Pirzada?
“It’s going to cause a very toxic effect on the lungs,” she said.
Yeah, that’s wouldn’t be good.
So who’s fault is this, California bureau chief for Leafly David Downs?
“This all starts in China where you can get the empty cartridges both for the THC market and the nicotine market, as well as the additives, flavorings, and thickeners that are being put into these cartridges alongside the THC oil,” Downs said.
“It’s a very deep, mature, and advanced industry that starts in China and ends in our own backyard.”
Downs said anyone who buys bootleg vapes is putting themselves at risk.
“I’ve been saying, ‘Look, if you buy a fake Gucci purse, it’s not going to give you a lung injury, but if you buy a fake vape cartridge, it just might.’” Downs said.
Looks like the only people who think all of this bad news about vaping is good is, you guessed it, the tobacco industry.