The dangerous substance vitamin E acetate may be present in over half of all THC capsules used for vejping cannabis on the US market. The online magazine reports that vaping360 on Wednesday.
More and more evidence now suggests that it is precisely that additive, often used to dilute cannabis extract in e-juice, that is the real cause behind over 400 acute cases of lipid pneumonia that hit the US, with 5 confirmed deaths so far.
Although the data is not yet confirmed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), its sister agency Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clarified that the acute lung injuries most likely affected vejp users who used THC juice containing high amounts of vitamin E acetate.
Vitamin E acetate, or tocopherol acetate by its chemical name, was originally developed for use in soap and make-up products. More recently, however, it has become popular with companies producing THC-containing e-juices. The reason is the high viscosity of the substance and its ability to dilute THC extracts without making the e-juice too thin. The market for cannabis and THC has exploded in some states where cannabis can be sold openly and legally, while the black market has grown in states where cannabis is illegal to sell. Most popular are pre-filled tanks/pods that are mounted on a small separate battery. The THC juice is heated in the same way as in a regular e-cigarette.
Vitamin E is harmless to ingest, but when heated (such as when used in an e-cigarette) it forms an oil-like substance. When the substance cools down, it can clog pores in the lungs and cause acute inflammation.
Manufacturers of vitamin e products tell the magazine Leafy the substance is used in almost 60% of all THC/cannabis e-juice in the US.
In the wake of the FDA's statement on the cause of the deaths and illnesses, leading health researchers are now criticizing the CDC for misleading e-cigarette users in the country. Professor Michael Siegel at Boston University, says that the CDC's apparent willingness to generally discourage vejpning instead of warning against e-juice with THC, not only harms public health, but also risks more people getting sick.
- The authority's responsibility is to protect the population. When they are not clear and point to the likely cause of the outbreaks, they send the message that it is only dangerous to use e-cigarettes with nicotine. They don't touch THC capsules and many people assume that they are perfectly fine to use," Siegel told the online publication RegWatch.
He also believes that the government's approach to the outbreak is preventing doctors in the country from looking for the right things in their examinations of patients affected.
- We should not assume that young patients who have used drugs will tell us this on their own. The simplest thing to do is to test all patients with symptoms for THC. But the CDC does not recommend that doctors, who must follow their guidelines, do this. That way, this outbreak will continue to be about regular e-cigarettes instead of vejping with THC. The media and the public will get the wrong idea about this and the consequences will be enormous.
Stefan Mathisson
