Full Answer
How do I know which vapor products are free of Vitamin E Acetate?
Review products online to verify their authenticity. Ask you budtender for advice. Most vaping-related illnesses have been associated with illegal cannabis products [11]. Trust but verify, ask for proof that your product is free of contaminants.
Why would Vitamin E Acetate be in a vapor product?
Vitamin E Acetate is commonly added to food ingredients as a preservative. The antioxidant properties of Vitamin E Acetate make it useful for reducing the oxidative degradation or “browning” of foods, especially oils. Cannabis oil distillates, in particular, are susceptible to oxidative degradation, causing the oil to change color from clear or light yellow to rose or deep red. Adding Vitamin E Acetate to a cannabis oil distillate may preserve its color.
What is Vitamin E Acetate?
Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant, which protects cell membranes and promotes a healthy nervous system.[1]
Does vaping affect the lungs?
Lungs. Vaporizing Vitamin E into the lungs is a relatively new behavior among Americans, and the risks associated with it are currently under intense scrutiny. In 2019, there has been a surge of vaping-related illnesses and deaths reported across the United States [ 11 ]. While the cause (s) of the illness (es) remains unknown, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are actively investigating, as are state agencies [ 12 ]. The FDA has announced they suspect Vitamin E Acetate may be the cause of vaping-related deaths. The CDC is urging Americans to only purchase vape products from trusted sources, and to consider cessation of vaping altogether.
Is vitamin E acetate a vaping drug?
The FDA has announced they suspect Vitamin E Acetate may be the cause of vaping-related deaths.
Is Vitamin E available over the counter?
Vitamin E is available over the counter at most pharmacies . Most often, it is sold as Vitamin E Acetate, and in this form it can penetrate the skin. Topical application of Vitamin E Acetate may be beneficial for wound healing and protective against ultraviolet radiation, though there is no scientific consensus for this.[2] [3]
Does Vitamin E help with Alzheimer's?
Regular consumption of Vitamin E at the recommended level has been associated with a decrease in risk for Alzheimer’s disease, cancer , and a variety of cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.[6] [7] Food.
What is vitamin E acetate used for?
And vitamin E acetate has reportedly been used as a cheap cutting agent by illicit cannabis suppliers.
What is the culprit in vaping?
Vitamin E acetate is a key culprit in the vaping illness outbreak. The sticky chemical has been found in samples taken from people who got sick or died from vaping-related illness. By Julia Belluz @juliaoftoronto Nov 11, 2019, 10:30am EST. Share this story.
Is there direct evidence of vitamin E acetate in the lungs?
But Schuchat also emphasized the CDC’s investigation isn’t over: Officials still can’ t say for sure that vitamin E acetate is the source of harm in all cases.
Is it safe to inhale vitamin E?
The chemical is a synthetic form of vitamin E, and it’s used — safely — in nutritional supplements and skin creams. But it isn’t safe to inhale. Sticky and honey-like, it can hang around in the lungs, health officials said, interfering with how they function. Samples taken from 29 patients in 10 states, for a CDC Mortality and Morbidity Weekly report released Friday, found the chemical in all samples, while other potential toxins — such as plant and mineral oils — weren’t. It’s “direct evidence of vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury within the lungs,” Schuchat said.
How many cases of respiratory illness have been reported from e-cigarettes?
It's still a mystery — what's causing the cluster of severe respiratory illnesses among people who've used e-cigarettes? The FDA says there have been at least 215 reported cases in 25 states.
Is it safe to take vitamin E?
Vitamin E is usually safe as a dietary supplement or cream, but vaping it could be harmful, according to state health Commissioner Howard Zucker.
Is Vitamin E a vape additive?
Vitamin E is not an approved additive for vape products approved by New York's medical marijuana program, and Zucker says the cartridges they tested appear to be "black-market" products purchased off the street — not in medical dispensaries.
Can vitamin E be inhaled deep in the lung?
When it is "inhaled deep in the lung, [it] can cause problems," Zucker tells NPR. He says the lab has found very high amounts of vitamin E in 13 of the patient-submitted cartridges they've analyzed. "As high as even 50 percent of the liquid that is in the vaping [cartridge]."
Does vaping cause lung problems?
Vitamin E Suspected In Serious Lung Problems Among People Who Vaped Cannabis. The New York State Department of Health said Thursday that it is looking at vitamin E acetate as a potential cause of severe pulmonary illness cases in the state that have been associated with vaping.
Is vaping dangerous?
Zucker says the number of cases of vaping-associated pulmonary illnesses has been rising, and that people who vape should be warned not to buy unregulated products purchased off the street. "These unregulated products are not tested and may contain harmful substances," the department warns.
What are the ingredients in vape?
The ingredients of vape that are suspected of contributing to the development of vaping-related illnesses are THC and vitamin E acetate. THC is an ingredient used in many vape products, and many patients experiencing vape-related complications have admitted to using THC-containing products in the past, leading the FDA to believe that THC may play a role in the vape-related illness outbreak. The FDA has issued a public warning to stop using THC-containing vape products, as the compound may be contributing to lung illnesses related to vaping. Specifically, vitamin E acetate is most commonly used as an additive in THC-containing vape/e-cigarette products; vitamin E acetate is an oily chemical added to THC vaping liquids used to thicken or dilute them. A vape-related injury concerning a teenage boy in Canada has recently gained the media’s attention as well. The 17-year-old boy vaped “intensively,” adding THC to his devices. He initially showed symptoms aligning with bronchiolitis (lung condition normally caused by a bacterial or viral infection), but many patients that have vape-related illnesses in the United States have experienced damage to the alveoli; this type of injury was not found. Instead, his case aligned more with an injury called “popcorn lung,” an ailment most commonly seen in factory workers of microwave popcorn plants nearly 20 years ago. This new vape-related case calls for further exploration into the toxicity of vape liquid, as the patient’s condition could have been caused by the THC added to the vaping devices, or the chemical that affected factory workers in the past - diacetyl. Diacetyl is present in many e-cigarette flavors [14]. The American Lung Association has called for the FDA to require that diacetyl and other hazardous chemicals be removed from e-cigarette cartridges.
When were electronic cigarettes invented?
Electronic cigarettes were first developed in China in the early 2000s and introduced to the US market in 2007 [5]. In the US, the product experienced explosive growth, with the number of electronic cigarette users doubling every year between 2008 and 2012. While traditional cigarettes are smoked through combustion, e-cigarettes are "vaped," and the resultant aerosols potentially contain a reduced number of potentially toxic chemicals, such as nicotine and flavorings such as diacetyl and cinnamaldehyde, as well as byproducts such as formaldehyde and acrolein caused by the potential overheating of propylene glycol, and glycerin.
How many deaths from vaping in 2019?
As of November 13, 2019, there were 2,172 confirmed and probable lung injury cases "associated with the use of e-cigarette or vaping, products as reported by 49 states (all except Alaska), the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as reported by the CDC. 42 deaths have been confirmed in 24 states and the District of Columbia: Alabama, California (4), Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia (3), Illinois (4), Indiana (4), Kansas (2), Massachusetts (2), Michigan, Minnesota (3), Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Oregon (2), Pennsylvania, Tennessee (2), Texas, Utah, and Virginia" [21]. Vaping, may also have harmful psychological effects with a strong association between vaping, major depression and suicidal behavior as reported in a large new study [22]. The likely contributing culprit, nicotine. Prevalence of lung disease attributable to vaping is likely under reported as cases brought to the CDC are some of the most severe. For now EVALI remains a diagnosis that is made after exclusion of other conditions and needs to be reported to the CDC.
What is the purpose of vaping?
Vaping was initially marketed as a smoking cessation aid to help with cessation of cigarette smoking. E-cigarettes first took public attention in the mass media for unexpectedly blowing up, causing burns and severe facial damage [6]. In the past decade, a number of alternative vaping products have rapidly gained consumer demand, especially in, adolescents, due to the belief that they are much safer (lower nicotine content) than traditional cigarettes, choice of advertisements different flavors and ease of access to electronic nicotine delivery systems (such as e-cigarettes and vape pens). Except for menthol, the use of flavor additives has been banned from traditional cigarettes, whereas e-cigarettes are marketed in over 7,000 different flavors. Many of those flavors are found in candy and popular soft drinks and, because adolescents are familiar with such flavors, e-cigarettes are appealing to them. Tobacco smoking is associated with vascular endothelial dysfunction in a causative and dose-dependent manner [7]. Data from 5,400 smokers and 2,025 former smokers have found that the average number of cigarettes smoked per day by people who regularly used e-cigarettes fell by 4.4 over about two years, compared with only 2.7 for those who did not use e-cigarettes. Sixty-seven percent more e-cigarette users than non-users quit smoking altogether. However, there were 70% more relapses among former smokers who used e-cigarettes than among those who did not use the devices [8].
Does vaping affect the lungs?
The evidence on how vitamin E acetate affects the lungs of vape users is notable because vitamin E acetate has been acknowledged as a majorly harmful chemical that may be contributing to vape-related illnesses and deaths. Lung scans have revealed different outlines of lung parenchyma suggesting possible different processes in injury. One pattern points to lipoid pneumonia which can occur with lipid containing ingredients or oils aerosolized into the airways causing inflammation and compromised function [17]. The respiratory epithelium has a complicated network of extracellular membranes essential for breathing and survival. Surfactant membranes form a stable monolayer at the air-liquid interface, reducing the surface tension at the air-liquid interface, therefore stabilizing the lung against collapse and helping lungs expand. Oil in the lung interferes with this ordered/disordered lipid phase coexistence in lung surfactant with alterations in phase coexistence [18]. The American Medical Association has made calls for a ban on vaping products, and Washington state has now banned vape products containing vitamin E acetate, thought to be linked to illness [19-20]. Although the substance is not banned in the United States and has not been officially declared as a deadly substance, many states are making advances to ban the use of the chemical in vape products. States like Massachusetts are considering a ban on flavored tobacco and vape products, and in New York, Manhattan is expected to become the largest city to ban all vaping flavors except tobacco. Other states that have already banned the use of vitamin E acetate in vape products include Colorado and Ohio. Greater public awareness of this deadly condition helps with implementing comprehensive, population-based interventions for this preventable disease.
Is vaping dangerous?
CDC has detected vitamin E acetate as a chemical of concern among people with the lung injury. Vitamin E acetate is a condensing agent in vaping products, and all injured lung fluid samples appear to harbor this agent. The mysterious outbreak is identified in individuals vaping within the 90 days, ranging over a few days to developing over several weeks. There is growing evidence that vaping is hazardous to your health including immediate health dangers such as death from respiratory causes, long term health effects, cardiovascular events, depression which increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide. This review article summarizes the growing knowledge of acute respiratory complications associated with vaping.
Does vaping cause lung injury?
The New York Times recently reported an analysis of lung fluid samples from 29 patients with vaping-related illnesses (including two who died), and the analysis suggests that vitamin E acetate is a "very strong culprit" in causing lung injuries. The lung fluid samples were collected from patients across the United States so that these findings may have implications nationwide. Moreover, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the CDC, explained, “For the first time, we have detected a potential toxin of concern, vitamin E acetate, from biological samples from patients… The analysis provided evidence of vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury in the lungs” [15]. Vitamin E acetate is sticky, giving it the ability to remain in the lungs. THC was also reported to be found in 82% of samples from 28 patients, which was remarkable as THC tends to leave the lungs quickly [16].
Can terpenes speed up the conversion of vitamin E acetate?
No, not that we've seen after testing from several different manufacturers. One of our customers believes terpenes can speed up the conversion of vitamin E acetate, but I don't really have much more information on that. He's a smart guy, though, so I'd like to find out more.
Does marijuana contain vitamin E?
In any plant product, you should see some [vitamin E] that occurs naturally in those plants. I don't know how marijuana compares with tobacco or other plants in regard to that, [but we have seen up to 400 parts per million in samples], which is different from synthetic vitamin E acetate. We contacted the CDC, which gave us the form of vitamin E acetate that's being found in vapers' lungs so we can develop our methods and better discriminate between different types of vitamin E acetate. That could be a way to determine who's adding this synthetically, and when it's occurring naturally.
Is vitamin E acetate a natural substance?
According to one cannabis laboratory, though, vitamin E acetate is a naturally occurring substance in virtually all plant products we use, which is why vaping oil manufacturers that don't add the substance to their products have seen it show up in their test results. To learn more about naturally occurring vitamin E, we caught up with Frank Taylor, co-founder of cannabis testing facility AgriScience Labs .
Does vaping cause illness?
Hospitalizations from vaping have slowed significantly since the fall, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially linked vitamin E acetate, a vaping additive used to dilute nicotine and marijuana oils, to the vast majority of the illnesses reported. Although most of those cases stemmed from black market products, vaping liquid sold at regulated marijuana dispensaries has also been connected to several illnesses, with some THC vaping oils sold by dispensaries testing positive for vitamin E.
Is it safe to vape with vitamin E?
Frank Traylor: Vitamin E is used on skin, and it's considered to be safe [for that]. So was vitamin E acetate. The illegal vape cartridges, though, they're so thin. If it's thin, vape oils are considered of lower quality, so people would use it as a thickener to make these cartridges look better than they were. In tobacco and THC cartridges, doctors started seeing lung illnesses, and the common thread was vaping. Measurement from the lungs of virtually every one of these patients showed vitamin E.
Can you add vitamin E to vape concentrate?
As is usual, sometimes the language isn't terribly clear. The new rules say you can't add vitamin E to vaping products, but it also says you can't sell anything with vitamin E in it. But we've been working with the state Marijuana Enforcement Division [to explain this]. For instance, water is allowed to have a certain amount of arsenic in it. So I think the MED is looking into how to stop vitamin E being an addition, while we're looking to set a certain level of detection, such as a 1 or 0.5 percent threshold for vitamin E. But if I were a concentrate manufacturer, I'd want clarification.
What is vape oil?
Cannabis vape oil is a cannabis concentrate that has been formulated to be used in a vaporizer or with a vape pen. Cannabis vape oil is made from cannabis extracts but can include additional ingredients to make the product physically functional to vaporize with a vaporizer battery. This mixture is packaged in what is known as a vape cartridge.
Why is a higher end vape pen better?
A higher-end vape pen with temperature and voltage control is ideal because all cannabinoids activate at different temperatures. THC and CBD can be activated at lower temperatures, while CBG & CBN requires higher temperatures. There is also a noticeable quality difference.
What Does It Mean to Vape?
There are many different application methods for using and consuming cannabis ranging from sublingual absorption, topical absorption, digestion of edibles, and various inhalation methods .
What is a Vape Pen or Battery?
Vape oil will come in a small cartridge, but you cannot do anything with the cart ridge without a battery, also known as a vape pen, to turn the oil into inhale-able vapor.
What is a broad spectrum vape cartridge?
For those who can not have THC, a broad-spectrum CBD vape cartridge contains an array of cannabinoids and terpenes found within cannabis – with 100% of the THC removed. This extract is paired with only one other ingredient – naturally occurring cannabis terpenes.
What is the inhalation method of cannabis?
The inhalation method we are focusing on today is known as vaping cannabis oil. Vaping cannabis oil is a smokeless, low-temperature method of inhaling cannabis vapor. However, it's important to note that this method is different than dry herb vaping.
How hot can a vape pen get?
Cheap vape pens tend to have fixed temperatures that are high enough to hit over 350+degrees without combusting, while higher-end and more expensive vape pens allow for temperature or voltage control.
How many people died from evali in 2019?
By December 2019, more than 2,800 cases of the lung disease, often referred to as EVALI, had been reported across the United States. Additionally, nearly 70 people have died so far from the disease and as vaping continues to grow in popularity, the number of deaths is likely to increase. What's more, 82% of the people hospitalized reported using ...
Can you vape with THC?
Consequently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has recommended that people avoid using e-cigarettes and vaping products, particularly those that contain THC oil. Even just vaping the oil once can significantly impact your lungs. 5
Is vaping safe?
But the issue is that vaping hasn't been around long enough and there isn't enough research to really determine whether or not it's safer. Recent research suggests that vaping THC oil, especially oil that contains vitamin E acetate, can be particularly harmful to your lungs. 3 Vitamin E acetate, which is regularly added to THC ...
Is it safe to vape THC oil?
Some people believe that vaping THC oil is safer than smoking because it doesn't involve inhaling smoke. But the issue is that vaping hasn't been around long enough and there isn't enough research to really determine whether ...
Is vaping safer than smoking?
Meanwhile, another study published in Addiction found that while vaping nicotine may be safer than smoking cigarettes, the same may not hold true when it comes to marijuana. 7 In fact, additives, like vitamin E acetate may make that delivery method even more dangerous than simply smoking a joint, putting the vaper's lungs at a greater risk for injury. Yet, a Gallup Poll indicates that most Americans believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking. In fact, 40% of the respondents felt that marijuana was "not too" harmful. 8
Is vaping THC oil harmful?
In fact, 40% of the respondents felt that marijuana was " not too" harmful. 8 . Ultimately, vaping THC oil can lead to a substance use disorder. In fact, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, between 9% and 30% of people who use marijuana develop some sort of substance use disorder. And, people who begin using marijuana ...