burnin1
Well-Known Member
From Celeb Stoner
The Great Vape Scare of 2019
Steve Bloom
September 7, 2019
Vaporizers didn't exist before 1989. That year a mysterious character named Dr. Lunglife submitted two articles to High Times that were published. They provided diagrams for making your own portable weed vaporizer - the kind with a dome and a hose.
Vaping was alway a weed thing until the tobacco industry got a hold of it. The Volcano vaporizer - the pyramid shaped device that utilizes turkey storage bags to contain the vapor - never was used for tobacco.
But when the tobacco industry, shamed by the high death totals from its products, turned to vaping as an alternative to smoking, that's when problems started to happen. Those disgusting devices that emit clouds of vapor are supposed to be safer than smoking. But you're still inhaling its deadly product, nicotine. There is no evidence that e-cigs are safe, just that perhaps they are "safer" than cigarettes. They'll still kill you, but perhaps not as fast or not as many people. That's an improvement I suppose.
Rather than sneak a cig in the bathroom or in some hidden spot around schools, now teens are getting addicted to the popular e-cig known as Juul. Plenty of adults are hooked on these little black sticks too.
The news of five deaths due to vaping either e-cigs or cannabis pens and more than 450 cases is confusing. Authorites don't know what's causing people to die or get sick, just that it's happening after people use these devices.
"This outbreak is akin to bathtub gin under alcohol prohibitions. It's generally a creature of unlicenced markets where consumers have no legal alternative."
Getting sick from an e-cig is not surprising, but from a cannabis-filled vape cartridge? That's scary. It's clear why this has become a problem: Prohibition.
Eleven states have legalized marijuana. Thirty-three states have broad medical marijuana laws. Vape pens are legally manufactured and sold in most of these states. The cannabis oil in the cartridges that's vazporized when connected to a battery and inhaled is generally safe since its required to be tested for toxins, mold and pesticides.
But, still the vast majority of Americans don't have access to these legal, safe products. In the other 39 illegal states, the black markets are thriving. No longer content to smoke joints or take bong hits, consumers want the convenience and discreetness of vape pens. Since they're illegal in most of the of the U.S., bootleg manufacturers have sprung up around the country. These oil cartridges are not tested and are being found to contain diluents and flavorings that can cause lung damage and possible death.
"These unfortunate incidents reinforce the need for greater regulation, standardization and oversight of the cannabis market."
David Downs, whose coverage of this controversy has been top notch, wrote at Leafly on Sept. 6:
"This outbreak is akin to bathtub gin under alcohol prohibitions. It's generally a creature of unlicenced markets where consumers have no legal alternative. It's akin to the recent Spice/K2 poisonings, as well as unregulated CBD poisonings. The first reports came out of the prohibition state of Wisconsin, which has 34 cases, and Kings County, CA, which has banned legal access to tested cannabis, alongside 60% of local cities and counties. California has 49 potential cases. Illinois has 53. New York reports 34 cases. By contrast, Oregon has one suspected death. Colorado has two suspected cases. Washington (State) has none."
I agree with Downs as well as with NORML deputy director Paul Armentano that lack of cannabis regulation nationwide is a cause of this epidemic.
"These unfortunate incidents reinforce the need for greater regulation, standardization and oversight of the cannabis market – principles which NORML has consistently called for in the cannabis space," he stated on Sept. 5. "Consumers must also be aware that not all products are created equal; quality control testing is critical and only exists in the legally regulated marketplace."
So blame some of the vape deaths and lung issues on the U.S. government for failing to end federal cannabis prohibition, which has been going on since 1937. In the meanwhile, if you live in an illegal state, stick with flower. No one has ever died from inhaling that.
https://www.celebstoner.com/blogs/steve-bloom/2019/09/07/great-vape-scare-2019/?ref=2&ref_type=tab
The Great Vape Scare of 2019
Steve Bloom
September 7, 2019
Vaporizers didn't exist before 1989. That year a mysterious character named Dr. Lunglife submitted two articles to High Times that were published. They provided diagrams for making your own portable weed vaporizer - the kind with a dome and a hose.
Vaping was alway a weed thing until the tobacco industry got a hold of it. The Volcano vaporizer - the pyramid shaped device that utilizes turkey storage bags to contain the vapor - never was used for tobacco.
But when the tobacco industry, shamed by the high death totals from its products, turned to vaping as an alternative to smoking, that's when problems started to happen. Those disgusting devices that emit clouds of vapor are supposed to be safer than smoking. But you're still inhaling its deadly product, nicotine. There is no evidence that e-cigs are safe, just that perhaps they are "safer" than cigarettes. They'll still kill you, but perhaps not as fast or not as many people. That's an improvement I suppose.
Rather than sneak a cig in the bathroom or in some hidden spot around schools, now teens are getting addicted to the popular e-cig known as Juul. Plenty of adults are hooked on these little black sticks too.
The news of five deaths due to vaping either e-cigs or cannabis pens and more than 450 cases is confusing. Authorites don't know what's causing people to die or get sick, just that it's happening after people use these devices.
"This outbreak is akin to bathtub gin under alcohol prohibitions. It's generally a creature of unlicenced markets where consumers have no legal alternative."
Getting sick from an e-cig is not surprising, but from a cannabis-filled vape cartridge? That's scary. It's clear why this has become a problem: Prohibition.
Eleven states have legalized marijuana. Thirty-three states have broad medical marijuana laws. Vape pens are legally manufactured and sold in most of these states. The cannabis oil in the cartridges that's vazporized when connected to a battery and inhaled is generally safe since its required to be tested for toxins, mold and pesticides.
But, still the vast majority of Americans don't have access to these legal, safe products. In the other 39 illegal states, the black markets are thriving. No longer content to smoke joints or take bong hits, consumers want the convenience and discreetness of vape pens. Since they're illegal in most of the of the U.S., bootleg manufacturers have sprung up around the country. These oil cartridges are not tested and are being found to contain diluents and flavorings that can cause lung damage and possible death.
"These unfortunate incidents reinforce the need for greater regulation, standardization and oversight of the cannabis market."
David Downs, whose coverage of this controversy has been top notch, wrote at Leafly on Sept. 6:
"This outbreak is akin to bathtub gin under alcohol prohibitions. It's generally a creature of unlicenced markets where consumers have no legal alternative. It's akin to the recent Spice/K2 poisonings, as well as unregulated CBD poisonings. The first reports came out of the prohibition state of Wisconsin, which has 34 cases, and Kings County, CA, which has banned legal access to tested cannabis, alongside 60% of local cities and counties. California has 49 potential cases. Illinois has 53. New York reports 34 cases. By contrast, Oregon has one suspected death. Colorado has two suspected cases. Washington (State) has none."
I agree with Downs as well as with NORML deputy director Paul Armentano that lack of cannabis regulation nationwide is a cause of this epidemic.
"These unfortunate incidents reinforce the need for greater regulation, standardization and oversight of the cannabis market – principles which NORML has consistently called for in the cannabis space," he stated on Sept. 5. "Consumers must also be aware that not all products are created equal; quality control testing is critical and only exists in the legally regulated marketplace."
So blame some of the vape deaths and lung issues on the U.S. government for failing to end federal cannabis prohibition, which has been going on since 1937. In the meanwhile, if you live in an illegal state, stick with flower. No one has ever died from inhaling that.
https://www.celebstoner.com/blogs/steve-bloom/2019/09/07/great-vape-scare-2019/?ref=2&ref_type=tab
