Recently, there have been reports in the media that people are sick from vaping. Almost every day, news agencies report healthy, mostly young, people, who are seriously ill from drinking fumes, which they consider a safer alternative to smoking. In response, politicians are taking action to get ahead of the problem, with most relying on some form of ban on vape. Several governors and President Trump proposed banning all flavored vape cartridges, while Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker declared a public health emergency and banned the sale of all vape products in the state for four months.
Although these actions can be of good value, they can only exacerbate the problem. If politicians really want to reduce or eliminate the diseases associated with vaping, the most responsible decision will be the full legalization of marijuana throughout the country and providing reliable regulation, control and education for users of both cannabis and nicotine vape products.
Many people are now familiar with marijuana vaping. Some people have even switched from smoking cannabis to vaping. That’s because they consider vaping a healthier alternative to smoking as it does not involve combustion. Virtually, vaping eliminates the smoke and concerns associated with it. But, is vaping legal marijuana safe?
When a person vaporizes marijuana, they enjoy a cannabinoid-rich vapor. That’s because vaping devices heat the cannabis to produce the vapor that a person inhales. Unlike smoking, cannabis is not burned. Thus, no harmful chemicals or irritants are introduced to the lungs in the form of smoke.
This kind of thinking has prompted many people to invest in the best wax pens (vapingdaily has the full list of products) and switch from smoking to vaping marijuana. However, some people are now concerned about their safety when vaping legal marijuana.
State Medical Marijuana Laws
California voters accepted proposal 215 in 1996, making the Golden State the first union to allow the use of marijuana for medical purposes. Since then, 32 more states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands have passed similar laws.
As of June 25, 2019, 14 states and territories have approved adult cannabis. As of January 22, 2018, the Vermont State Legislature passed a law to legalize adult use, and the governor signed the bill. This measure does not establish a system for regulating sales or production. See the measure text below.
Just 33 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands, have approved comprehensive, accessible marijuana/cannabis health programs. Supported efforts in 13 states allow you to use low THC and high cannabidiol (CBD) products for medical reasons in limited situations or as legal recourse. Low THC programs are not considered comprehensive medical marijuana programs. The NCSL uses criteria similar to other organizations tracking this issue to determine if the program is “comprehensive”:
- Protection against criminal penalties for the use of marijuana for medical purposes.
- Through a household, outpatient clinic, or other system, access to marijuana is likely to be implemented.
- This allows the use of various strains or products, including those with more than a low THC content.
- This allows you to smoke or vaporize certain types of marijuana, plant material or extract.
- This is not a limited trial program. (South Dakota and Nebraska have limited, trial programs that are not open to the public).
Medical use of marijuana
In response to the California Prop 215, the Institute of Medicine published a report that examined the potential therapeutic use of marijuana.
More research has shown that marijuana effectively relieves some of the symptoms of HIV / AIDS, cancer, glaucoma, and multiple sclerosis.
In early 2017, the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine issued a report based on a review of more than 10,000 scientific abstracts of marijuana health research. They also made 100 health-related findings and suggested ways to improve cannabis research.
Why are People Concerned about Safety when Vaping Legal Marijuana?
Over recent years, sick people have been showing up in the emergency rooms of hospitals in different states with almost similar symptoms. Foremost among them are difficulties in breathing. This led to increasing reports of what later came to be known as EVALI.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this lung injury was associated with vaping or the use of e-cigarettes. It was reported in several states, including Utah, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Preliminary investigations linked THC-containing vaping products to this illness.
However, patients reported that they had acquired their THC-containing vaping products from informal sources. Nevertheless, many people have linked vaping THC-containing products to this lung disease. THC is one of the cannabinoids that are naturally found in marijuana. As such, some people have increasingly become concerned about safety when vaping legal marijuana because it contains THC.
The CDC’s revelation that THC may have been the cause of lung illness is a threat to the perception that many people have of marijuana as a natural and safe product. This opinion is gaining steam when many states are legalizing marijuana or contemplating the move.
Many people have considered the best dab pens and other vaping devices as less harmful than traditional cigarettes. Others have always thought that marijuana is harmless. However, the increasing reports of EVALI and tying it to vaping THC-containing products are likely to change some users. It’s even likely to eliminate the perception that some people have of cannabis as a healthy herb.
Why Legal Marijuana Vaping Has Always Been Considered Safe
Vaping entails the use of a battery-powered device to heat marijuana or e-liquid. When a person uses a tool like a dab pen, they heat marijuana flowers to produce aerosols. These are inhaled during the vaping process. Vaping has always been a source of heated debate, with some people considering the process healthier than traditional smoking because it does not involve combustion.
Essentially, the major reason why people have always considered vaping legal marijuana safe is that it does not produce smoke. According to Public Health England, vaping is about 95% less harmful than smoking traditional cigarettes. Since no smoke is involved, many people think that it can’t hurt their lungs.
Perhaps, this explains why more people have switched from smoking legal marijuana to vaping it. And, the number of people buying marijuana concentrates has also increased over the years. Nevertheless, marijuana flower sales are still the highest in the market.
Reports of EVALI may be the reason why a person can switch from using the best concentrate pen to a vaporizer than allows them to consume marijuana flowers. That’s because cannabis concentrates, especially those containing THC, have been associated with this lung disease. Some people think that THC processing is the cause of the recent cases of lung disease.
Ingredients and Source Matter
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pointed out that most cases of EVALI were from people that had acquired THC-containing vaping products from informal sources. What’s more, vaping products have largely been under or unregulated for some time. Thus, even using the best vape pen for wax with a product from the wrong source can expose a person to the dangers of illness.
Untested, unregulated, and illegal vapes can be made of the contaminated marijuana plant that is blended with low-quality, harmful ingredients. And, these are usually misrepresented or not disclosed to consumers. So, when a person buys marijuana from a wrong source, it can have pesticides, mildew, mold, artificial flavorings, vitamin E, heavy metals, and synthetic cannabinoids.
When such marijuana or its concentrate is consumed, it can cause illness even when a person uses the best dab vape pen. Therefore, it’s essential to be careful when purchasing legal marijuana.
Here are some of the tips to ensure safety when vaping legal marijuana:
- Buy trusted brands of legal marijuana. This enables you to get legal cannabis from licensed growers, manufacturers, and retailers.
- Avoid vapes that come with unnecessary additives. These can include synthetic cannabinoids, flavorings, polyethylene glycol, and propylene glycol. Ingesting some additives is considered safe. However, there is no consensus for their safe inhalation.
- Follow the latest news about different marijuana and wax pen brands. This will enable you to know more about different legal marijuana vaping products and what users say about them.
Although EVALI has been linked to vaping marijuana products, sources, and ingredients of the cannabis and concentrates used were questionable. What’s more, these cases have been reported in the United States only. This is not the only place where people have used wax vaporizer or other devices to consume marijuana.
The Bottom Line
Using the best wax vape pen is not a guarantee for safe legal marijuana vaping. Vapers should also be careful when it comes to the sources and ingredients of the marijuana that they vaporize. That’s because the source of the marijuana that a person vapes determines the elements in it. And, the ingredients are mostly the main determinants of the safety of vaporized marijuana. Therefore, vapers should get their products from trusted brands only to ensure safe vaping of legal marijuana.
