Vaping: The Truth Behind What You’ve Been Hearing

If you’re a longtime smoker you might remember cannabis making headlines a a little over 10 years ago for some seriously bad side effects—in some cases even leading to death. The cause? Distributers, specifically in the UK, trying to increase their profits by spraying buds with tiny glass beads (the reflective element used for painting road lines) to increase their weight. Obviously, inhaling glass beads is likely to, at the very least, cause some damage to a person’s lungs. But it is important to keep in mind that the products themselves weren’t the problem, greed and ignorance were.

We are facing similar negative stories related to the use of vaporizers, but what you may not know is that these reported negative effects are caused by nearly the same reasons as the negative effects of cannabis flower in the UK. The danger stems from distributers who have been adding Vitamin E oil to increase viscosity making them appear to be of a higher quality than they actually are. The problem here is that when inhaled Vitamin E oil coats the lungs, causing all sorts of respiratory problems. Again, as with in the UK all those years ago, it is most likely that it is not the product that is dangerous, but rather the way some producers have been adulterating it.

Another potential health risk associated with vaping is heavy metal (specifically lead) contamination. Almost all cartridges have exposed metal components, but cheap products tend to have higher quantities of lead in the structural metal parts. Concentrates leach lead from the exposed metal and thus expose users. States are starting to set accepted values at <0.5 ppm (parts per million). Higher quality products (such as CCell or O-2) already pass stringent test standards set by the state of California.  

It is important to discuss with your cannabis provider where their products are coming from and what they are made of—ceramic heating elements are currently safest. While there are no federal studies into the effects of inhaled lead, a reputable retailer’s products will have no more than a minuscule amount, making their products much less risky. 

What does all this mean? If you have a provider you know and trust, the issues you have seen people suffering from in the media are not at all likely to affect you.