is vaping marijuana dangerous for occasional use

The Health Risks of Vaping Marijuana

• Breathing Issues: Vaping marijuana can aggravate asthma conditions. It can also cause spasms of bronchial tubes.
• Cancer Risk: Though not as much as when nicotine is inhaled, cancer-causing substances like tars may be released when vaping marijuana. ...
• Intoxication: The marijuana oils that are sometimes used for vaping can be highly concentrated with up to 90% of the drug’s active ingredient, THC. ...

Full Answer

Is vaporizing marijuana healthier than smoking it?

Vaping marijuana might expose you to fewer toxic ingredients than smoking it, but it's far from harmless. A lot more research is needed to fully understand the health risks associated with vaping in general and vaping marijuana and its related compounds specifically.

Is vaping worse than smoking weed?

Teens who inhale cannabis via vape pens are more likely to develop breathing problems than those who vape tobacco products or even those who smoke either cigarettes or marijuana joints, according to research appearing in the Journal of Adolescent Health this spring led by University of Michigan nursing professor Carol Boyd.

Why is vaping now more dangerous than smoking cigarettes?

Vaping may be worse for you than traditional smoking, a new study claims. Greek researchers found that flavorings in e-cigarettes harm the lungs by causing inflammation. Experiments, conducted on...

What are the real dangers of vaping?

Understanding the real dangers

• Toxins, carcinogens, chemicals. There are scary sounding chemicals in e-cig vapor, but they’re in tiny concentrations, far smaller than in tobacco smoke.
• Formaldehyde. ...
• Popcorn lung: diacetyl and acetyl propionyl. ...
• Flavorings. ...
• Particles. ...
• PG and VG. ...

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Which is worse vaping or smoking?

1: Vaping is less harmful than smoking, but it's still not safe. E-cigarettes heat nicotine (extracted from tobacco), flavorings and other chemicals to create an aerosol that you inhale. Regular tobacco cigarettes contain 7,000 chemicals, many of which are toxic.

What are the long term effects of vaping?

These risks include nicotine addiction, mood disorders, and permanent lowering of impulse control. Nicotine also changes the way synapses are formed, which can harm the parts of the brain that control attention and learning.

Can your lungs heal from vaping?

Breathing in the harmful chemicals from vaping products can cause irreversible (cannot be cured) lung damage, lung disease and, in some cases, death.

What is the safest vape to use?

If you are looking for the safest vape kit then you might want to consider disposables or pod kits. These are often low powered and have safety cuts offs as well as other features to prevent them from overheating. Not only as disposables one of the safest vape kits, but they are also super easy to use.

What are 5 dangers of vaping?

Vaping has been linked to lung injury.Rapid onset of coughing.Breathing difficulties.Weight loss.Nausea and vomiting.Diarrhea.

Is vaping worse long-term?

Long-term effects of vaping However, a 2019 study into the long-term health effects of vaping found that people using e-cigarettes had a higher risk of respiratory disease than people who never smoked. Vaping may: damage the lungs. release free radicals, which promote cancer development, into the body.

What are 3 harmful effects of vaping?

Side effects of vapingcoughing.dry mouth and throat.shortness of breath.mouth and throat irritation.headaches.

How does smoking cannabis affect your heart rate?

Heart rate increased by 12.2 beats per minute half an hour after smoking , and 10.7 bpm half an hour after vaping. An hour and a half after the dose, people who ate the cannabis saw a 13 bpm increase in heart rate, which dropped to 10.2 bpm after three hours. Only those who smoked the cannabis had increases in the amount of carbon monoxide exhaled, which continued up to 6 hours after smoking, compared to the vapers, who showed no such increase.

How to test the theory of vaping?

The easiest way to test the overall theory behind vaping marijuana is to test the chemicals given off by a vaporizer. If it’s true that combustion doesn’t occur and this makes it safer to vape, you’d see a reduction in the amount of harmful chemicals given off, compared to the smoke from a joint.

What was the first vaporizer?

An early model of vaporizer called the Tilt was released in the 80s, and it was also the subject of one of the first tests of the overall theory. The device was tested at 185 to 195 °C and the emissions were compared with those from a similar sample smoked from a clay pipe. The results showed a 79 percent reduction in tar, no detectable carbon monoxide, an 80 percent increase in THC and a 60 percent increase in CBD. Overall, the ratio of THC to tar was increased by eight and a half times, showing that you get much more of what you’re looking for with a drastic reduction in harmful components. Other early studies were similarly positive but limited by the poor design of vaporizers at the time.

How much THC is in the volcano?

The testing showed that the vapor produced by the Volcano was 95 percent pure THC, with one suspected cannibinoid, an oil deriving from the cannabis plant and one polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (a PAH – a family of toxic chemicals) making up the rest of the mixture.

Does vaping reduce your exposure to toxic chemicals?

Overall, the evidence on cannabis vaping is limited but appears to paint a consistent picture: vaping rather than smoking reduces your exposure to toxic chemicals and likely does much less damage to your body.

Does smoking cannabis cause carbon monoxide?

Only those who smoked the cannabis had increases in the amount of carbon monoxide ex haled, which continued up to 6 hours after smoking, compared to the vapers, who showed no such increase. Yet again, the evidence is admittedly limited but ultimately points to vaping as a way to reduce harm compared to smoking cannabis.

Is vaping hard evidence?

As with nicotine vaping, this isn’t hard evidence and you do need experimental confirmation to back this assumption up. And from there, ideally there would be some further indication that this reduced exposure to harmful chemicals resulted in fewer health issues as a result. However, it’s important to remember this and not lose sight of the pretty solid rationale behind vaping instead of smoking to reduce health risks.

Why is it important to be cautious when using cannabis?

Amanda Winn Lee of “A Mom’s Guide to Cannabis” says people under the age of 25 should exercise extreme caution when using cannabis because a young adult’s brain is still growing and neural development is still occurring.

How long does it take for a puff of cannabis to take effect?

Inhaled cannabis can take 10 to 15 minutes to take effect. “You can take a whole lot of puffs in that time,” Tishler said. “Restraint is a good policy.”. But for users under the age of 25, restraint is the best policy. Many health officials have changed the antiquated “Just Say No” campaign to “Delay, Delay, Delay.”.

How many states allow recreational cannabis?

There are currently 10 states that allow for recreational cannabis use and more than twice as many that allow people to use the substance for medically approved reasons. Because of these changes, more people have become open to the idea of trying cannabis for the first time.

Does vaping make you high?

A recent study determined that vaping cannabis can produce a significantly stronger high than smoking the drug. Researchers suggest people trying marijuana for the first time build up a tolerance to the drug before vaping it.

Is vaping a good way to consume cannabis?

Vaping has become a popular way for people to consume cannabis. In this manner, the cannabis is housed in a thin, pen-like device. It’s less odorous and more discreet than smoking. Many users also find it much less irritating on their throats than traditional smoking.

Is there a fatal overdose on cannabis?

While a fatal overdose on cannabis has yet to occur , the major risk to any casual cannabis user is overintoxication, which is directly tied to dose, Tishler said.

Does THC affect reaction time?

But no matter the dose, researchers in this small double-blind placebo trial found that no matter the amount of THC, those who vaped marijuana reported more powerful effects, including serious impairment in their reaction time and overall cognitive abilities.

The Dangers of Vaping Marijuana

So why should vaping this psycho-active drug matter if marijuana is legal for recreational use in several states throughout the U.S.? Although there have not been cases of people overdosing on intaking Cannabis, the psychoactive drug can still negatively affect a person’s brain development.

Understand the Signs of Vaping Marijuana

Vape pens make it easier for teens to discreetly inhale marijuana wherever they are. The vape pens are easy to conceal and look like stylus pens or USB jump drives, which makes them harder to get caught. You may not be able to detect the scent of marijuana when it’s used through a vape pen either.

Spread Awareness About the Dangers of Vaping Marijuana

As more states begin to legalize or decriminalize the recreational use of marijuana, cannabis products are more likely to fall into the hands of adolescents and pre-teens. However, marijuana and other THC products are still illegal in the hands of minors and adolescents.

How many high school students in Connecticut have tried marijuana?

However, teenagers quickly discovered their potential for inconspicuous marijuana use. In 2015, Yale University researchers surveyed 3,847 Connecticut high school students and found a surprising number of the kids—close to 30 percent—admitted having tried marijuana or hashish.

How much THC is in a concentrate?

The concentrates can contain up to 90 percent THC and, to make it worse, they can also contain decidedly unhealthy substances like lighter fluid and pesticides. The Yale study concluded that rates of vaporizing cannabis using e-cigarettes were high.

How old are e-cigarettes?

They also continue to be popular among young adults. According to the CDC, e-cigarette use is significantly higher among 18–24-year-olds .

Can you use butane hash oil in e-cigarettes?

Concentrated liquid forms of marijuana are even more problematic. So-called butane hash oil (BHO) can be substituted for the nicotine solution in many e-cigarettes, and some vendors even sell e-cigarettes specifically designed for use with marijuana leaves or wax infused with THC.

Can e-cigarettes vaporize cannabis?

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, also discovered that nearly one in five e-cigarette smokers have used the device to vaporize cannabis or byproducts like hash oil. Many physicians believe that marijuana use is especially problematic for teenagers and young adults.

Does marijuana affect the brain?

Studies show that regular marijuana use can change the structure of the teenage brain, specifically in areas dealing with memory and problem-solving. Unfortunately, the risk perception among children for marijuana use has decreased significantly in the last decade. The low-risk perception is even greater among 18–24-year-olds for 2014.

Is vaping bad for you?

The Dangers of Vaping Cannabis. Many people understand that smoking is bad for your health, and that would certainly include smoking marijuana. This has prompted many cannabis users in recent years to start vaping cannabis as a supposedly healthier and less smelly alternative.

What are the organs that are at risk when vaping?

When teens vape marijuana they’re putting two vital organs at risk: their brains and their lungs. The brain of an adolescent or young adult continues to grow and develop well into early adulthood, and is busy developing critical skills related to problem-solving, impulse control, anticipating consequences and more.

What are the symptoms of vaping?

Symptoms of this vaping-related lung illness, also known as EVALI ( E -cigarette, or V aping, product use A ssociated L ung I njury), include: 1 Shortness of breath 2 Weight loss 3 Night sweats 4 Fatigue 5 Gastrointestinal problems 6 Low oxygen levels 7 Lung failure and death (in severe cases)

What is a PAX vape?

Marijuana vaping devices often resemble vaping devices used for nicotine or other e-liquids. For example, PAX is a brand of marijuana vaporizers that closely resemble the popular JUUL devices. Those seeking to vape marijuana can also learn how to “hack” nicotine vapes to work with marijuana from countless YouTube videos and other online resources.

How to tell if your child is vaping?

How to recognize if your child is vaping marijuana. Vaping can be difficult to detect as there is no smoke, minimal odor (although you may catch a whiff) and the vapor produced dissipates rapidly. However, just like smoking, vaping marijuana can result in bloodshot eyes, dry mouth and thirst, increased appetite and shifts in behavior and mood.

How likely are teens to become addicted to marijuana?

Research also shows that teens who use marijuana are twice as likely as adults to become addicted to it.

Is Vitamin E acetate illegal?

Although the majority of marijuana vaping devices containing Vitamin E Acetate were bought through illegal channels, there have been several cases where the additive was identified in vaping products purchased from regulated marijuana dispensaries.

Why is vaping so popular?

Vaporizing cannabis has grown in popularity in recent years due to its convenience, discretion, and perceived health benefits. But there are safety concerns.

Why are vape pens going under?

But with cannabis testing regulations going into effect July 1, Green believes many vape brands will go under due to a lack of compliant product and increased costs related to compliance. "So, you're going to start to see some consolidation among the brands," he said. "There won't be 45 vape pens on the shelf.".

What heating element is used in vape pens?

The actual heating element can vary, from ceramic to glass to metal. Green said the nichrome (or nickel-chromium) wire — the same type of heating mechanism you'll find in a toaster — is the most common heating element found in vape pens.

What is the silver tip on a vape pen?

Green said many vape pens also have silver tips (the part you suck on), which are nickel or chrome plating . "You don't see those on medical devices because they aren't safe," he said. (He said Dosist uses medical-grade plastic for its exterior.)

How hot does cannabis oil need to be to be aerosolized?

While cannabis oil only needs to be heated between 160- and 190-degrees Celsius to begin to aerosolize, vaping devices do not heat evenly or consistently. People also use the products differently.

Where are vape pens made?

Jeremy Green, COO of vape pen company Dosist, noted that almost all vape pens are made in Shenzhen, China, which bills itself as the headquarters of the e-cig industry. (Vape pens are made from the same device as e-cigarettes.) The actual heating element can vary, from ceramic to glass to metal.

Is propylene glycol safe to use?

Although the FDA classifies it as "generally recognized as safe," there are concerns about propylene glycol when it's heated to high temperatures, according to a 2015 report by Jahan Marcu, chief scientific officer for Americans for Safe Access.

Why are cigarettes dangerous?

The reason cigarettes are dangerous isn’t because of the nicotine. The tar and other chemicals that cause emphysema or cancer make it so dangerous. Burning or inhaling is a bad idea. That’s why we will probably discover that marijuana is bad for your lungs, too.”.

Why are e-cigarettes bad for youth?

These are similar in nature to vaporizers used for marijuana, and can greatly impact youth because of the potential cancer-causing substances they release.

How many states allow medical marijuana?

The research on medical marijuana looks promising. However, we still don’t know whether it’s an effective treatment. Beyond that, only 31 states , as well as Guam, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia allow the use of marijuana for medical use.

What is the active ingredient in marijuana?

Two drugs that are a synthetic laboratory version with chemical structure of or similar to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), another active ingredient in marijuana, are approved for use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Can smoking marijuana cause damage?

Smoking marijuana can cause damage with rupture to the walls of adjacent alveoli (small air sacs in the lungs) into larger, ineffective air sacs called bullae. The risk is higher in male smokers under the age of 45.

Does smoking marijuana cause bronchitis?

This is associated with an increased likelihood of developing chronic bronchitis. The inhalation patterns when smoking marijuana are different than when smoking cigarettes.

Is marijuana good for you?

Health benefits of marijuana. Marijuana may provide calming effects that improve certain mental and physical conditions. For instance, a doctor might recommend medical marijuana to people with Crohn’s disease as an alternative way to ease inflammation, nausea, and vomiting .

Can e-cigarettes help you quit smoking?

Overall, the research on whether e-cigs can help people quit smoking is still “inconclusive,” per the CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration hasn’t approved them as a quitting aid.

Is it safe to smoke e-cigarettes?

She says that E-cigarettes fall somewhere in the middle, as far as overall safety. “A lot of people in the public health sector believe they are safer than tobacco cigarettes,” Middlekauff tells Mic, “but they’re not harmless.”

Is vaping safe?

What’s more, there’s no known safe amount of vaping, and certainly no known threshold for developing the lung illness that has sickened e-cig users, Middlekauff says.

Can you crank up an e-cigarette to a high temperature?

High voltages (5V) have been associated with the formation of more potentially cancer-causing formaldehyde, or formaldehyde-containing compounds, than even tobacco cigarettes generate. If you own one of these devices, “definitely don’t crank it up to a super high temperature ,” Middlekauff says (although she notes that the findings have drawn skepticism among e-cig users, who say that vaping at such high temperatures results in an unpleasant taste ).

Can you buy e-cigs from a reputable brand?

First things first: Buy e-cigs only from recognizable, commercially available brands, which are more likely to manufacture their products responsibly. Using reputable brands may also safeguard against the “shoddy workmanship” Middlekauff suspects to be responsible for the heavy metals detected in vape clouds, as well as battery explosions, which are rare but can cause serious injury. (The FDA offers tips on how to avoid these explosions, such as purchasing vapes with vent holes and other safety features, and not charging them overnight.)

Do you need to test e-cigs for cannabis?

Middlekauff also cautions against using e-cigs that contain cannabis. Since cannabis products don’t fall under FDA regulation, they don’t need to be tested to ensure that their content matches the ingredients on the label. We know so little about what’s in e-cigs — “we know even less about what’s in cannabis products.” Cannabis only adds another layer of uncertainty to vaping.

Can you vape if you are a non smoker?

While the CDC advises non- smokers not to vape, the agency notes that e-cigarettes that contain nicotine “have the potential” to help smokers curb and phase out regular cigarettes. Middlekauff points to a recent clinical trial that randomly assigned smokers to e-cigs plus counseling or traditional nicotine-replacement products (such as gum or patches) plus counseling. A year later, 18% of the smokers who had received e-cigs had quit cigarettes, versus 9.9% of those who had received nicotine-replacement products — but 80% of people in the e-cig group were still vaping, while only 9% of those in the other group were still using nicotine-replacement products. And as the researchers note, the long-term effects of vaping remain unknown.

What happens if you smoke?

If you inhale this smoke, no matter what is in the smoke, your lungs will deteriorate. Also, your brain will be receiving less oxygen, due to the fact that the smoke will block oxygen to your brain. Reply to ......

Does marijuana increase depressive symptoms?

They report, "Baseline marijuana use was predictive of an increase in depressive symptoms over time among male but not female African American adolescents."

Chemical Emission Studies

Self Report Studies

Clinical Studies

Concerns About Oils and Concentrates

• The research presented so far specifically addresses vaporizing cannabis plant material, but many vapers use oils and concentrates in devices more like traditional vape pens. These are still likely to be safer than smoking cannabis because they still avoid combustion and the slew of toxic chemicals that come with it. However, there are some additio...

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