Sixteen percent of patients in three states who developed lung injuries after vaping marijuana obtained the products from stores, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC said the report reinforces its recommendations not to use THC in e-cigarettes or vaping products, USA Today reported.
The report is based on 809 patients in Illinois, Wisconsin and Utah who provided data on where they obtained THC-containing products.
- 131 patients, or 16%, reported acquiring their products from only commercial sources.
- The majority, 627, cited “informal” sources such as family, friends and in-person or online dealers.
- Fifty-one, or 6%, obtained the products from informal sources as well as from commercial retailers.
Commercial sources, according to the CDC, include:
- Recreational marijuana stores.
- Medical cannabis dispensaries.
- Vape or smoke shops.
- Pop-up stores.
Consumers might not know whether stores or dispensaries are actually licensed, even in states where adult-use marijuana is legal.
In California, for example, the Bureau of Cannabis Control seized nearly 10,000 illegal vape pens from unlicensed retailers in two days last month, according to the CDC.
For more of Marijuana Business Daily’s ongoing coverage of the vaping crisis, click here.
