There have been thirty-four confirmed deaths in 24 states.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC have not been able to identify specific cause(s) for the illnesses, the only commonality being that all patients reported use of e-cigarettes or vaping. THC was present in most of the samples tested by the FDA, and most patients reported a history of using THC-containing products. The CDC reports that “products containing THC, particularly those obtained off the street or from other informal sources (e.g. friends, family members, illicit dealers), are linked to most of the cases.” https://tinyurl.com/cdclunginjury
Symptoms of vaping-related illness include shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain, nausea, fever, vomiting, or diarrhea. If you have used e-cigs or vaporizers (whether they contain nicotine, THC, or CBD) and are experiencing these symptoms, you should call your doctor or go to the hospital.
California NORML has published an advisory on cannabis vape oils: https://tinyurl.com/CANORMLVapingFactSheet
Dr. Jordan Tischler of Inhale MD recommends that patients use vaporizers that heat cannabis flower: https://tinyurl.com/DrTischleronVaping
Very early reporting from Leafly indicated that “no cases are associated with adult-use or medical cannabis products from legal state-licensed stores. Almost all affected states do not have adult-use legalization in effect. They include Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin. Additional states are pending verification. The California incidents occurred in Kings County, which has banned licensed cannabis stores.” https://tinyurl.com/LeaflyOnVaping
These illnesses (much like illnesses caused by moonshine during Prohibition) point to the need to legalize and regulate cannabis products for adult and medical use. https://tinyurl.com/AlcoholProhibitionIllnesses
Although some have suggested banning e-cigs and vapes entirely, the effect of such an action would ensure that the only products available would be unregulated, and would be more likely to cause illnesses.
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