If you’ve been online over the past few weeks, whether or not you regularly use cannabis, you’ve inevitably seen the constantly-evolving news surrounding e-cigarettes and lung disease. In recent months, up to 450 people have developed lung illness and at least six people have died as a result of using e-cigarettes. This sudden epidemic is still being investigated and researched, but the leading theory is that extremely high levels of the chemical vitamin E acetate were the culprit. The cannabis-containing vaping products that were analyzed as part of the investigation almost all contained the vitamin E cutting agent, leading health officials to believe that this is the most likely cause of the rampant illness. Without a definitive answer to this mysterious epidemic, many of those who vape are worried about whether this illness could affect them. Cornerstone Wellness is here to assure you that we are a trustworthy cannabis dispensary whose products are 100% safe to consume and do not contain vitamin E acetate in any quantity.
What is vitamin E acetate?
Vitamin E acetate, also known as tocopheryl acetate, is a common vitamin oil that is sometimes used as a vape cartridge additive. It is found mostly in illicit market THC vape carts as a cutting agent, so it won’t be found at state-regulated cannabis dispensaries. While vitamin E acetate is perfectly safe to apply topically and is commonly found in products such as skin creams and cosmetics, it is extremely dangerous to inhale. Inhaling oils is hazardous because they return to a liquid state once in the lungs, which is highly toxic and regularly results in lung injury. Lung illness due to inhaling oils has been seen before in instances where people accidentally inhale products such as ointments. However, vaping has made the occurrence much more prevalent, and the amount of oil inhaled is much greater than anything previously seen. This has begun to result in large numbers of lung illness and even death.
Is vaping marijuana otherwise safe?
There has not been enough research into vaporizers in order for the FDA to deem any amount of vaping “safe”, regardless of which substance you’re vaping. However, if you do choose to vape, choosing safe THC products from a state-regulated cannabis dispensary will help you ensure that you do not suffer from the same lung damage as those whose products contain vitamin E acetate. Here at Cornerstone cannabis dispensary, we only use cannabis-derived oil and food-grade botanical terpenes that are entirely free of any cutting agents like vitamin E acetate. We have contacted all of our partner manufacturers in order to verify that there are no harmful cutting agents, emulsifiers, or additives used in their cartridge formulations, so you can rest assured that all cannabis vaping products available at Cornerstone are completely safe.
All of Cornerstone’s products are lab tested by state-licensed testing facilities and always meet or exceed the strict regulatory standards set by the state of California. All vaping products should be used with caution and at your own risk, but, thankfully, no California state-licensed vape products have been implicated in the current lung disease epidemic. To find out more about our cannabis and THC products, stop by our Los Angeles cannabis dispensary or give us a call at (323) 259-8933. We would be happy to answer any questions you have about Cornerstone, our products, and our manufacturers in order to put your mind at ease.