Vaping Illness Outbreak Identified As Additive in Illegal Vaping Products

The recent rash of illnesses coming from vaping has shown further support of an early culprit. Research has confirmed that Vitamin E Acetate has been found in many of those sickened or killed by vaping. It is a sticky additive that is put in illegal vaping products to thicken the liquid. Most of these are found in illegal THC vaping cartridges that circulate on the black market in states where you cannot legally buy THC vape carts.

Cannabis activists say this is evidence it is time to federally legalize and control what goes into these cartridges. With each state adopting their own rules it is confusing. There are already so many states that it is legal that it's causing a mass confusion among not only cannabis producers, but also consumers. Many of these black market vaping cartridges appear to be medicinal from a legal state. People don't even know that they are taking a risk. The illnesses are not coming from the THC, but the cutting agents criminals are using. Sadly, it's not just limited to the black market. Without the proper oversight, some legal companies are using additives that haven't been approved in their cartridges as well.

So what can you do to protect yourself or a family member with this danger? The obvious answer is don't vape. But people will take that risk, and that solution isn't going to go very far. Talk to your kids about illegal THC cartridges and black market vaping and have an open discussion. If you vape, don't buy anything off the black market. It isn't worth the risk. If you do feel sick, go to the doctor immediately and be honest about what you have been vaping.

Hopefully this will all be a thing of the past in the coming years, but for now it's just too much of a risk.