A vape pen is filled with a concentrated form of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in weed, along side marijuana buds. Image: HighGradeRoots/iStockphoto/Getty Images As marijuana sales increase across the board , vaping weed from an e-cigarette-style device is also becoming more popular.
Vaping weed is relatively odorless and discreet, compared to smoking dried marijuana flower. And in the same way consumers are replacing conventional tobacco with e-cigarettes, Aaron Smith, CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association, says vaping is increasingly the preferred method of consumption. "We’re definitely seeing an increase in sales for vapes," he says.
But what, exactly, is in liquid versions of pot that are vaporized and inhaled? And how does their safety compare to conventional smoked marijuana? There, much is unknown.
Smith, as well as some researchers, posit that vaping pot — similar to vaping nicotine — is potentially easier on the lungs than smoking, because the liquid inside is heated to lower temperatures that may do less harm. Sparse data
On the other hand, research on the health effects of marijuana is sparse because it remains federally illegal. Plus, no two vape brands are alike; there is a huge variety of products available on shelves today in the states where marijuana is legal. These vapes contain many other chemicals besides the drug itself that make each product different. And often, it’s those other chemicals that prove problematic: In 2019, for example, 68 people died and thousands of others fell ill with mysterious lung damage eventually traced to e-cigarettes laced with pot and an additive called vitamin E acetate .
Smith says that’s where legalization and regulation are helpful in providing some oversight of the ingredients. He says each state regulates and tests what goes into vaped products, "to ensure that these products are tested, dangerous chemicals are not used and in the process," he says.
But safety testing of vaped products show many chemicals are evading those regulations, says Josh Swider, CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs , a company that chemically evaluates marijuana products in all their forms. Concentrated THC, concentrated chemicals
He says some states that allow […]
Vaping weed is very popular, but users should be aware it carries risks
