Vape Pen Lung Disease: Info You Need to Know!

As of Thursday, Sept. 26, the CDC has reported 805 confirmed and probable cases in 46 states of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome possibly associated with a recently inhaled drug aerosol (commonly known as vaping). As many as 13 patients may have died from the condition. The deaths occurred in Illinois, Oregon (2), Indiana, California (2), Minnesota, Kansas (2), Missouri, Georgia, Florida, and Mississippi. Here’s what you need to know.

Should I Stop Vaping?

• If you own illicit vape cartridges, throw them away immediately. The CDC, FDA, and HHS advised consumers to avoid buying cannabis vapes or using products off the street. They are unregulated, untested, and are often contaminated.
• If you purchase an illicit market disposable vaporizer cartridge—either THC, nicotine, or CBD—and it’s filled with the wrong additive at the wrong amount, using it carries the risk of immediately injuring your lungs.
• More broadly, the American Medical Association said Sept. 9 to stop vaping any e-cigarette. On Sept. 10, President Trump mulled banning flavorings in legal e-cigarettes.

What Is the Suspected Diagnosis?

• In many cases, symptoms and treatment mirror a condition called lipoid pneumonia, previously found in patients who inhaled mineral oil.

What’s Causing It?

• The contamination is emanating out of the supply chain for illicit market THC vape carts, the CDC said Sept. 19. “Most patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette products containing THC. Many patients have reported using THC and nicotine. Some have reported the use of e-cigarette products containing only nicotine.” On Sept. 27, the CDC stated, “the high level of use of prefilled THC cartridges, used in a range of different devices, suggests that the cartridges might play an important role.” And Minnesota’s lead investigator said Sept. 24, “so far our investigation is correlating these injuries to THC vape cartridges that are illegally purchased.”
• We don’t know for certain, but New York health authorities have confirmed that synthetic vitamin E oil (tocopheryl-acetate) is tainting most seized vape carts in that state. Pen makers report using it because it’s a cheap thickener. The FDA is now specifically looking at forms of vitamin E oil. New York has subpoenaed three thickener-makers—Floraplex, Honey Cut, and Mass Terpenes—after tests showed all three products were tocopheryl-acetate. On Sept. 13, SC Labs of California found Floraplex’s Uber Thick to be almost totally tocopheryl-acetate.
• The FDA has received about 300 samples for testing. So far, they’ve found vitamin E acetate in half of them. The FDA is testing seized carts for THC, nicotine, cutting agents called diluents, additives, pesticides, opioids, poisons, and toxins. One New York patient who tested his cart found it contained formaldehyde, pesticide, vitamin E oil, and “a little dab of THC.” The California lab Cannasafe reports ten out of ten vape carts from California illicit stores tested positive for tocopheryl-acetate, some as high as 40%.
• Health officials have confirmed that among the tainted carts are ones with the illicit market brand names Dank Vapes, TKO, Off White, Moon Rocks, Chronic Carts, and West Coast Carts, but the condition is linked to multiple illicit market brands across multiple states. One Tulare County, CA victim’s family member confirmed the presence of a “black and gold” cart labeled “Lucky Charms” from the brand “West Coast Cure”. (Matching that description is both counterfeit packaging and authentic packaging for a popular, illicit market brand in California called West Coast Cure.)

Why Vitamin E Oil?

• As Leafly reported in early September, a new diluent known as Honey Cut entered the illicit vape cart market in late 2018. The product, which dilutes THC oil without thinning the viscosity, is manufactured by Honey Cut LLC registered to a Joshua Temple of Los Angeles. Officials at the terpene manufacturer True Terpenes, based in Portland, OR, told Leafly they tested Honey Cut earlier this year and found it to contain Vitamin E oil, aka tocopheryl-acetate. Two brands—Mr. Extractor of Oregon and Constance Therapeutics of California—told Leafly they’ve been selling forms of vitamin E oil into the vape cart market. Mr Extractor’s Drew Jones told Leafly he believes up to 40 companies sold a copycat oil, and the oil is in 60% of carts in the US. Lab tests have found the oil in multiple thickener products, including Peak Terpenes’ Thicc Stretch.

What Are the Symptoms?

• Anyone who has vaped a black market cart in recent days or weeks and subsequently developed shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, weakness, and tiredness should see a physician. Bring the cart.

What Are the Latest Numbers?

• This man-made mass poisoning event is akin to bathtub gin under alcohol prohibition. It is generally a creature of unlicensed markets where consumers have no legal alternative. It’s akin to recent Spice/K2 poisonings, as well as unregulated CBD market poisonings. The first reports came out of the prohibition state of Wisconsin, which has 52 cases, and Kings County, CA, which has banned legal access to tested cannabis, alongside 60% of local cities and counties. California has 98 cases and two suspected deaths (all illicit market-related). Illinois has 75. New York reports 93 cases. Texas has 54 confirmed cases. Kansas reports two suspected deaths. Minnesota has 43 cases. Missouri reported one related death Sept. 19, and 22 possible cases. Florida reported a death Sept. 24, and Georgia reported a death Sept. 25.
• In contrast, Oregon has two suspected deaths and three suspected illnesses. Colorado has eight suspected cases. The state of Washington may have three cases, with one allegedly linked to a store. California’s second suspected death occurred in Tulare County, where purchasing tested, legal cannabis from a store is banned in all areas other than the city of Woodlake. The victim’s family said he was using illicit market THC cartridges. Of Ohio’s 17 confirmed cases, 90% are black market THC cart-related, and none are medical cannabis system-related.

Why Is This Happening Now?

• Leafly has reported that a new ingredient—next-generation cutting agents (thickeners)—are being misused in THC vape carts. Legal chemical thickener makers said they do not approve of use in vape carts. Chemical thickener makers also do not approve of dilutions greater than 10%. However, their web sites are unclear about the products’ approved and unapproved uses. The chemical makers have no information on what inhaling thickener aerosol does to your lungs, especially if it is heated or burned.

How Can I Protect Myself?

• Only buy tested, regulated adult use and medical cannabis products in legal stores like California, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado. Licensed supply chains are much harder to contaminate. By contrast, street traffickers are filling carts with harmful chemicals, and they go straight into your lungs.
• Though licensed markets have more safeguards, suspicious additives are not yet banned in California, Washington, and Oregon. On Sept. 24, the California Dept. of Public Health told all consumers to refrain from all vaping. On Sept. 23, Massachusetts paused all vape sales statewide. On Sept. 12, Oregon regulators told stores to post vape warnings and hold suspicious products, and told licensed cart markers to immediately admit any “undisclosed agents” or face “legal consequences.” Oregon retailers have begun pulling suspicious products. On Sept. 26, Oregon officials told consumers to stop vaping anything at this time. On Sept. 27 Washington halted sales of e-cigarette flavorings. And on Sept. 26 Colorado dispensary chain Medicine Man stated that it had “removed all vape products containing propylene glycol or vitamin E acetate from its shelves effective immediately.”
• Cheap illicit market vape carts also routinely malfunction. Malfunctioning carts can get very hot, and burn additives and thickeners, releasing an unknown noxious gas. Run them at low, controlled temperatures.
• If you’re concerned about additives in your cannabis, stick to tested flowers from licensed adult use stores. Check store licenses on regulators’ websites, like California’s license lookup tool. In terms of extracts, additive-free extract is called “rosin”, and it also comes in vape carts in mature adult use markets. There’s also tinctures, sublinguals, edibles, topicals, and transdermals, for those who want to avoid all cannabinoid inhalation products.

SOURCE: Leafly.com originally published this story Sept. 6. They updated it again Sept. 27 at 2:40 p.m. PST. We shared it on Sept. 30.